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Slip & Fall Lawyers Near Me | Personal Injury Attorneys
Experienced Slip & Fall Injury Lawyers | Albany, NY
At LaMarche Safranko Law, our slip and fall lawyers bring decades of experience representing individuals seriously injured in slip, trip, and fall accidents throughout Upstate New York. Property owners, whether homeowners, landlords, tenants, or business operators, have a legal obligation to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition. When they fail to do so and someone is hurt because of a slippery surface, uneven walkway, or defective condition, they can be held responsible for the injuries that result.
Slip and Fall Attorneys Near Me
At LaMarche Safranko Law, we understand that injuries from a fall can lead to lasting physical pain, emotional distress, and financial hardship. Our slip and fall attorneys are committed to providing skilled legal counsel, guiding clients through every step of the legal process — from investigation and evidence gathering to negotiation and, if necessary, trial.
Our personal injury firm recently discussed a slip and fall case, highlighting how our experienced legal team helped a client recover a settlement after being injured on a dangerous ramp. After exchanging medical and property records, and conducting numerous depositions of witnesses, the matter was resolved in a settlement that compensated our client for her pain and suffering and allowed her to move forward with her life.
At LaMarche Safranko Law, we understand that injuries from a fall can lead to lasting physical pain, emotional distress, and financial hardship. Our attorneys are committed to providing skilled legal counsel, guiding clients through every step of the legal process — from investigation and evidence gathering to negotiation and, if necessary, trial. If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip, trip, or fall accident caused by unsafe property conditions, you deserve experienced advocates who will fight for your recovery. Contact LaMarche Safranko Law today for a free consultation.
FAQs about Slip and Fall Cases
Yes. But one of the most important questions that must first be answered is: what caused your fall? In order to bring a claim against a property owner, it must be shown that the property owner was negligent. Negligence is the lack of ordinary care. It is a failure to use that degree of care that a reasonably prudent owner, tenant or possessor of property would have used under the same circumstances. It’s not enough that you fell. In a slip and fall or trip and fall case, there must be some defect or condition on the property that caused you to fall. Additionally, in order to prove that the owner was negligent, the homeowner must have created the condition or knew about it but failed to take reasonable steps to fix it.
Unfortunately, if you don’t know how or why you fell, a claim cannot be pursued. Slip and fall cases are not “absolute liability” cases as some think. In other words, just because you fall on someone’s property, even if you are injured, you must still be able to point to the defect or condition that caused you to fall. If you fall on someone’s property but can’t explain what caused you to fall, you are unable to bring a slip and fall case in NY. Occasionally, if there are reasons for not knowing how or why you fell, an investigation may yield evidence that gives the answer. It’s important that these are conducted as close in time to the fall as possible so that the defect or condition is as close to it was when you fell.
While there is no clear cut answer as to the conditions that may justify a claim, some examples of conditions that have justified claims against homeowners or businesses are: broken steps, no railings, accumulating water or ice that recurs at a particular location, significant holes or cracks in the walkway or parking lot, wax or grease, and poor or no lighting.
When you are injured by another person, whether it’s because of a fall on another person’s property or because you were injured in a car accident, suing a person means that your lawyer files a lawsuit in court. To begin a lawsuit, a complaint is filed and served on the defendant. This document tells the defendant and his insurance company what happened and why he is being sued. After the complaint is filed, the defendant’s insurance company will assign a lawyer to answer the complaint. This initial exchange of documents begins the “discovery” phase of the lawsuit.
Yes. These terms are often used interchangeably when talking about suing another person or business. It is important to remember that while you are suing a person, in most instances, you are looking to be made whole, meaning the money and damages you are seeking for your injuries may come from the insurance company of the homeowner or business owner.
Yes. There is always the possibility that a settlement can be reached prior to trial. Factors that impact settlement include how the incident happened, what type of injuries you’ve sustained, and what out of pocket or lost earnings you have and/or can expect. If your lawyer and the insurance company can agree to a dollar value for your case that is satisfactory to you, your case can be settled prior to trial.
In order for a lawyer to reach a settlement with an insurance company on your behalf, the lawyer needs to fully understand your case. Your lawyer must examine the incident, how it happened and who caused it. The lawyer must also consider the nature of your injuries and obtain all of your medical records from all relevant medical providers. The lawyer must also examine your lost earnings or any other out of pocket expenses. If Medicare, Medicaid or workers compensation has paid any medical expenses or lost earnings these are liens against any recovery that should also be considered. A lien means the entity that paid certain expenses following your injury is entitled to be reimbursed for those expenses. Once your lawyer is armed with all of this information, your lawyer should be able to consider it against other cases similar to yours to place a fair dollar value on your claim.
That depends on a number of factors. However, the primary factor is the nature of your injury and the type of treatment you are receiving. If all your treatment is completed in a short time frame, your case will be ripe for settlement sooner. However, if you have ongoing treatment, surgeries, physical therapy or other treatment, and the full extent of your injuries and the impact of your injuries is unknown, it is not in your best interest to try a resolve your case too soon.
It depends. Generally, lawsuits take anywhere from 1-2 years however there are occasions where the claim is resolved sooner than 1 year, and situations where the case takes longer than 2 years. Your lawyer should try to expedite your case as quickly as possible without sacrificing the true value of your case by trying to “settle” too soon. If you have questions about how long your case is taking, you should always reach out to your lawyer and talk to him/her so you can get a full understanding of the status of your case.
