Head Injuries in Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are common throughout the Cape Cod area. While some people suffer a fall and walk away unscathed, others suffer significant trauma. For example, many people strike their heads when they fall and sustain serious injuries that require extensive treatment and lead to permanent impairment. If you sustained a head injury in a slip and fall accident, you may have options for seeking compensation. The dedicated Cape Cod slip and fall lawyers of the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III collectively have over one hundred and fifty years of experience aiding people injured in accidents in the pursuit of claims for damages. We have the experience needed to help you assert your legal rights, and we will work diligently on your behalf. Our skillful advocacy has enabled us to recover numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Slip and fall accidents generally occur because a substance on the ground or floor makes the surface slippery. For example, untreated snow or ice on a sidewalk, or liquid on the floor of a restaurant often cause slip and fall accidents. In many instances, the slippery substance will cause people’s feet to slip and go out from under them. The person will typically fall backward or forwards, and his or her head may either strike something during the course of the fall or strike the ground. The force of the impact created by a person’s head striking the ground or a fixed object can cause many head injuries, including fractures, concussions, hemorrhages, and hematomas. Head injuries can result in migraines, personality and mood changes, diminished memory and cognitive skills, seizures, dizziness, and nausea.

Under Massachusetts law, property owners owe a duty to anyone entering their property to maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition to reduce the risk of foreseeable harm. Thus, if a property owner negligently fails to alleviate or prevent a dangerous condition on a property, and a person suffers harm as a result, the property owner may be held liable. Thus, the injured party will typically set forth a negligence claim against the property owner in a civil lawsuit. In order for the property owner to be found liable on a theory of negligence, the injured party must show that the property owner owed him or her a duty and that the duty was breached, resulting in the slip and fall accident. The injured party must also show that he or she suffered quantifiable damages due to the accident.

The manner in which liability may be proven will vary depending on the nature of the property where the fall occurred, and a knowledgeable premises liability attorney can help you assess which arguments are most applicable to your case. For example, in many cases, the injured party will be required to show that the property owner either knew or reasonably should have known that a dangerous condition existed on the property. In cases involving businesses, however, an injured party may able to prove that the property owner should be liable without proving notice if the injured party can establish that his or her injury was caused by the property owner’s mode of operation. In other words, the plaintiff must prove that the dangerous condition was caused by a reasonably foreseeable condition that arose out of the business’ method of operation. For example, if a restaurant has a self-service beverage area, it is reasonably foreseeable that spills would occur, and the restaurant may be held liable for a slip and fall caused by a spill regardless of whether it had actual knowledge of the spill.

Slip and fall accidents can result in devastating brain injuries that require lifelong treatment. If you sustained a head injury in a slip and fall accident, you can consult an attorney to discuss what compensation you may be able to pursue. At the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, we help injured parties seek compensation for their harm, and will work diligently to help you pursue a successful result. Our zealous advocacy has enabled us to uphold a record of successful verdicts and settlements, with many case outcomes in the millions. We represent parties in personal injury matters in Cape Cod, and we are able to meet for consultations in Plymouth and Hyannis as well. We can be reached at 888-262-6664 or our online form to set up a consultation. Nós Falamos Português.