Slip and Fall Settlement Amounts

In this video, slip and fall lawyer Scott DeSalvo talks about slip and fall settlement amounts, and how you can figure out what goes into knowing the value of a slip and fall injury case.

I was able to settle a client slip-and-fall case for $142,500 for a broken ankle.

Now that’s a great outcome for this kind of case. I’m going to share with you how I got that slip and fall settlement amount for my client.

I always tell my clients, and I’ve repeated it in a lot of my videos, that slip and fall cases are tough cases to prove. They really are.

A lot of injury attorneys avoid slip and fall cases for that reason. That’s because insurance companies defend them, meaning they usually don’t settle them pre-suit before you file a lawsuit.

Now, I’ve litigated a lot of these cases over the years, and I’ve really learned what to do on the case in order to position them for maximum value. I’ve gotten pretty good at resolving these cases, but I also don’t kid myself.

First, I was able to show through government documents, that the stairway my clients fell on, had been cited by the city of Chicago building department several times.

Being able to prove that the stairway was dangerous is a key part in proving the case and increasing the slip and fall settlement amount.

Second, I created demonstrative evidence.

In other words, diagrams which showed exactly how the broken staircase caused the fall. Believe it or not, breaking down exactly how the fall occurred is really important to a jury at trial but also to the insurance company lawyers.  It makes them nervous if we’re very good at describing exactly how the problem with the stairs caused the injury.

Third, I personally scoured the medical records for evidence of how severe the injury was. I looked at medical literature showing that this sort of fracture would probably result in arthritis and could result in future surgery for my client.

Doing this sort of research and homework increases the value of the case.

Remember, insurance companies settle cases when they become afraid of what will happen at trial.

Now was this a good case to begin with? Yes, it was. But the hard work I put into it definitely did two things.

First, it brought the insurance company to the settlement table.Otherwise, they would have taken us to trial which is always risky.

Second, it increased the slip and fall settlement amount that we were able to get because the insurance company knew that we had a good theory of liability, how it happened, and we were able to explain all parts of the damages that my client suffered.

Now every case and injury is different. Hiring a lawyer who is experienced in personal injury law can mean a better outcome for you.

So if you still have questions, give me a call at 888-HURT-318.  I offer a free consultation in person or by telephone, your choice.

I can answer all of your questions with no obligation.

Providing good information to injured people is the mission of my law office.

If I can be of further assistance, please don’t hesitate to call.