Newark Slip and Fall Lawyer
Slip and fall injuries are the most common type of premises liability case. Premise owners are liable when they fail to take measures to prevent slips and falls. The Newark slip and fall lawyers at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP are committed to holding negligent property owners accountable.
Expertise
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Content written by Samuel Meirowitz
- Expertise
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Samuel Meirowitz
“A personal injury lawyer can help you with your slip and fall case by reviewing all of the facts and circumstances associated with the case and making sure that your rights are protected.”
Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Every year, an estimated 684,000 individuals around the world die from falls, and as many as 37.3 million falls per year are severe enough to require medical attention. Adults 60 years of age and older experience the highest number of falls.
Slips and falls can cause serious injuries. The Newark personal injury attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP help injury victims recover the compensation they need to restore their lives and facilitate their recovery to the fullest extent possible.
Quick Links
- What are the most common causes of slip-and-fall injuries?
- Who is most at risk of a slip-and-fall injury in Newark?
- Common Injuries from Slips and Falls
- Who is liable for my slip-and-fall injuries?
- What should I do after I become injured because of a fall?
- When should I contact an attorney?
- How much is my slip-and-fall case worth?
- How can a Newark personal injury attorney help me with my slip-and-fall case?
- How much does it cost to hire a Newark slip-and-fall attorney?
- New Jersey Attorneys
- What makes Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP the Newark law firm of choice for slip-and-fall injuries?
What are the most common causes of slip-and-fall injuries?
Slips and falls can happen anywhere:
- Work
- Parking lots
- Grocery stores
- Supermarkets
- Public sidewalks
- Home
According to Preferred Governmental Insurance Trust (PGIT), the hazards discussed below commonly cause slips, trips and falls.
Uneven Surfaces
Uneven surfaces can cause trips and falls by causing individuals to either lose their balance or trip. Uneven surfaces are common in the following areas:
- Parking lots
- Sidewalks
- Spalling
- Significant cracks and breakage
- Building entrances and exits
Poorly Maintained Steps
Maintenance of steps and stairways is crucial to providing a safe environment for workers, patrons and guests. The following common hazards can contribute to many falls:
- Broken steps
- Missing or loose handrails
- Lack of lighting or visibility
- Debris or items on the steps
- Slippery or wet steps
- Loose or poorly maintained rugs
Slippery Surfaces
Even small areas that are slippery can create significant slip-and-fall hazards:
- Wet floors
- Polished floors
- Dusty floors
- Loose mats and floor coverings
- Spills
- Puddles
Snow and Ice
According to U.S. Climate Data, snowfall in Newark begins in December and ends in April. During this time, Newark residents are at risk of falling on slippery outdoor surfaces. According to an ABC News report, approximately one million Americans are injured annually from falling on snow and ice, and 17,000 are killed.
Newark City Ordinance 29-17 requires owners of private property to clear sidewalks of snow and ice promptly after a snowfall.
Trip Hazards
Trip hazards are small objects in walkways that do not belong there. While larger objects may be identified, small objects are less conspicuous, and this increases the risk of tripping and falling. The most common trip hazards include the following:
- Objects in walkways
- Loose floor coverings
- Curled-up rugs
- Cables and wires
- Hoses
- Rocks
- Sand, gravel or leaves
- Changes in the surface roughness
Who is most at risk of a slip-and-fall injury in Newark?
Individuals most at risk for slips and falls are construction workers and the elderly.
Construction Workers
Slips and falls can happen in many workplace environments as a result of trip hazards created by cords, wet floors and obstructions in walkways. However, workers in the construction industry experience an alarming number of fatal and non-fatal falls.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 31.4 out of every 10,000 construction workers experience non-fatal falls, compared to 21.7 in private industry in general. In 2020, 371 construction workers died from falls, 353 of whom fell to a lower level.
Construction environments are rife with power cords, obstructed walking areas and unguarded rooftops. Workers stand on ladders and regularly encounter uneven surfaces and debris such as sand and gravel in their walking areas. They may experience pressure to work quickly and take shortcuts to meet deadlines. In their rush, they may fail to follow safe practices, such as cleaning up obstructions as they work.
The Elderly
According to the CDC, one out of four elderly people falls every year. One out of five of these falls results in serious injuries including broken bones. More than 800,000 are hospitalized annually due to fall injuries, often broken hips and head injuries, which become traumatic brain injuries in some cases. Falling once doubles the chances of falling again.
Common Injuries from Slips and Falls
Aside from being embarrassing, slips and falls can result in the following serious injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
Who is liable for my slip-and-fall injuries?
