A slip and fall accident can leave you with a lifetime of chronic pain and disability. When these accidents happen on someone else’s property, their property insurance should cover your damages. Unfortunately, insurance companies will give you the runaround if you cannot produce the right evidence and arguments to support your damage claim. An Ajax slip and fall lawyer, however, can help you obtain proper compensation. To discuss your claim and begin the road to recovery schedule a consultation with an injury attorney today.
Our slip and fall accident lawyers can meet with you in Ajax for a free initial consultation. Call (416) 364-2000
Liability of Property Owners
Ontario property owners owe visitors a duty of care to keep their grounds safe from foreseeable hazards. Foreseeable hazards are things like cracked sidewalks and loose steps.
If the dangerous condition did not appear suddenly and gave the property owner enough time to remedy the situation, you likely have a case (e.g., you fell down the stairs because of a handrail that had been broken for days).
A valid slip and fall claim includes more than just an obvious and uncorrected hazard. You or your Ajax slip and fall attorney must also be able to prove that you had permission to be on the property, whether through an invitation to a private place or walking into a public area (e.g., city park, restaurant, etc.).
Additionally, you must show that your injuries were a result of the hazard and not your own negligence or misconduct. For example, if you slip and fall on a loose step on a staircase, that is likely the property owner’s fault, but if you slip and fall because you were walking up an escalator moving downward, that is your own misconduct.
An experienced slip and fall lawyer in Ajax will work with accident reconstructionists to prove how accidents occurred and determine who is at fault. We will also investigate to determine exactly how long the hazard existed before your accident.
Ajax Slip and Fall Accidents Lawyer Near Me (416) 364-2000
Things to Avoid
Jeopardizing your claim is very easy. Many claims fail because injured victims talked to the wrong people via social media or an insurance adjuster, giving access to full medical records, or not following up with the doctor’s orders and appointments.
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Talking to the Wrong People
While your medical records will prove the severity of your injuries, that is not the only information the insurer will use.
You can easily lose your claim by posting information about your health on social media or by giving a recorded statement.
For example, if you assert in your claim that your injury keeps you from getting out and enjoying time with your family, but then you post a picture at a water park, the insurer can argue that you are lying about the severity of your injuries.
A recorded statement can be even more detrimental. Insurance adjusters might seem nice and accommodating, but that is because they have received training to appear so. Once the adjuster has lulled you into a false sense of security, s/he might try to get you to admit that you contributed to your actions or that you are not injured.
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Access to Medical Records
The insurer needs your medical records to determine the value of your claim; however, they do not need full access. If you release your full medical history, they might be able to find old injuries or pre-existing conditions upon which they can blame your current injuries.
An Ajax slip and fall attorney will provide only the medical records related to the accident and ensure they do not get their hands on any separate records.
Ignoring Doctor’s Orders
Ignoring your doctor’s orders could lead to a claim denial. The insurer can argue that you contributed to the severity of your injuries by disobeying orders or that you are not even injured at all.
Following your doctor’s orders will protect you physically and financially.
Benefit of a Lawyer
When an Ajax slip and fall lawyer evaluates your claim, the number is usually much greater than the insurance company’s initial offer. Our estimates include:
- Lost wages
- Out-of-pocket medical expenses
- Long-term care
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of earning capacity
To determine your case’s value, an attorney will typically examine your records and receipts and recover professional testimony from experts in the medical or vocational fields.
Their knowledge can help reinforce the severity of your condition or your inability to continue working. This will allow you to recover much more compensation than if you had just requested payment for your lost wages or current medical expenses.
Call or text (416) 364-2000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
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