Knoxville Slip and Fall Lawyers

It’s a vulnerable feeling to be walking along and suddenly have your feet come out from under you. It often happens so fast that you can’t catch yourself, but that’s not the worst part. An incident that lasts only a couple of seconds can have serious long-term consequences.

knoxville slip and fall lawyer

If you fell and were injured on someone else’s property, an attorney with Hotz & Associates, P.C. may be able to help. When you work with us, you have experienced attorneys on your side who can work to maximize the compensation that you’re entitled to. We’ll investigate the accident and make sure all liable parties are held liable for your injuries. 

Contact us online or call (865) 582-0042 to schedule a free consultation.

Steps to take after a slip and fall

Whatever the circumstances of your accident, remember to follow these steps if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

1. Seek medical care 

Your health is the priority. Adrenaline is powerful and might hide symptoms of injuries, even ones that are very serious, so you might not realize just how badly you’re injured. Some injuries don’t show symptoms for hours or even days after an accident.

Get medical help as soon as possible, even if you don’t think your injury is serious. If you don’t, your injury could worsen significantly.

Not only is seeing a doctor important for your health, but it’s also important for your personal injury case. Delaying treatment will make it more difficult for a Knoxville slip and fall lawyer to help you get the compensation you deserve.

The insurance company that covers the at-fault negligent party will use that delay against you. They’ll argue your injury isn’t as bad as you claim or that you were already hurt before the accident and you’re just trying to get the defendant to pay for it.

Remove those risks from the equation and let a doctor perform a thorough examination. Be sure you follow all of the doctor’s recommendations to increase your chances of a full recovery.

2. Report the incident 

Another way to protect your rights is to report the incident in writing to the property owner or manager. Don’t forget to make a copy and keep it with your other accident-related records, such as your medical bills. You’d like to think the defendant or their insurance company wouldn’t stoop so low as to try and alter your report or destroy it, but that’s a possibility. Having a copy will cover you just in case.

slip and fall attorney Knoxville

3. Gather evidence 

It might seem like a lot to ask in the wake of such a terrible event, but if you can, take pictures or videos of the accident scene and the surrounding area. This could provide powerful evidence, helping ensure that you obtain full and fair compensation. For example, if you slipped on a spill that wasn’t properly marked with a warning sign, take photos of the area from multiple angles.

Any pictures you take will show that not only did no one bother cleaning the area, but they didn’t even warn you about the potential risks. 

Also, if anyone saw what happened, get their contact information. Your Knoxville slip and fall lawyer will contact those witnesses to get their statements.

4. Connect with a lawyer

Speaking with a Knoxville slip-and-fall lawyer will be as important to your case as seeing a doctor and gathering evidence. The Knoxville personal injury lawyers with Hotz & Associates, P.C. have decades of experience representing people in cases similar to yours, and we’re ready to put our experience to work for you.

We’ll investigate the accident and will gather as much information as we can to determine who’s to blame, especially if more than one person is liable for your injuries. But evidence can disappear quickly, so you should contact us as soon as you can. For example, there was probably a security camera that has footage of how you slipped or fell. Unfortunately, the footage from security cameras often isn’t stored long-term, sometimes footage is deleted after only a few days.

The sooner you get legal help, the better your chances are of obtaining maximum compensation.

A Knoxville slip and fall lawyer can make sure you file your claim on time

Tennessee limits the time that an accident victim can file a lawsuit. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. Our state’s statute of limitations is generally one year from the date of the accident. If you miss the deadline, you won’t be able to take any kind of legal action, and all of your accident-related bills and other costs will be your responsibility.

Does that mean you should wait that long to hire a lawyer? Not at all. The earlier you get the ball rolling, the faster you can receive compensation.

Compensation you may be entitled to 

It’s only natural that you would want to know how much compensation you may receive before hiring an attorney. If a lawyer makes promises or guarantees that you’ll receive a certain amount of compensation, especially when they don’t have all the facts and evidence, find another lawyer. No reputable lawyer would make any such promises.

At Hotz & Associates, P.C., we don’t play those games. What we will do, however, is guarantee that we’ll uncover every piece of evidence we can to make your case as strong as possible. The stronger your case, the better the chances you’ll get every dollar you deserve.

Possible damages you can claim

A personal injury lawsuit allows you to recover the damages you’ve incurred due to your slip-and-fall accident. Your damages are the financial losses or expenses stemming from your injury. They fall into two main categories: economic and non-economic. 

Economic damages

Economic damages are easy to calculate and easy to prove because they’re well-supported by documents such as medical bills and pay stubs that show how much money you’ve lost because you couldn’t work. 

Economic damages don’t only cover the expenses you’ve already incurred — they also include future expenses. You might need medical treatment for months or even years to come, or you might not be able to return to your job. A skilled Knoxville slip-and-fall lawyer will call upon expert witnesses who can help prove those damages.

For example, a medical expert can explain what kind of treatment you’ll need and how much it will cost. An economic expert can show the money you would’ve made through promotions, bonuses, and other work-related compensation had you been able to continue working.

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages are much harder to prove because they’re subjective. It’s not easy to assign a dollar value to pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, emotional and mental trauma, and other intangible damages.

That’s why it’s not only important that you turn to a skilled Knoxville personal injury lawyer, but also one who knows how to accurately value non-economic damages. That’s exactly the kind of attorney you’ll get when you choose Hotz & Associates, P.C. 

How to deal with insurance after a slip and fall

If they haven’t already, an insurance company adjuster will be in touch with you soon. Adjusters are very well compensated because they’re excellent at what they do – help insurance companies protect their profits. They do it by tricking accident victims into saying something wrong such as accepting all or partial blame.

The adjuster will act friendly and compassionate, claiming they simply want to get your side of the story to make sure you’re properly taken care of. They’ll likely ask if they can record your statement “for accuracy.” In reality, the adjuster will ask you a lot of misleading questions designed to make it look like you were careless and the accident was actually your fault.

The best way to deal with an adjuster is not to deal with them at all. Simply refer all insurance company emails and calls to your Knoxville slip and fall lawyer. We’ll protect you from harassment so you can continue to focus on healing.

Cost of hiring a Knoxville slip and fall lawyer

At Hotz & Associates, P.C., we work on a contingency basis. This means that we’ll only get paid if you win your case. If we’re not successful, you still won’t pay. You can focus on your recovery without having to worry about even more expenses.

Our personal injury lawyers can help you

The defendant’s insurer is going to fight very hard to protect its policy and its bottom line. They’ll employ adjusters and attorneys to find reasons to deny or reduce your claim, and they’ll only present lowball offers, especially if you don’t have an attorney. You need someone on your side who has experience defeating these companies.

At Hotz & Associates, P.C., we have that experience. We defeat large insurance corporations on a regular basis, and we’re ready to work to do the same for you. Contact us online or call (865) 582-0042 for a free evaluation of your case.