Here is What a Slip and Fall Lawyer Should Do for You
Every time something happens to you, you hear people saying that you should hire a lawyer. For example, when you are involved in an accident such as slip and fall, you are required to hire a lawyer. However, before hiring an expert, you should know how he or she is supposed to help you. Understanding the roles of the expert will help you in setting realistic expectations.
It is also necessary to know the functions of an attorney so that you may not be duped. There are individuals who may promise you the best outcome, and then later, you find out that they had no knowledge or skills to help you win the case. In addition, it does not hurt to gain more knowledge any day.
An Attorney Should Help to Determine the Fault of the Accident
So you are asking your lawyer, I slipped in a store can I sue? Before answering your question, the attorney should delve into finding out whose fault led to the accident. The attorney will first ask you to narrate how the accident occurred. You have to provide every detail that you remember because you never know which one will be the most important for the case.
For example, assuming you slipped on a wet floor and fell. Your attorney will ask you several questions to help recount what happened. Some of the questions that the expert may ask you include:
- What were you wearing?
- How did you slip?
- Were you looking while taking the steps?
- Was there a fault with the floor where you fell?
- What were you carrying?
These are just a few questions that the lawyer may ask you to explain in detail. They help in determining whether it is you or the store that was at fault. The attorney may also want to visit the exact point where you slipped for further examination.
An Attorney Should Also Determine the Losses that Resulted from the Accident
Once the lawyer identified that the store was at fault, the next thing is to quantify the losses that you have undergone as a victim. This does not involve just looking at which part of the body was hurt and recording that information. It is an in-depth process that entails quantifying financial and non-monetary losses that you should be compensated for by the defendant.
For example, if you used finances to visit the hospital for treatment, the attorney shall quantify this. Note that this involves both the past and future expenses that you will spend in a hospital as a result of the injury.
If you lost your job, the lawyer must also quantify the income that you have lost as a result of the accident. In addition, the physical and emotional pain is also important. The attorney has to devise a way of determining the losses caused by the pain and suffering. The process of quantifying non-financial aspects such as pain may be hard. However, if you hire an experienced attorney, this should not be a problem.