Business owners, homeowners, and the people who maintain public spaces in Nevada have a legal duty to keep their properties safe for visitors who are legally on their premises. If they fail in that duty and you get hurt, that’s when it’s time to find a Las Vegas slip and fall accident lawyer and file a premises liability claim.
Do You Need to Hire a Las Vegas Slip and Fall Lawyer?
If you suffered serious injuries in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you may be able to recover financial compensation. Without an experienced Las Vegas slip and fall accident attorney to protect your rights, however, proving the property owner’s negligence, obtaining the medical treatment you need, and getting the insurance company to pay out will be a challenge.
Although a slip and fall attorney is not legally required for you to win your claim, getting one is certainly in your best interest. Studies show that accident victims who hire slip and fall attorneys recover up to three times more than claimants who negotiate with the insurance company on their own.
What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents in Las Vegas?
Slip and fall accidents can happen under a wide range of circumstances. In most cases, these accidents happen when a dangerous condition exists, and property owners or managers neglect to do something to fix it. When property owners are negligent, victims can suffer severe, or even deadly, injuries. Slip and fall accident lawyers in Las Vegas often see injuries due to the following causes.
Uneven Walking Surfaces
Countless slip and fall accidents happen due to uneven walking surfaces on sidewalks, in hallways, and in entryways. Unrepaired or poorly maintained flooring materials can result in dangerous conditions. While they are same-level or low-level fall incidents, the injuries sustained can be severe.
Wet or Slippery Floors
Wet floors and slippery surfaces are also culprits in countless slip and fall accidents in Las Vegas. They often occur when spills are not cleaned up promptly, snow or rain is tracked into an entryway, or when cleaning products are used that make the floor unsafe.
Unsafe Stairways
Fall injuries are often severe when incidents happen on unsafe stairways. If a stairway was poorly lit, stairs were loose, a handrail was missing or not secured, or the stairs were cluttered with debris, the dangerous conditions may have contributed to your fall. A Las Vegas slip and fall accident attorney can help you determine if you have a case.
Unmarked Hazards
The property owner or manager is responsible for warning guests about hazards in accessible areas. This includes posting signs or guards to tell people about things like step-downs, wet floors, damaged flooring, torn carpeting, ramps, and other dangerous conditions. If the property owner failed to warn you and you suffered a serious injury as a result, you may be entitled to compensation.
Defective Lighting
Part of keeping property safe for guests includes making sure lighting is adequate and fixtures are working properly. Walkways, hallways, stairways, and places like parking garages that have dim or blinking lights can be a hazard, causing people to trip over clutter, miss steps, or run into an object.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Las Vegas
- Report the accident to the property owner
- If injuries are severe, call 9-1-1
- Take photos to document the scene
- Get medical treatment
- Keep your receipts for payments made, any medical bills or statements you receive, and your earnings statements from your employer
- Hire an experienced slip and fall accident lawyer in Las Vegas
How Can Las Vegas Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys Help with Your Case?
One of the most important steps you can take to improve your chances of winning a fair settlement in your case is to hire an experienced Las Vegas slip and fall accident lawyer. Here’s how hiring a lawyer can benefit your case, and ultimately, your financial recovery.
Evaluating Your Slip and Fall Accident Case
Just because you slipped, tripped, or fell on another person’s property doesn’t mean you can file a lawsuit. Your Las Vegas slip and fall lawyer will work to prove that the other person was negligent, which means:
- The property owner owed you a duty of care to keep the premises safe. If you were in an area where you were legally permitted to be, the property owner owed you this duty of care.
- The property owner or manager knew about, or was responsible for knowing about, the dangerous condition and failed to make repairs or warn you about the hazard.
The dangerous property condition caused, or significantly contributed to, your accident. - You suffered significant harm from the fall. If you didn’t suffer injuries that resulted in medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, physical injury, or other losses, you have no damages to recover.
Determining Liability for Your Slip and Fall Injury
If you suffered fall injuries on someone’s property, the property owner may not be the only liable party. In fact, many slip and fall cases that end up in the Las Vegas court system involve multiple defendants.
The attorneys at your Las Vegas slip and fall accident law firm will gather evidence to prove how your injuries happened, then identify who was responsible for the conditions that contributed to the accident. Examples of liable parties include:
The property owner, business owner, or person/company responsible for maintaining safe conditions
The negligent party’s insurance company (for example, the homeowner’s insurance or liability insurance company)
A negligent third party, like maintenance companies, cleaning crews, or construction companies
A product manufacturer, for example, if a defective furnishing or piece of equipment caused your fall
Calculating Your Damages
No injury lawyer can guarantee how much money you’ll recover or even whether your case will be successful. However, an experienced Las Vegas slip and fall accident attorney can provide you with a fairly accurate estimate of how much your slip and fall injury is worth. They’ll consider:
The available sources of recovery (like wealthy business owners, large corporations, or the responsible party’s insurance policies and limits).
