Winter is Here: When Slip and Falls Become a Wrongful Death Case
Posted December 12th, 2016 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Slip and Falls.
It’s true. Winter has arrived for much of our area. Along with the bitter cold and the icy wind comes snow, sleet, and freezing rain. This weather makes a mess of the roadways and sidewalks. And with winter comes slippery conditions. Which means the chances of you getting into a slip and fall accident are pretty high. So is it possible that a slip and fall case can become a wrongful death lawsuit?
We are always stressing how terrible a slip and fall accident can be. And despite what you may think, these accidents can lead to death. According to the National Safety Council, falls are the third leading cause of unintentional deaths in the U.S. in 2014. More than 31,00 people had died in a fall in 2014. And in the workplace nearly 600 people died and 47,000 were injured in 2013.
When you think of slip and fall injuries, minor bumps and bruises may come to mind. But in reality, these injuries can be quite severe. For instance, these accidents can lead to severe injuries such as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Internal bleeding
- Infection which can lead to organ failure
- Spinal cord injury
So let’s say your husband was walking into the store on a wintry day and he slips on the saturated rubber mat at the entrance. He goes down hard and hits his head. He gets up and says he’s fine. Since nothing else is wrong, he does his shopping and leaves. Later that evening, he has a seizure. He’s rushed to the hospital where he later dies. It was then you learn that his simple slip and fall had actually caused a bleed in his brain.
To pursue a wrongful death claim in New Jersey, you need to prove that the cause of your husband’s death was because of a neglectful or wrongful act of another. In other words, you need to show that the conditions that have caused the death could have brought the case to the courtroom. In the scenario above, it shows the store was negligent in taking care of the rubber mat. The lack of care by the store was the cause of the slip and fall accident and as a result is a wrongful death case.
However these types of cases can be fairly complex. If you lost a loved one in a slip and fall accident and need legal assistance, we’re here to help. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.
