A slip and fall lawyer in Fresno is needed if you have slipped and fell and need an experienced attorney in Fresno to protect your legal rights. Fresno is the economic and cultural heart of the San Joaquin Valley with a rapidly growing population of over a million residents. As the economic center of the richest agricultural region in the world, Fresno’s residents enjoy a high standard of living. We shop at grocery stores and shopping malls, watch sporting events in stadiums, watch movies in theaters, and eat at restaurants. Unfortunately some of us are injured in these locations due to the negligent or wrongful conducts of store employees, managers and property owners.

In fact, according to recent estimated, each year thousands of Fresno and Clovis residents suffer severe injuries due to slip and fall and trip and fall accidents ranging from broken bones to spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and in some cases death. The Normandie Law Firm is dedicated pursuing justice for victims who have suffered such harm. Below you will find useful information regarding slip and fall accident lawsuits and your right to recovery under the law. If you have further questions, consult with a skilled attorney with expertise in slip and fall injury lawsuits at the top-rated Normandie Law Firm.

Brief Overview

Fresno and its surrounding community lies at the heart of the most productive agricultural producing region in the world.  As such some of the largest employers in the Fresno metropolitan region include agricultural based corporations including Cargill, Zackary Farms, Kraft Foods, Del Monte Foods, and Foster Farms. Companies who have their headquarters in our city include Sin-Maid Raisins, Davis Sunflower Seeds, and Pinnacle Armor.

6 Steps Following a Slip and Fall Accident – How to Protect Your Rights

There are several important steps that need to be taken in order to protect your legal right to recovery following a slip and fall accident. Below our top team of personal injury lawyers with experience handling slip and fall claims has compiled a list of 6 important steps that need to be followed immediately after a slip and fall or trip and fall accident.

1. If injured seek medical attention as soon as possible: Do not wait to go to the doctor, emergency room or urgent care center if you are in any pain. Documentation of your injuries is an important factor in establishing the compensation you are entitled to.
2. File an incident report with the establishment where you fell. Make sure they provide you with a copy of the incident report or a report number.
3. Gather any evidence: Take pictures of the spill, debris, loose carpeting, or anything else that caused you to fall.
4. Witnesses: If there are any witnesses ask for their contact information so that you can contact them later on if necessary.
5. Do not speak with any insurance adjusters or managers concerning your accident or your injuries. Any comments you make can and will be used against you to reduce or eliminate any chances you have of recovery under the law.
6. Seek help from an expert attorney who has experience in slip and fall cases.

Injuries from Slip and Fall or Trip and Fall Accidents

In order to maximize the value of a slip and fall lawsuit, victims should receive evaluation diagnosis and treatment for all the injuries they have suffered. Below you will find a list of the most frequent injuries suffered by victims of slip trip and falls, the specific medical experts which should test for specific injuries and the treatment required.

• Damage to the spinal cord resulting in significant back and neck pain: Victims of spinal cord damage should initially receive a diagnosis of the severity of their injuries from a pain management doctor or orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in neuro-spinal surgery.  Usually the practicing physician will order imaging (MRI) on your spinal cord and will evaluate the MRI in order to diagnose a specific injury. Common spinal cord injuries include slipped disc, disc fractures, annular fissure (a rupture disc), herniations of the discs, and indentations on the spinal canal resulting in nerve damage and nerve pain.
• Traumatic Brain Injury: There can be numerous signs that you have suffered a brain injury. The most common indication of a brain injury is a loss of consciousness. Other signs following a traumatic even may include loss of short term memory, ringing in the ear, nausea and vomiting, and cognitive abnormalities. Victims who may be suffering from a brain injury should be evaluated by a neurologist.
• Hip Fractures Damage to the Ankles and Knees: A general orthopedist will be able to diagnose and provide proper medical evaluation and treatment for individuals who have suffered orthopedic injuries.
• Facial Injuries: Common facial injuries include facial nerve damage (bell palsy), dental damage, damage to the jaw resulting in TMJ injures, and facial scarring and disfigurement. Victims with dental damage or jaw pain should be evaluated by an oral surgeon. Individuals with scarring should receive treatment from either a cosmetic surgeon or a dermatologist.

Compensation Available for Victims – Average Slip and Fall Recovery

Under California civil law and common law victims of physical injury are entitled to receive recovery for all damages that have been incurred. Perhaps the most frequent question that our clients ask us concerns the value of their case or the average case settlement for a slip and fall or a trip and fall claim. The reality is that it is rather difficult to ascertain the true potential value of a case because every single case is different with a unique set of facts and features. You could have a slip and fall case with zero value and another slip and fall case with a value of a million dollars. It really depends on so many factors. A list and brief description of the important factors which can play a significant role in determining the value of your case is provided below. For more information, call an accomplished lawyer experienced in slip and fall cases.

• The diagnosis of your injuries and the treatment associated with the injuries that have been suffered.
• Current and future costs of medical and rehabilitation care.
• Economic damages: Loss of income and future loss of earning potential resulting from your injuries.
• The percentage of liability (or fault) attributed to the at fault defendant.
• The availability of insurance coverage or assets.
• Pain and suffering calculation.
• Whether punitive damage can be awarded.

Why Choose Us – The Normandie law Firm Difference

At the Normandie Law Firm, we take pride in representing individuals who have suffered severe injuries due to the negligent or wrongful conduct of others.  Below is some of what we do that separates our experienced lawyers from most other personal injury law firms in Fresno.

