Slip and fall accidents are common, and therefore, insurance companies and businesses are used to dealing with them. You still need legal representation if you want to win a good settlement when you've been injured in one of these accidents. You may think it's easier to go it alone and take the first settlement you're offered, but you'll always do better with a slip and fall lawyer by your side. Let's look at why you should always hire legal help.

Ask a Slip and Fall Lawyer: Why You Should Have Legal Help

1. To Determine Your Compensation

You might think that you can claim your medical expenses, and that's it. But actually, that's not the case. You can claim for lost income due to your recovery time, your loss of future income if you've lost your job or have been left permanently disabled, emotional damages, future medical costs, and several other things depending on your case.



Only a Houston slip and fall lawyer will be able to tell you exactly what you're eligible to claim for. They'll also be able to help you come up with a number that's both reasonable to the insurance company and fair for you based on what you've been through.

2. To Make Your Claim Seem Legitimate

Insurance companies often try lowballing people when they're making a claim. They might see an unrepresented person and think they can get away with offering you a much lower sum than you're entitled to.



If you have legal representation, then your claim will seem more legitimate to them, so they may be less likely to offer you a measly sum. They may still attempt to offer you a lower sum than you're entitled to, but that's a whole other issue your attorney can help you with. The very fact that a lawyer is willing to take your case signals to the other side that the case is real.

3. To Negotiate With the Insurance Company

You'll frequently have to negotiate the insurance company up to a sum that's closer to what your case is worth. Attorneys have tactics they use to get the insurance companies there. You won't have as much experience dealing with these companies and understanding their ways, so it's best to leave this to someone who does this for their clients regularly.

4. To Prove Liability

Sometimes the liable party or their insurance company will attempt to argue liability so they don't have to pay. This is when your attorney will be most valuable to you. They can investigate and make a case to prove the other party's liability in the case.



You'll prove your injuries by having you complete a full medical assessment. Then your attorney will gather evidence such as witnesses, CCTV footage, and statements from workers at the establishment where you are injured. For example, if you slipped on a wet floor in a store, then they may talk to the person who mopped the floor that day but forgot to put out a wet floor sign.

5. To Give You Time To Heal

It's best to work fast when you're dealing with a slip and fall case. You need to claim for and have the case resolved within two years based on the statute of limitations in Texas. The sooner you start working towards getting compensation, the sooner you can get this case resolved. Plus, you have a better chance of getting a good settlement if you start working ASAP.



If you're severely injured, then you may not be able to start gathering evidence, talking to witnesses, and dealing with legal proceedings that you don't fully understand. However, working with an attorney ensures you can get the ball rolling much sooner than you'd be able to if you were working alone.

6. To Defend You in Court

Some insurance companies or liable parties will do anything to get out of paying, and they'll refuse to pay again and again until you have the right to take them to court. It will be almost impossible to win a good settlement if you try to defend yourself alone in the courtroom, so an attorney with plenty of courtroom experience will be able to argue your case and get you the settlement you deserve for what you've been through.

7. To Ensure This Doesn't Happen Again

Sometimes slip and fall accidents occur due to a company or employer's negligence. Getting an attorney involved can make your claim seem more serious, and therefore it may make a company stop being quite so negligent so this doesn't happen again in the future. You working with legal representation may just be the reason a company starts taking safety measures more seriously.



It's always best to work with a professional when you're dealing with legal matters. There are a lot of legal terms to learn and papers to file promptly. Attorneys already know how to do all of those, so they can take the stress off of your shoulders and help you file your claim and win your case as soon as possible.