The value of your case depends on a 3 primary factors:
- The strength of the liability. Liability means the amount of fault the defendant has for your injuries. Is the defendant 100% at fault or are you partially at fault? The value of your case will be impacted by the distribution of fault. As an example if your case is worth $300,000 and the owner is 50% at fault, the value of your case is reduced to $150,000.
- The significance of your injuries. The type of injury you have, the duration of your treatment, whether surgery is involved, and the permanent consequences of your injury impact the value of your case. A broken arm with no surgery that heals in 6 weeks with no permanent loss of range of motion is worth much less than a fractured leg that requires multiple surgeries, leaves a significant scar, and permanently limits your ability to enjoy your life.
- The economic losses you’ve suffered. If you have missed work and/or can’t go back to work, and/or if you have incurred medical or other expenses because of your injury, this dollar figure is an important factor in determining the full value of your claim.
The true value of your damages can only be calculated when treatment is complete, and the long-term consequences of your injury are understood.
If you are injured because a homeowner or a business has not taken care of their property, you have a claim against that owner and that owner’s insurance company. There are different types of insurance policies that may be available. One policy is the policy that pays for your pain, suffering and any lost earnings or medical expenses you’ve incurred. This is commonly known as the “liability policy” and the value of that policy depends on what type of insurance the owner has. Whether the insurance company pays under its liability policy will depend on whether the owner was negligent. The other type of insurance that may be available is medical payments coverage. Some, but not all policies have some limited amount of money that can be paid to reimburse you for out of pocket costs related to an injury. This policy, known as the “medpay policy” can be paid by the insurance company regardless of fault to assist you with your out of pocket, injury related expenses.
If you have fallen because of a known defect or condition on someone’s property and are injured, the insurance company for the owner of the property will be responsible to pay for your injuries, including any unreimbursed medical expenses, lost earnings and your pain and suffering. However, if the value of your injuries exceeds the value of the insurance policy, a claim can also be brought directly against the owner.
Law Firm Testimonials
“I am an attorney who found himself in the middle of a serious, personal legal matter that compromised not only my personal life but my professional life as well. I immediately contacted Andrew (Andy) Safranko, Esq. Andy worked tirelessly and extremely hard to bring my legal situation to a very favorable resolution. In so doing, Andy not only saved certain aspects of my personal and professional life…
“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent representation on my recent matter. I have worked with lawyers, and in law firms much of my professional life, but I have never encountered the rare mix of skill, integrity and humanity in one individual—you….
“Dear Andrew and George,
I cannot thank you enough for your hard work, diligence, and selfless manner that you put towards my legal difficulties in Colonie. From the first moment I met you, you helped reassure me that things were going to turn out in a more favorable manner than I originally thought. Clearly, the final result of my court case displays the quality of time and work that you put into this….
“The staff at LaMarche Safranko Law took care of whatever I needed, it was just fabulous. It was top shelf, if I called, I got George. If he was in a meeting, they left him a message. He called me right back after the meeting. Everybody was very courteous and very nice there. If I left a voicemail, everybody got back to me quickly. The level of service was very, very good and I would Highly recommend them.”
“Throughout the attorney client relationship regarding my personal injury lawsuit, George and his staff continually exhibited tremendous amounts of legal knowledge, skill, and a vast amount of expert resources that ultimately resulted in a final judgment in my favor. George was there every step of the way to explain where we stood and what to expect next and there was never a need to question his professional judgment…
“Dear Andy,
Thank you so much for everything you have done for our son over the last three years. This has been a very challenging time for our family and the knowledge that our son has an attorney as capable and amazing as you are has given us peace of mind!
“The arrest of my husband in 2008 was an extremely difficult and emotional time for our family. The arrest turned our lives upside down. It was sudden and unexpected and had tragic emotional as well as financial consequences. I had no idea what to do under the circumstances….
“I wanted to express my deepest appreciation to Mr. Andrew Safranko for the exceptional job he did in regards to my legal representation. Mr. Safranko displayed the utmost in professionalism and discretion during the entire court process, and took the time to explain each and every step….
“Dear George, Andy and Staff,
Thank you all for your kindness and all your help in getting back to my wellbeing and life. I could not have done it without you all. Everything is going so well again. I recommend you highly. Thanks Again!”
“I can honestly say that the best decision I’ve ever made was retaining George LaMarche as my attorney. I was in a situation where everything wasat risk; my career, livelihood, and the ability to provide for my family. In desperation, I contacted over a dozen attorneys. The majority of the lawyers I spoke with promised results without seeing paperwork or knowing valuable facts….
“I cannot thank George E. LaMarche lll and his team for the excellent legal work they provided for my son, and in extension, our entire family. His experience, knowledge of the law, networking ability and communication is second to none. In our case, our son was wrongly accused by a small town police officer and charged with 5 tickets…
“My family and I cannot thank George and his staff enough for all of the support and guidance they have given us over the past six months. Anyone who has ever suffered a personal injury knows how difficult they are to overcome, but I’m glad we had such an intelligent and hardworking attorney on our side so I could focus on my recovery rather than on the details of the case….
“Dear Mr. Safranko,
Thank You so much for answering my question, and so expediently!
The dedication, respect, and consideration with which you treat your clients, current and past, is remarkable. It is why I reached out to you when searching in my time of need, and why I would highly recommend…
“No one likes to be in a bad situation, but if you need a lawyer George is your man. Not only does he point you in the right direction he offers good advice for your future. As much as we bring him business he does not encourage that next time anticipation….
