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Injured on Someone’s Property? Know Your Rights in Rhode Island

Getting injured on someone’s property is not a small matter. If it has to do with their negligence, you have every right to seek compensation. It’s amazing how injuries you dismiss as nothing much can turn into serious problems. Associated medical bills can be significant. If your original injuries are serious from the get-go, they can worsen; we may be talking hundreds, even thousands of dollars in lost wages, not to mention a severe disruption to your current lifestyle. When injuries occur on someone’s property, you are entitled to seek compensation from the owner’s liability insurance company or from the individual foolish enough not to have it.

Basic Conditions for a Premise Liability Claim

• An injury must have occurred on someone else’s property.
• The property must have been in an unsafe condition.
• The property owner knew or should have had reasonable knowledge that the premises were unsafe.
• The property owner did not take reasonable care to amend the unsafe condition of their property.

Claims for premises liability injuries involve a variety of situations, including:

• Trip or slip and fall accidents
• Explosions or fires
• Swimming pool injuries
• Pet and animal attacks
• Claims arising from negligent security
• Injuries due to broken glass
• Injuries at amusement parks, farms, residential homes, malls, and theaters
• Apartment complex negligence

The most frequent accident injuries involving premise liability include:

• Bone fractures
• Ligament injuries and burns
• Neck wounds
• Electric shock
• Fall injuries/slip and fall incidents
• Spinal cord damage

These injuries occur from accidents a lot more serious than simply tripping over a tree stump, but as any liability lawyer will tell you, it’s startling the damage a minor fall can do. If possible, lawyers advise getting medical help immediately; this is crucial to your statement of medical bills, treatment, and the seriousness of your injury. Advise the property owner of the accident; this prevents them from playing dumb in court. Call the police. Their report may be the only official record of the accident with names and numbers of bystanders and witnesses.

The big “no, no” if you plan to sue is never to speak with an insurance company. That’s your liability attorney’s job, whom you or someone close to you will hire as soon as possible.

The Calvino Law Associates Promise

When it comes to providing representation during a strenuous time, our team works hard with and for you. We’ll be by your side with your best interests at heart, working to build a strong case focused on you and your family’s needs. When it comes to settlements, we make every effort to speed things up. We keep you in the information loop every step of the way. You’ll never have to call us to find out what’s happening or how the case is proceeding. Having this knowledge helps us provide the peace of mind you need to focus on what’s important: your recovery.

Call us at (401) 205-3733 or use our online contact form. We serve Providence, North Kingstown, and the surrounding areas in Rhode Island.

Get the legal ball rolling toward getting you the money you deserve, the money to which you are legally entitled. FIGHT BACK. CALL JACK!

Calvino Law Associates

373 Elmwood Ave.

Providence, RI 02907

(401) 205-3733

Slip and Fall Suits in Rhode Island—Your Legal Options

You’re walking along “minding your own business,” as they say, and just like that, you’re on the ground. Good Samaritans rush over. “Are you okay?” You say yes. But when you get home, you’re feeling all sorts of terrible. The Urgent Care doctor says you’ve broken your wrist, and he advises you to see an orthopedist about a possible shoulder issue. If your accident is a result of negligence on the part of a property owner or business, you may consider suing.

Can You Prove It?

A slip and fall case is a premises liability case that often requires proving negligence, building a case, negotiating a settlement, and sometimes arguing a case at trial. Most lawyers are wary about accepting cases without evidence of negligence. A personal injury attorney will honestly assess your chances of winning based on the information you provide and some research into possible negligence. If injuries are not serious, fail to impact your quality of life, or haven’t resulted in ongoing medical treatment, an attorney may discourage you from suing.

10 Most Common Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

• Broken Bones 
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Neck Injuries 
• Concussions
• Other Forms of TBI 
• Severe Cuts and Lacerations
• Knee and Ankle Injuries 
• Shoulder, Elbow, and Wrist Injuries
• Facial Injuries
• Chronic Pain

Reality Check: Suing on Slip and Fall Cases

Things to know concerning slip and fall cases.

