How Are Slip and Fall Settlements Calculated?

A slip and fall claim can arise when an individual suffers an injury due to a hazard on another’s property. Property and business owners must keep their premises well-maintained and free of dangerous conditions that could cause harm to visitors. A property owner may be responsible for your damages if they knew or should have known of a hazard on the premises and failed to act.

Locations of Slips and Falls

Slips and falls can occur on public and private premises, including but not limited to:

• Grocery stores
• Restaurants and bars
• Construction sites
• Government offices
• Hotels
• Shopping malls
• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Parking garages

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Claims

Falls can occur due to numerous reasons, including inattention and ill-fitting footwear. However, to have a claim against a property or business owner, the fall must have occurred due to a hazardous condition, such as:

• Slippery floor surfaces
• Cluttered walkways
• Debris on floors
• Missing steps or handrails
• Lack of lighting
• Potholes or cracks in sidewalks
• Bulging carpets
• Loose or broken floorboards
• Ice or snow accumulations

A slip and fall lawyer at Morgan & Morgan can assess whether your accident qualifies for a slip and fall claim and help you get justice and compensation.

Since every slip and fall claim is unique, there is no average settlement amount. What you can receive will depend on your injuries and your case’s facts. However, to give you an idea of what you could recover, here are some slip and fall settlements we secured for our clients in 2022:

• $5.58 million settlement for an Orlando client who fractured bones in a slip and fall
• $5.3 million settlement for a client suffering arm and leg injuries in Tampa
• $2.21 million verdict for a Tampa client who hurt their arm in a slip and fall

Not all law firms are the same. Getting the slip and fall compensation you deserve can be challenging without a tenacious lawyer by your side. Some attorneys accept an insurance company’s last best offer even if the value of their client’s case is higher because they shy away from going to court.

Don’t let that happen to you. Morgan & Morgan never settles for less, and our attorneys go the extra mile in fighting for what you deserve, even if it means taking your case to trial.

You could receive pain and suffering damages if you suffered significant injuries and experienced physical and emotional distress due to a slip and fall. However, unlike determining medical expenses or income losses, calculating pain and suffering damages can be a complex process. To determine a settlement amount, your slip and fall lawyer will typically consider a range of factors, including but not limited to:

• The nature and severity of your injury
• The type of medical treatments required
• The length of recovery
• The impact the injury has had on your overall life

They may also consider your age, occupation, and overall health.

The Multiplier Method

Many attorneys use the multiplier method to calculate pain and suffering damages, which involves multiplying your financial losses, such as medical expenses and lost wages, by a specific factor. The multiplier factor generally depends on the severity of your injuries and can range from one to five or more.

However, the pain and suffering damages you receive can also depend on the experience of your slip and fall lawyer and the strength of your evidence, among other factors. Consider hiring an experienced and tenacious slip and fall attorney at Morgan & Morgan to give yourself the best chance of recovering the compensation you truly deserve.

If you suffer a slip and fall accident at work, you could receive compensation through workers' compensation and, potentially, with a personal injury lawsuit. Workers' compensation provides benefits to employees who are injured on the job, such as payments for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Disability

However, workers' compensation benefits are typically limited, and employees cannot receive compensation for pain and suffering, loss of life quality, and other non-economic damages.

In some cases, employees may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit for a slip and fall injury and receive additional compensation. For example, you could hold a negligent third party, such as a subcontractor or property owner, accountable for your injuries. However, most employees cannot sue their employer except in rare circumstances, such as gross negligence or recklessness.

Since filing a lawsuit for a work injury can be a complex process, consider speaking to a Morgan & Morgan slip and fall lawyer who can help you determine your next best steps.

Knowing your state’s statute of limitations is essential, as it determines the time you have available for filing a personal injury lawsuit and seeking compensation. Filing too late could result in having your case thrown out by the court. While most states give victims around two years to file a lawsuit, the deadline can be as short as one year in some states.

Since you might have to act quickly after getting hurt, consider speaking to a seasoned slip and fall lawyer who can advise you and determine the best possible timing of your lawsuit. 

Morgan & Morgan knows that a severe slip and fall can impact every aspect of your life at work and home. We hear the concerns and worries of injured victims every day and know what you are going through. Over the years, our dedicated slip and fall lawyers have helped thousands of injured clients receive the slip and fall settlements they deserved and needed to get their lives back on track. We could fight for your rights too.

Let us help you get justice. You don’t pay a dime until we win and recover damages for you. Contact us for a free consultation and get America’s largest personal injury firm on your side today.