Business owners are required to maintain their property to keep employees and customers safe. This includes outdoor areas such as a parking lot and walkways. If a woman catches her high-heeled shoe in a pavement crack and falls, she may be entitled to damages for any injury she sustained. She should hire a slip and fall attorney in Port Orchard to help her file her claim for compensation. An injured person may not have the physical stamina to research their injury and file the claim. They may also say something that jeopardizes their case.
Her lawyer will research how long the crack in the pavement had existed. He can use photos from surveillance cameras to show that the crack had existed for several days or weeks. A sign or other warning device should have been installed while the business owner waited for a paving company to repair the crack. The attorney can also interview people who use the parking lot on a regular basis to determine how long the crack had existed. It’s important to gather evidence quickly because a property owner can erase their surveillance camera video or repair the parking lot. The slip and fall attorney in Port Orchard can also get a court order to preserve the evidence while he collects and evaluates it.
Once the lawyer has documented the negligent practice, he will link a specific injury to it. He will then file a claim with the business owner’s insurance company. The claim will also contain the cost of treating the injury and the amount of any lost income. Monetary claims for emotional trauma and pain and suffering can also be included. Insurance company reviewers often reject the initial claim. They may say that the pavement crack was so new that the business owner could not reasonably be expected to know about it. The insurance company may claim that the person was not exercising reasonable care as she used the parking lot. Her lawyers will counter these objections. Most damages claims are settled out of court.
Otto Law Offices is one of the Port Orchard law firms that represents injured people. Visit us to learn more about filing a claim for damages.