Contrary to popular belief, falling on someone else’s property does not automatically mean the property owner is liable. Liability can only be assigned when it can be proven that another party was negligent. This is accomplished by establishing that the party owed a duty of care to take measures to remove a fall hazard but failed to do so.
In most cases, the liable party is the premises owner. On public property, the premises owner is a government entity, such as the city of Newark or the state of New Jersey. If the fall occurs at work and the employer is the property owner, you are entitled to workers’ compensation whether or not the employer was negligent.
What should I do after I become injured because of a fall?
The action you should take after a fall will depend on the circumstances of your fall.
Seek Medical Attention
In all cases, medical attention should be your top priority. If you feel hurt at all, it is important to seek medical attention right away, as the full extent of your injuries may not be immediately apparent. For less serious injuries, you can make an appointment with your physician or visit one of Newark’s urgent care centers.
If there is a possibility that your injuries are severe, a trauma center will be better equipped to treat your injuries. Newark is home to the Eric Muñoz Trauma Center, part of University Hospital and the only Level I trauma center in Newark and all of Northern New Jersey.
Newark is also home to the following hospitals with emergency departments:
Urgent care clinics in Newark include the following:
Document the Incident
The most effective methods by which to document the incident include the following:
- Take photos of the scene, with close-ups of any hazards that precipitated your fall.
- Obtain the names and contact information of any witnesses that can corroborate the hazards.
- If you fell in an area where surveillance is active, request this footage as soon as possible before it is erased.
- Keep receipts for medical costs you incur.
Contact an Attorney
Even if your case seems to be straightforward, insurance companies have several unfair advantages against unrepresented injury victims. The slip-and-fall attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP can help you level the playing field and ensure your rights are protected.
When should I contact an attorney?
It is always important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident to ensure your attorney has access to the scene, witnesses, video footage and any other evidence as early as possible. This will also ensure your attorney has sufficient time to prepare your case ahead of the statute of limitations.
How much is my slip-and-fall case worth?
The compensation you can recover is very case-specific. A knowledgeable attorney can help you calculate the value of your specific case.
Types of Compensation
The types of compensation you qualify for will depend on who the liable party is and what type of insurance coverage is available. Not all damages are available in all cases.
- Economic damages – Verifiable monetary losses
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Non-economic damages – Subjective losses that cannot be quantified
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of functioning
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages – Non-compensatory damages only awarded in cases of blatant or willful conduct by the defendant
- Workers’ compensation – No-fault compensation provided by the employer regardless of negligence
- Partial wage replacement
- Medical care
- Death benefits
Employees who are eligible for workers’ compensation cannot sue their employers for additional damages. However, with the help of a qualified slip-and-fall attorney, you may be able to identify third parties, such as premises owners or defective equipment manufacturers, who are also liable.
Extent and Impact of Your Injuries
As a general rule, the more severe your injuries, the higher the compensation you can recover. Injuries that significantly impair quality of life through disability, impairment or chronic pain also tend to result in higher compensation. However, the amount you recover can also hinge on other factors specific to your individual case.
How can a Newark personal injury attorney help me with my slip-and-fall case?
Slips and falls can result in serious injuries that leave the injured individuals with pain and disabilities that prevent them from earning an income while at the same time incurring significant medical costs. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP can help by providing the following services:
- Representation and advocacy
- Timely filing of your workers’ compensation claim
- Timely filing of your civil lawsuit
- Dealing with the insurance company
- Settlement negotiations
When you choose Sam N’ Dan to handle your case, you can rest assured that your case is in the capable hands of nationally- and locally-recognized attorneys with a track record of success, having won millions of dollars on behalf of our deserving clients.
How much does it cost to hire a Newark slip-and-fall attorney?
Our law firm works on a contingency basis. This means you pay nothing unless we win and recover compensation on your behalf, after which you pay us a percentage of your compensation agreed upon up front.
New Jersey Attorneys
What makes Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP the Newark law firm of choice for slip-and-fall injuries?
Samuel Meirowitz and Daniel Wasserberg, also known as Sam N’ Dan, are accomplished attorneys who have dedicated themselves to standing up to corporations on behalf of injured individuals. Both attorneys have been recognized as Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers, a rare accomplishment for lawyers under the age of 40.
Sam has been recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and Dan as a Top 100 Civil Litigator by the National Trial Lawyers Association as a result of the consistent, noteworthy settlements and verdicts they achieve on behalf of their clients. In addition to their remarkable results, Sam and Dan are also caring attorneys who provide each client with individualized attention.
If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you have a limited window of opportunity to receive the compensation you need to facilitate your recovery to the fullest extent possible and remedy the financial distress brought on by your injuries. Contact a slip-and-fall attorney at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP today for a free case evaluation.
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