Paquette & Paquette’s personal injury lawyers in Sudbury want you to know how common slip and falls are and how serious slip and fall injuries can be. Statistics show that falls are a top cause of hospitalizations and emergency room visits in Ontario, second only to motor vehicle accidents. A broken step, icy parking lot, or an item carelessly left on the floor can cause a nasty fall that leads to serious personal injury such as broken bones, whiplash, and chronic pain. Head and brain injuries are quite common as a result of slip and falls. If you have been hurt in a “trip and fall” or “slip and fall” accident, you want to protect your rights and ensure that you receive proper compensation. The best way to do that is to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Sudbury Law Firm Answers: Why Do I Need a Lawyer After a Slip and Fall?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall that occurred because of someone else’s negligence, it is important to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Here are just some of the reasons why you need a personal injury lawyer in Sudbury after a slip and fall accident:
The law in this area is complex.
In Ontario, the Occupier’s Liability Act and the law of negligence apply to slip and fall claims. Ontario law imposes a “duty of care” on an owner or occupier of a premise (such as a business or residential homeowner) to ensure that people are reasonably safe while on their premises. The fact that you slipped and injured yourself does not automatically prove that the premises were unsafe; to establish your claim for compensation, you must prove that the occupier failed to detect a hazard that they should have been aware of, failed to address or remedy a hazard, or failed to meet a reasonable standard of care in maintaining the premises. You need a personal injury lawyer with slip and fall claim experience to explain the laws and help you meet the burden of proof to establish liability for your injuries.
There are notice requirements and deadlines that must be met to bring a slip and fall claim.
If you wait too long, you may lo se your right to bring a personal injury claim. There is a general two-year limitation period which applies to lawsuits in Ontario, and there are specific notice requirements that apply to filing claims against certain defendants. For example, depending on the circumstances of the incident, there may be a 10-day notice period for providing notice of an injury claim to the City of Greater Sudbury. Personal injury lawyers can advise you of the timelines that apply to your claim, help you ensure that they are met, and advise you on your options if deadlines have already been missed.
You want an honest assessment of your personal injury claim.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can review the circumstances of your accident, advise you of the strengths of your case, explain any potential issues that may hinder your claim, and develop a strategy to address those issues (for example, by obtaining witness statements to prove liability, or medical evidence to substantiate your injuries). A skilled personal injury lawyer can also provide you with an evaluation of the range of compensation you can expect to receive in light of your injuries and how they are impacting your life. For example, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, past and future income loss, out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of your injuries, and the care costs you will likely incur in the future.
You need to focus on recovering from your injuries.
Some slip and fall accident victims try to manage their own claim, which can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Not only does this burden the accident victim with the stress of managing their own claim when they could be focussing on rest and recovery, it typically results in less compensation overall. This is because cases that are handled by personal injury lawyers almost always result in larger pay outs, even after legal fees are deducted. When you hire a personal injury lawyer to handle your claim, the lawyer and their team will take care of the required legal work so you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting your life back on track.
Contact Paquette & Paquette’s Sudbury Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Many slip and fall accident victims hesitate before contacting a personal injury lawyer because they think they will have to pay an upfront retainer fee. In fact, Paquette & Paquette’s Val Caron and Sudbury personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation, so you will not be out-of-pocket to meet with us to discuss your case. After that consultation, if you decide to hire our personal injury lawyers in Sudbury we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only get paid when you receive compensation. Our personal injury lawyers are adept at various kinds of cases. We offer meetings at home if you are unable to come to one of our offices, and we can also arrange meetings after hours or on weekends. Contact us today to find out how we can help by calling at 1-888-383-3751 in Sudbury or 1-877-767-6356 in Val Caron.
VAL CARON 705-897-7272
Toll Free 1-877-767-6356
SUDBURY 705-560-3333