If you speak to a lawyer in the personal injury niche, they might tell you that they represent some particular kinds of cases more than others. For instance, maybe they handle a lot of medical malpractice or car crash lawsuits. Slip-and-fall accidents in establishments might comprise another specialty group.
Slip-and-fall accidents happen every day around the country, and they can sometimes bring the victim a good deal of money. They will need to pay their lawyer part of that, but hopefully, they can use the rest for practical purposes.
If you have a slip-and-fall accident, and you feel that you can blame someone other than yourself, then you might hire a lawyer and file one of these lawsuits. However, you can often collect more money if you employ certain strategies or take a few particular actions.
We will take a few moments to discuss those right now.
You Need to Make Sure That You Hire the Right Lawyer
If you want to get as much money as possible out of your slip-and-fall lawsuit, then the lawyer or law firm you hire is almost always going to make a significant difference. If you hire someone who is fresh out of law school, that is probably not going to help you in this type of endeavor. It is always nice to give a fledgling attorney a chance, but they might make a mistake that a more seasoned veteran would not.
You can take some time to talk to the lawyer or law firm that you are considering hiring. If they say that they have handled many of these kinds of cases before, then you can probably move forward and hire them with a lot more confidence. That assumes, of course, that they say they have a sterling record with these types of lawsuits.
Patience Can Sometimes Help You
You should also attempt to be a little patient if you’re trying to get more money out of this type of lawsuit. If you sue a store or its ownership because you slipped and fell there, then the law firm representing the defendant might try to stall for time. They may insist that you give them enough time to try to collect evidence indicating that you caused the injury rather than the store or its ownership.
The defendant and their lawyer or law firm will probably use these delaying tactics because they want you to get impatient. They feel that you might accept a settlement offer for less money if they make you wait.
If you can hold out, though, and you don’t desperately need the money at that moment, staying the course will often get you a higher settlement offer. Showing patience in these situations might annoy you, but your lawyer will probably give you the same advice.
Don’t Be Afraid to Reject the First Offer if It’s Not Sufficient
On a related note, you might reject the first offer from the defendant and their lawyer. Maybe it won’t cover the entire amount of the economic and non-economic damages that you felt you sustained.
Presumably, you want the payout to cover your lost wages if you have to miss work. It should cover your medical bills as well. Then, you should think about the pain and suffering that the injury caused.
Add up that money and see whether it equals the initial sum the defendant offers. If it doesn’t, then you can reject that offer. You might give them a counter. Your lawyer can help you think of a number if you’re unsure of a sum that makes sense.
If the defendant rejects your counteroffer, then you can always go to trial. If the defendant sees that it’s not going their way, they might offer a higher settlement amount before you reach the point where it’s in the jury’s hands.
Visual Evidence Often Helps Make a Lawsuit More Impactful
If you want to get more money out of one of these cases, it also makes sense to present as much visual evidence as possible. Humans react more if you present them with some sort of visual stimuli.
For instance, you might show them pictures or videos of the scene that you took with your smartphone. The pics or video might show no signage that indicated a wet floor.
You might also show pictures of the injuries you sustained at the scene or that developed in the days and weeks afterward. Extensive bruising or broken bones, if you can show pictures of them, will almost always elicit a sympathetic response from a jury. They can probably easily put themselves in your shoes and imagine what you experienced.
Provide Testimony That the Accident Negatively Impacted Your Life
To get more money, you might also get up on the witness stand and tell the jury about how the accident negatively impacted your life. Maybe you will tell them that you couldn’t play catch with your kids for months after the incident. You couldn’t drive, or work at your usual job, or have a physical relationship with your spouse or partner.
All of this falls into the general category of non-economic damages. The jury might choose an arbitrary amount that it feels matches what you endured.
You’re trying to appear as relatable as possible. You don’t need to say anything that’s untrue about what you experienced. The reality should get you plenty of sympathy.
If the defendant’s lawyer feels that you’re swaying the jury and bringing them around to your way of thinking, then they might tell their client to offer a larger settlement amount. Maybe you will find this one sufficient. If you do all of these things, and it’s clear from the evidence that you’re in the right, then you should see a nice cash settlement or a jury’s verdict in your favor. After paying your lawyer the agreed-up sum, you can use the money you won to get your life back on track.
