Establishing Causation for Slip-and-Fall Accidents

If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, it’s important to remember that receiving your compensation is not a quick and easy process. You, as the case’s plaintiff, must prove a number of factors, and it’s not as simple as displaying an x-ray and a crack in the pavement. You must prove “causation,” which means that the defendant’s actions were the legal cause of your injuries.

This can take place in four steps:

• Breach and hazard – This demonstrates a link between the property owner’s actions or negligence and your injuries. Was the property inadequately inspected or maintained? Did the owner fail to warn guests of potential dangers? Or did the owner create or maintain the condition which posed danger? These and other circumstances may serve as viable links.
• Hazard and accident – The existence of a hazard on the premises does not necessarily mean the hazard was responsible for the accident. Expert testimony may be necessary to further establish the direct link between the hazard and the injuries you sustained.
• Accident and injury – This simply means that your injuries must be directly correlated to the accident in question, which can be done with medical records, and additional medical testimony may also be necessary.
• Injury and damages – There may be multiple forms of damage, such as lost wages and medical expenses, which can be proven with bills, pay stubs, and other documents. However, general damages – such as pain and suffering and lost quality of life – are subjective and may be more difficult to prove. Photographs, videotapes, journal entries, and statements from friends and relatives are all helpful in demonstrating these damages, and honesty is the best policy regarding how the accident has affected you and your daily routine.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, contact 844 See Mike for a free consultation. We are a Chicago-based injury law firm representing individuals (and their families) who have suffered an injury in an accident. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you.

Lastly, 844 See Mike is not paid attorneys’ fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. You have nothing to risk when you hire us – only the opportunity to seek justice.