Columbia Slip and Fall Lawyers
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, the Columbia slip and fall lawyers at the Goings Law Firm, LLC have the experience and resources to help you. We know how challenging it can be to hold individuals and companies accountable for a slip and fall injury that has occurred on their premises, and we don’t want you to face this process alone. Our legal team is here to help you through the process.
At the Goings Law Firm, LLC, our Columbia slip and fall lawyers have years of experience fighting for personal injury plaintiffs and, in that time, we have garnered a great number of awards and accolades that set us apart from other slip and fall attorneys. We have received the 2017 Legal Elite award from the Columbia Business Monthly, as well as the 2016 Legal Elite of the Midlands award. Our firm is also a Best Lawyers member and an American Board of Trial Advocates member. We were rated as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2013, 2014, and 2015 and received a 10.0 Super Lawyer rating by Avvo.com. Martindale-Hubbell gave us their highest-level rating of “AV”, and National Trial Lawyers named us in their Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40. For more on our awards and accolades, please visit goingslawfirm.com/about/.
For years, our firm has been a fixture in the Columbia community. The people we represent are not just our clients. They are our neighbors and our friends. Furthermore, our results speak for themselves as we have recovered millions on behalf of clients. Check out our results at goingslawfirm.com/results/.
At the Goings Law Firm, LLC, we take our role in the community very seriously and will fight to get you the financial compensation you deserve. Call us now at (803) 350-9230 for a free consultation.
Do I Need a Slip and Fall Lawyer?
If you are a victim injured in a slip and fall incident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. South Carolina premises liability law, which is often more commonly referred to as slip and fall law, allows injured individuals to bring causes of action against negligent owners of a residential or commercial property.
According to the Supreme Court of South Carolina, there are three elements which a premises liability plaintiff must prove in order to establish the negligence of a property owner. A plaintiff must first demonstrate that a duty of care was owed to the plaintiff by the defendant. Second, the defendant breached that duty of care by a negligent act or omission. Lastly, the damages suffered were reasonably caused by the breach of the duty of care. See Hurst v. East Coast Hockey League, Inc., 371 S.C. 33, 37, 637 S.E.2d 560, 562 (2006). Now, all of this may sound like a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo, which is why it’s vital that you have an attorney on your side—someone who can understand this terminology. Basically, if a property owner knows about, or negligently creates, a condition on their property that is deemed unsafe, they may be liable for any injuries resulting from that unsafe condition.
Generally, owners of property maintain a responsibility to keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition, especially to those that the property owner invites onto their premises to shop or conduct business. Furthermore, when the danger is “open and obvious”, the owner has a duty to anticipate the danger and protect visitors from any potential harms. If the owner knew or should have known of the hazardous condition, they may be held liable in a premises liability action.
Why Should I Choose the Goings Law Firm, LLC?
If you’ve suffered an injury in Columbia, then you have many attorneys you can choose from to help you with your claim. There are several things that you should consider in your search for the attorney that will work best for you: their record of success, solid and positive testimonials, and a hard-working and dedicated team. The Goings Law Firm, LLC has all three of these things.
Record of Success: many of our clients have received multimillion-dollar settlements in the aftermath of their accidents. Others received amounts exceeding five and six digits.
Positive Testimonials: Nearly every one of our testimonials mentions recommending the Goings Law Firm, LLC to those in need of an attorney. A few words come up several times: exceptional, knowledgeable, and professional.
Dedicated Team: Each of the lawyers at the Goings Law Firm, LLC—Jessica L. O’Neill Gooding, Robert F. Goings, and Christian E. Boesl—have their own lists of accolades and accomplishments and they have over 30 years of combined experience.
Types of Slip and Fall Injuries
Some of the most common injuries we see in slip and fall cases are those involving fractured or broken bones. According to the CDC, more than 95 percent of fractures to the hip are the result of a fall. Hip fractures are especially costly because they usually require hospitalization and surgery. In addition to hip injuries, a few of the more common injuries we see include:
- Head injuries: One of the most dangerous injuries for victims of slip and fall injuries are injuries to the head. Even a seemingly minor injury to your head can be a medical emergency. According to the CDC, these injuries are so dangerous because they can cause traumatic brain injury. The CDC defines a traumatic brain injury as “a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.” See https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/index.html. If you fall and hit your head, you should see a doctor right away.
- Spinal injuries: Injuries to the spinal cord can also be extremely dangerous. In addition, these injuries often involve some of the most costly procedures and rehabilitation. Injuries to the spine can even result in paralysis. Again, if you believe you may have injured your spine, it is important to seek medical help immediately.
- Cuts, scrapes, or abrasions: Often, injuries such as cuts, scrapes, or abrasions are less serious than those involving fractures or broken bones. These injuries mostly require very limited treatment such as staples or stitches but they are nonetheless important to document in a slip and fall injury. With the ever-increasing costs of medical expenses, even superficial injuries can add up.
These are not all the ways you may be injured in a slip and fall accident, so contact our firm in any case that you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another party. Slip and fall accidents are often caused by:
- Slippery floors
- Changes in flooring type or elevation
- Ice or snow
- Uneven pavement
- Loose gravel
- Staircases that have narrow treads, are too steep, or lack handrails
- Debris in walkways or foreign objects in pedestrian areas
- Curbs
- Potholes or holes in flooring
While a slip and fall accident can happen anywhere at any time, these accidents are commonly reported in grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, and in workplaces across the U.S.
What Forms of Compensation Might I Be Entitled To?
An individual injured in a slip and fall incident may be entitled to several different types of compensation. One of the most common forms of victim compensation are damages related to medical expenses. These damages are not limited to those expenses which have already been sustained. A victim may also be entitled to medical expenses that will be incurred in the future as a result of the slip and fall injury.
Lost wages are another form of compensation that a premises liability plaintiff may receive. When an injured individual is unable to work as a result of the slip and fall injury, the victim may seek damages in the form of lost wages. In addition, damages in the form of vocational training or vocational therapy may also be sought when an injured plaintiff is forced to seek a different occupation.
Furthermore, in 1991, the Supreme Court of South Carolina adopted the “comparative negligence doctrine” which has had far-reaching consequences for slip and fall cases. Before this decision, plaintiffs were completely barred from recovering any damages against a negligent property owner if the plaintiffs themselves were found to also be negligent to any degree. This outdated doctrine was referred to as the contributory negligence doctrine and it played a major role in the outcomes of slip and fall cases. Since the decision, the rate of success in cases of this kind have jumped. This is good news for a plaintiff looking to recover for a slip and fall injury in South Carolina because, as long as the plaintiff’s own negligence is not greater than the negligence of the other party or parties at fault, the injured person can still get compensation from the other at-fault party or parties. Though, the plaintiff’s compensation will be reduced in proportion to their share of the fault.
Contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer in Columbia
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious slip and fall injury on a property or premises owned by another, it is imperative that you seek help from a premises liability lawyer who has the experience and resources that you need. Your health and financial future are priorities to the lawyers at the Goings Law Firm, LLC in Columbia. Our team is prepared to help you through the legal process of seeking compensation. Call (803) 350-9230 to speak with a slip and fall lawyer in Columbia today.
