Interviewer: What have you observed about your client’s state of mind when they have been through this premises liability situation?

Richard Sailer:  People are often embarrassed that the accident happened, which may be why there are many blind claims. The first thing an injured person wants to do is get up and make sure that nothing is broken or bleeding.  In addition, they’re embarrassed and afraid that somebody saw them, so their first instinct is just to get themselves out of that environment.  I think it’s kind of human nature that we don’t want to remain in an environment where we feel humiliated. It is not until they get home and realize later that maybe something is wrong.

 

Common Injuries Sustained as a Result of Slip and Fall Accidents

Interviewer: Is there a common injury that clients suffer due to a slip and fall?

Richard Sailer:  Primarily we see joint injuries depending on where you fall and how you fall. Did you fall forwards? Did you fall backwards? Did you fall sideways? Instinctually, we try to protect our faces. Therefore, if we are falling face down, we’ll stick our hands and our arms out to try to protect ourselves. As a result, we’ll see wrist, elbow, knee injuries, hip, back, and/or pelvis injuries.

 

Serious Head Injuries Can be Sustained as a Result of a Slip and Fall Accident

Interviewer: What are some examples of the more serious injuries that occur due to a slip and fall?

Richard Sailer:  A more serious example would be if you slipped and hit your head on the ground resulting in a broken skull and a brain injury. However, that’s not something that I routinely encounter. I typically encounter more of ankle, knee, upper extremities, wrist, and shoulder injuries from the actual slip and fall.

 

Clients May Get Discouraged if a Premises Liability Case Gets Prolonged

Interviewer: Do your clients ever become hesitant or discouraged when they’ve been involved in these sorts of cases?

Richard Sailer:  It has to do more with managing expectations and setting forth a good time table right from the get go. I explain to the client that it’s going to be a long process and that there are some hurdles that need to be overcome. It is important to have realistic expectations, communicate what those expectations are, and what the process is so they understand it from the beginning.