If you fall when you’re on another person’s premises, your first question may be if you can file a claim for compensation. You might have broken or sprained your wrist, hurt your ankle, hit your head or have other injuries as a result of the fall.
In the majority of cases, you will have a right to seek compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered if you can show that there was negligence or malicious intent contributing to your injuries. Despite the fact that many people actually have a case, some believe myths that make them think they don’t. Here are three that we can debunk.
1. There was a warning sign, so you can’t sue
While a warning sign does reduce a business’s liability, the sign itself is not enough to prevent you from bringing a lawsuit. Why? Think of it this way. If you walk into a movie theater with a wet-floor sign by the door, you would assume only that area was wet, not the entire floor. If you slip near the counters across the room, you would be able to show that there was only one sign and that it was far from where you fell, giving you no indication that you would fall where you did.
2. Physical injuries are the only injuries that count in a lawsuit
There are mental and emotional injuries on top of physical injuries that affect people. If you hit your head and suffer depression as a result of a head injury, you’d be just as able to sue for depression as you would for your physical head wound.
3. You won’t have any physical evidence to prove your case
That’s not necessarily true. Did you slip on a piece of a broken stair and get the stair’s shard stuck in your shoe? Keep it, and you can show that it matches to the stair that broke. Similarly, if you’re hurt and have bruising or rips on your clothing, you’ll want to take photos and keep them for evidence. The direction and location of your injuries or damage to your property says a lot about how you fell and the force at which you fell, allowing a court or insurance agent to know more about your health and the situation that led to your injuries.
These are three myths that prevent some people from filing cases when they’ve fallen. It’s a good idea to look into your options regardless of why or how you fell.