Your total economic damages, like the cost of your medical care, your lost wages, ambulance and hospital bills, and other financial losses.
Your non-economic losses, which don’t have a set monetary value. Your lawyer will multiply your economic damages by your level of pain and suffering to estimate the value of these losses.
Whether you might be entitled to punitive damages, which are designed to punish the negligent party for egregious behavior. They are rare in slip and fall accidents.
Making Sure You Receive a Fair Settlement
A slip and fall accident can have serious consequences. The lifetime costs can easily soar into the hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. That’s why the insurance company and the other side’s attorneys will try to tempt you with settlement offers. These offers are rarely enough, and if you accept an offer, you won’t be able to take your case to court to recover additional compensation.
Experienced Las Vegas slip and fall accident lawyers can evaluate settlement offers to determine if the amount is enough to cover all your present and future losses. They’ll negotiate with the other side to make sure you receive a fair settlement. If negotiations are unsuccessful, your attorney will bring your case before the courts.
Representing You in Court
Battling it out in the courtroom without a Las Vegas slip and fall lawyer can hurt your case. According to recent studies, most personal injury plaintiffs who handle their own cases fail to make it through the process, lose what otherwise would have been a successful case, or have their case dismissed.
Remember, you’re going up against a team of experienced defense attorneys. They’re familiar with the way the court system works. They’re trained to identify the weaknesses in your case, and they’re motivated to make sure you lose. You need an attorney that’s just as experienced and motivated on your side.
Why Hire Blackburn Wirth as Your Slip and Fall Accident Law Firm in Las Vegas?
The Las Vegas slip and fall accident lawyers on the Blackburn Wirth Injury Team are not TV lawyers, and our law firm is not a settlement mill. What makes our attorneys stand out from the crowd?
Free Initial Consultation
Blackburn Wirth always provides a free consultation for potential clients. It’s our way of getting to know more about you and your personal injury claim, and it gives you a chance to get to know us.
During your free consultation, we’ll talk about how the accident occurred, the severity of your injury, and who might be responsible. While we cannot guarantee how much compensation you’ll get, we’ll provide you with a fairly accurate estimate of what we think your case is worth.
No Up-Front Costs
Our personal injury law firm believes that all injured victims should have access to legal advice and representation from an experienced Las Vegas slip and fall accident attorney. That’s why we accept slip and fall accidents and other premises liability cases on a contingency basis, which means that if we don’t win, you don’t pay.
Our law firm will shoulder the financial burdens of your case. We’ll conduct an investigation, file your claim with the insurance company, negotiate with the responsible parties, their insurers, and their attorneys, and even represent you in court if necessary. When we win, we’ll subtract our fees and costs from your settlement or jury award.
Exemplary Results
The Las Vegas slip and fall accident lawyers at Blackburn Wirth have earned a reputation for excellence. While other attorneys are on TV claiming to be the best slip and fall lawyers in Nevada, our team is working hard to prove it. We’ve won several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of accident victims just like you, including the following slip and fall claims:
- $5.1 million
- $5 million
- $2 million
We can help you, too. Our slip and fall accident law firm in Las Vegas has the knowledge, experience, and skill you need to win your personal injury case. Let us help you get the money you deserve to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact a slip and fall lawyer at Blackburn Wirth Injury Team in Las Vegas for a free initial consultation. Call (702) 472-7000 or fill out our online form, and let’s get started with your recovery.
FAQs for Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in Las Vegas
How Long Do I Have to Sue After a Slip and Fall Accident?
Under Nevada law, slip and fall accident victims generally have up to two years from the date of the injury to sue. Exceptions may apply in your case, however. Working with a Las Vegas slip and fall lawyer early on can help ensure you don’t miss the deadline to take legal action.
What Is the Average Payout for a Slip and Fall Injury?
Since the severity of injuries and the insurance coverages vary so significantly in slip and fall accident cases, there is not really an average payout. Experienced Las Vegas slip and fall accident lawyers will be able to give you a rough estimate of what you should be able to recover.
Can You Sue for Pain and Suffering After a Fall Accident in Nevada?
Tort law in Nevada allows injured victims to sue for pain and suffering in slip and fall accident cases. Most of the time, compensation for these subjective damages will be based on the economic damages that are awarded.