• Most of these cases are settled out of court. However, plaintiffs of successful slip-and-fall lawsuits against property owners and businesses have been known to recover millions of dollars for damages, including hospital bills, physical therapy expenses, and lost wages.
• Even if you have a particularly inspiring slip-and-fall story, you’ll have a hard time winning your case without the help of a qualified attorney.
• Most slip-and-fall cases end in settlements. Depending on the nature of the injury and other factors, average settlements tend to range from $15,000 to $75,000.

Pain and Suffering

People tend to associate personal injury lawsuits (including slip and fall cases) with monetary awards for pain and suffering. Pain and suffering awards are difficult to calculate and are more often than not reliant on the sympathy of a jury. Physical pain and emotional trauma are included in cases where serious injury is sustained. As many personal injury attorneys will tell you, the extent of pain and suffering can be difficult to prove. Even if your case is valid and can prove negligence, the pain and suffering aspect, unless severe, will not enhance your final settlement.

Fatal Slip and Fall Cases

Fatal slip-and-fall accidents, of course, lead to higher settlements. Some of these cases settle for over $200,000, and some for over $1,000,000.00. These cases are not filed as slip-and-fall lawsuits but as wrongful death claims, which by their severity, require large payouts.

The Calvino Law Associates Promise

The legal team at Calvino Law Associates is noted in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts for the successful prosecution of slip and fall lawsuits. Our experienced attorneys know the right questions to ask and provide an honest assessment of your chances of winning.

Have you fallen, and are your injuries a result of negligence? Call us at (401) 205-3733 or use our online contact form. We serve Providence, North Kingstown, and the surrounding areas in Rhode Island.

Get the legal ball rolling toward getting you the money you deserve, the money to which you are legally entitled. FIGHT BACK. CALL JACK!

Calvino Law Associates

373 Elmwood Ave.

Providence, RI 02907

(401) 205-3733

Certain slip and falls constitute a premises liability lawsuit in Rhode Island

Many people believe a simple slip and fall could result in a big payday. That is not always the case, although there are certain occasions when a slip and fall on someone else’s property could land you a large amount of compensation.

After any slip and fall, there needs to be a determination of whether or not reasonable action should be taken. This is the first fact-finding endeavor in any premises liability lawsuit.

To first determine the necessity for reasonable action to be taken, the injured person cannot be a trespasser. Illegally entering someone’s property will disqualify you from filing a lawsuit. Next, there needs to be a determination as to whether or not your injury was foreseeable prior to the incident.

Once reasonable action is determined, it’s then time for your Providence premises liability attorney to prove your claim. The defense will likely counter by claiming comparative negligence, which means the injured person showed some negligence and contributed directly to their injuries.

Nevertheless, the jury must decide that a person is 100% at fault for that comparative negligence. If even 1% of the blame falls on the property owner, the jury must rule in favor of the plaintiff.

Property owners are responsible to provide safe surfaces for those who lawfully enter onto their property. It is irrelevant whether the property is open to the public of a more restrictive nature. All property owners need to either repair defects or warn people about them.

Negligence on their part would be due to things like uneven surfaces, excess ice, debris on the floor or other kinds of defective conditions. These are the primary causes for slip and falls, which are the most common reason for premises liability lawsuits in Rhode Island.

Slip and fall accidents can occur in many different places such as retail stores, apartment buildings and construction sites. Victims span all ages as there is no particular demographic that is exempt from this accident.

If you or someone you know has experienced a recent slip and fall, there may be a need to file a Rhode Island premises liability lawsuit. The Law Firm of Calvino Law Associates is staffed with an experienced team of personal injury attorneys. Serving Providence and the neighboring communities, one of our qualified lawyers can help bring you the compensation you deserve.