• We Strive to Maximize Your Case Value – Knowledge, resources and experience: Our law firm has a dedicated team of attorneys, investigators, case managers and medical specialists that will assist you in your case every step of the way. You can always reach us and speak with your attorney or case manager.
• Zero Fee Guarantee: Our contingency fee attorney retainer means that you will never have to pay out of pocket for any of our legal fees or expenses. If, for any reason, we do not win, you will not owe us anything.
• No Out of Pocket Medical Costs: Our law firm has access to the top medical doctors and treatment facilities for victims who have suffered injuries. The doctors work on a medical lien basis; meaning that you will not have to pay a single penny out of pocket for your medical care. Once there is a settlement of your case the medical treatment costs that have been incurred will be reduced and paid. If we don’t get you money, you will not have to pay the doctors for any of the medical expenses.
• Transportation to and From Doctors and Court Appointments: As a result of a serious injury many individuals are not able to drive a vehicle and do not wish to repeatedly depend on friends, neighbors and family for rides to their medical appointments. Our law firm will provide our clients with transportation to any medical appointments related to their accident.

Deadline for Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit – Statute of Limitations

Jurisdictions across the United States place certain deadlines for filing a lawsuit. The timing deadlines are usually determined by the type of lawsuit in the complaint. In the state of California victims of personal injury including premises liability claims have two years from the date of the incident to file a claim. If a claim is not filed by the deadline, they will be barred from any recovery from the at fault party.

• Claims against Public Entities: Claims that arise from injuries suffered due to the negligent conduct of government agencies must initially undergo an administrative review. In the state of California an administrative claim must be filed within 6 months from the date of the accident. In the event that your administrative claim is rejected you will have 6 months from the date of the rejection to file a lawsuit in a court of law.
• Under 18 years of Age: Minors have two years from the date of their 18^th birthday to file a personal injury lawsuit in a California state civil court.
• Tolling a Statute of Limitation – Exceptions to Filing Deadline: Courts have occasionally accepted a lawsuit even when a filing took place after the statutory deadline. Common exceptions have included mental or physical disability or incompetence of the plaintiff, imprisonment of the plaintiff, or military status of the plaintiff so the he/she did not have access to the California court system.
• Cases that take place outside of California: Every state will have different statutory deadlines for filing a personal injury lawsuit. The specific law that will apply is based on the location where the accident took place. For example the state of Florida has a 4 year statute of limitations while Nevada has a 2 year statute of limitations.

Top Causes of Slip Trip and Fall Accident in Fresno

There are numerous causes of slip and fall accidents. Based on our research and our previous clients our attorneys have put together a list of the most common causes of slip and fall and trip and fall accidents.

• Failure of stores and restaurants to place warnings signs after mopping the floor.
• Failure to timely clean up spills or debris. Property owners and owners of stores must take steps to ensure the safety of individuals who enter their property by timely cleaning up spills or debris.
• Failure to properly maintain refrigerator units and air conditioning systems resulting in the leakage of fluids onto the floor.
• Failure of store employees and managers to pick up work related items from the store front; including work gloves and tools.
• Loss, torn or bulging carpeting and bent floor mats.
• Loose or broken hand rails of stairways.
• Failure to maintain light fixtures – resulting in areas that are too dark to safely traverse.
• Applying unnecessary amount of wax to polish floors; or failure to properly clean off wax.
• Failure to place safety mats or warning signs during a rainy day.
• Cracked, uneven and defective sidewalks resulting trip and fall accidents.

Slip and Fall accidents can takes place in various locations. Some of the most common locations include shopping malls, movie theaters, supermarkets, drug stores, schools and educational facilities including elementary schools high school colleges and universities, office building, sporting venue and stadiums, gyms and health clubs and restaurants.

Successful Resolution of Your Case in the Court of Law

There are numerous specific laws which govern the duties on property owners towards injured individuals. The specific duty of property owners with claims is predicated on the status of the injured party. Below is some information regarding this topic. For more information, please contact our Fresno slip and fall lawyers.

Rights of Trespassers: Generally there are no duties that a property owner owes to a person who enters a property without any consent. The only duty is to refrain from setting any potentially harmful spring traps. An example of a spring trap can be digging out a hole and covering it so that it cannot be seen by person entering the property.

Rights on Licensees: Individuals who enter the property of another for a non-commercial purpose with the consent of the property owner are owed the duty of being warned of any potentially dangerous conditions. Also the property owner owes a duty to fix any known harmful issues before the invited individual enters the property.

Rights of Licensees: Individuals who enter the property of others for a commercial purpose are owed the highest level of care under California premises liability laws. On top of the duties that are owed to a licensee,  property owners must routinely inspect the property in order to discover any potentially dangerous conditions and fix the issue so that there is no longer a substantial probability of harm to the individual entering the property.

Zero Fee Guarantee

As mentioned above, our law firm never charges our clients an upfront fee. When we take your case, we will work on it for free until we get you money. Then, we will take a percentage from whatever we got you. If we work on your case and we don’t get you money, then you don’t have to pay us anything.

Free Consultation For Victims of Slip and Fall Accidents

You may have many further questions which have gone unanswered here. Our attorneys are available for a free no cost legal consultations regarding any slip and fall or trip and fall injury case. All case reviews and consultations with our team are provided free of charge by our qualified attorneys with experience in slip and fall cases.