Slips and falls are often taken as minor accidents. Most of them seem startling rather than being harmful. However, if you are a victim of such an accident, don’t just dust off and move on. Slips and falls can lead to severe damage at times, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries, back and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, and others.
As a slip and fall victim, you may have to bear many losses, including medical expenses, rehabilitation, recovery expenses, lost wages, physical pain, emotional trauma, and sometimes even disability. If you slipped due to someone else’s negligence, why should you bear all the loss alone? In Houston, you have two years to file a civil action to seek compensation for your injury under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code section 16.003.
Now that you have decided to file a claim, you must hire a Houston slip and fall lawyer to guide you through the entire process. Here’s how a qualified and experienced lawyer in Houston can help in maximizing your compensation after a slip or fall accident.
Prove Your Financial and Non-Financial Losses
According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services reports, 36,337 citizens were hospitalized within one year due to fall-related injuries. If you claim compensation, you don’t just need to show that you were injured due to the other party’s negligence. You also need to prove that the compensation you are claiming is reasonable as per the amount of loss you have borne.
Only an experienced attorney can identify the expenses and losses related to the accident. They also have the necessary skills to monetize hard-to-quantify losses like suffering and pain.
Present Evidence to Support Your Damages
Insurance companies are likely to reject your claim for damages that you fail to prove with any evidence. An experienced slip and fall attorney knows how to collect, identify, and present evidence supporting the damages you ask for compensation.
Take Your Case to the Court
Sometimes, it is possible to settle a claim without filing a lawsuit or taking a case of the Houston court. However, if an insurer refuses to offer a full and fair settlement for your sufferings, it becomes necessary to continue with the litigation.
A Houston slip and fall lawyer knows how to file the lawsuit, in which Houston court, and how to go about the pre-trial process. For instance, before the trial starts, they would help file the motions, collect formal evidence, etc. During the trial, an attorney knows what evidence to show, how to interrogate the witnesses, and how to present your case strongly in front of the judge. They can also handle post-trial issues like appeals that arise afterward.
When your opponent knows that you have hired a lawyer, it indicates that you are serious about your claim, and they are more likely to offer you a reasonable amount of settlement. While taking the matter to court, several Texas laws and doctrines apply to your Houston slip and fall case. You can count on their expertise to maximize your compensation and get the financial recovery you deserve.
