Knowing how much your slip and fall injuries are worth after an accident is rarely easy. If you are negotiating with an insurance company, you will want to know what a good settlement is so you do not lose out on compensation.
Slip and fall accidents are common and can leave victims with relatively minor injuries to life-altering ones. The best way to determine what your case is worth is to work with our attorneys. We can examine the factors that can increase your settlement and argue against those that could lower it. Our lawyers can instruct you on why a certain amount is being offered in your settlement and counteroffer if it is too low. Our team will strive to get the most for your case during negotiations. However, we will be ready to argue your case in court if you cannot get the settlement you are entitled to.
Call our South Carolina slip and fall accident lawyers at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers at (803) 451-4000 for a free case review.
How Much Should I Get in a Good Settlement for a Slip and Fall Accident in South Carolina?
Unfortunately, there is no precise way to determine what a good settlement is for a slip and fall accident in South Carolina. The facts of each case are different, so it will depend on the circumstances surrounding the accident and the injuries you suffered. However, you do not need to try to answer this question alone. Our South Carolina slip and fall accident attorneys have been negotiating these cases on behalf of victims and can help you get every dollar your injuries demand. Our team has the experience to assess your current losses as well as your long-term needs for compensation. We know the best settlement is one that covers all the damages you did not cause or plan for.
Settlement payouts will likely be high if the victim suffered serious injuries. Slip and fall accidents can be much more serious than people expect. In addition to your current medical treatment, you might need surgery later to repair damaged ligaments or tendons. The severity of your injuries will typically act as a guideline for what your case should be worth. However, it is only part of the assessment.
Who the defendant is in your case will also play a large role in the settlement you can get. Most slip and fall accidents result from the property owner’s negligence. If the property owner is an individual person, they might not have as much money to compensate you. If we are suing a business or corporation for dangerous conditions on their premises, we will have a better chance of recovering a higher settlement.
Of course, the key to any settlement negotiations is cooperation. The defendant or insurance company might be completely opposed to settling a claim. This can cause negotiations to go on for months without actually accomplishing anything. If both parties simply want to get on with their lives and settle the case as fairly as possible, you will likely get the settlement you deserve much faster.
Damages that Will Be Accounted for in a Good Slip and Fall Injury Settlement in South Carolina
The best way to get a good settlement is to add up all the “damages” in your case. Damages is the legal term used to describe both your financial and non-economic losses. Most of your damages can be calculated by adding up your bills and expenses. The harder part will be determining your “pain and suffering,” or the damages you have suffered simply living with the fallout of your accident. A good settlement in your case will include the following compensation:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses are typically the starting point of most slip and fall settlement negotiations. Your medical records will tell us the extent of your injuries and your treatment program. We will then collect invoices and bills from each medical provider you were required to see. How much you eventually get will depend on the treatment your injuries require.
You might only need mild medical intervention, such as visiting the emergency room and a few physical therapy treatments. In other cases, victims might suffer serious injuries in the fall, like suffering a head or brain injury, which requires hospitalization and long-term care. Either way, the expenses can be quite high.
Your settlement should account for your current medical damages as well as projected future medical needs. Our team will work with your doctors and other medical experts to accurately assess potential medical expenses and include them in our demand for compensation.
Lost Income
A satisfactory settlement will also account for any income you missed because of your injuries. Perhaps you missed a few days while being treated in the hospital, so you only need those work days covered. However, even minor slip and fall injuries can keep you off your feet for a time. As such, you might need to claim weeks or months of missed work. Our attorneys can gather your tax and employment records to justify a demand for your daily rate for each day your injuries kept you out of work.
If your injuries demand extensive recovery efforts or have permanently affected you, your professional life might be changed forever. You might need to take a different position because you can no longer perform the one you did, or you lost out on an upcoming promotion. A good settlement will compensate you for your lost future earning potential as part of your lost wages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, also known as “pain and suffering,” are usually the most contentious part of settlement negotiations. While a good settlement should include compensation for your pain and suffering, many insurance companies fight it. That is because it is harder to prove these damages than the economic ones described above. Economic damages can easily be added up and proved with documentation. The evidence for your pain and suffering typically comes from your testimony and by arguing the effects your injuries have had on your life.
Still, our team has ways of assessing these damages. Our lawyers will analyze how your injuries have impacted you physically and emotionally, determining the actual effects of your injuries. For instance, perhaps you cannot participate in your normal activities and spend time with your family like you could before the accident. You might have run daily but now cannot. You might have physical pain just standing and walking.
We will use this and other factors, like depression and anxiety, to calculate a final value for your pain and suffering. If the insurance company denies these damages in your settlement, we can file a lawsuit to get pain and suffering from the court.
Our South Carolina Slip and Fall Lawyers Can Help
For a free case analysis with our Columbia, SC slip and fall accident attorneys, contact Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by calling (803) 451-4000.
