The Law Offices of d’Oliveira & Associates recently got $65,000 in a settlement for a New Bedford client (name withheld due to attorney-client privilege) following his slip and fall accident. The client was injured when he slipped and fell on an uneven step. There were no handrails to break his fall and the step riser was higher than allowed by the local Building Code. Due to these defective conditions, a claim was presented. The client suffered a serious knee injury and was transported immediately to the hospital for emergency care. He sustained a knee fracture and had knee surgery to correct the problem. He was disabled for an extended period of time causing him to lose income over the course of his 14-week absence from work.
After accumulating substantial costs in medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost income, the man hired a local slip and fall lawyer, Attorney D. Robin Gouveia. Attorney Gouveia put her experience to work and compiled all the man’s medical bills, calculated his lost income, and determined other associated damages.
She stated: “We immediately hired an engineer to visit and inspect the premises. This expert concluded the stair where the client fell was defective. We presented a claim to the insurance company, providing a summary of the expert’s opinion, directing the insurer to the respective Regulation. We also spoke to several witnesses to confirm details surrounding the event and advocated aggressively for the client. Once we had a final settlement offer, we negotiated with the medical providers for reductions on their bills, coming up with a fair settlement for the client. We did not have to file a lawsuit in the case, allowing the client to reach a fair settlement much faster.”
Uneven walking surfaces and a lack of handrails are two of the most common slip and fall hazards (i). Slip and fall accidents happen quite often, and when they do, it can be hard to tell who is at fault. What people may not know is that if they are injured on negligently maintained premises, the property owner may be at fault. Homeowners, business owners, and even government employees are required to maintain their property and fix dangerous conditions such as broken staircases. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, a qualified attorney may be able to offer valuable guidance to help you make informed personal and legal decisions.
d’Oliveira & Associates has 15 branches located across both Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts and has experienced attorneys who handle disability as well as personal injury cases that may arise from slip and falls, auto accidents, dog bites, and other harmful events.
Call 1-800-992-6878 for a free legal consultation, or fill out a contact form for a free legal consultation.
Links:
- (i) Stanford University. 2008.
www.stanford.edu/dept/EHS/prod/mainrencon/occhealth/slip_trip_fall_prevention.pdf
Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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