slip and fall lawyer

TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers | Man Awarded $3.7 Million Slip and Fall Settlement

A man has recently settled his lawsuit for $3.7 million after falling at his New Jersey apartment complex back in 2016. Dennis Higgins was on his way to the laundry room at Skytop Gardens when he fell down a concrete staircase. He fell due to a 10-inch section of crumbling concrete on the stairs.

Higgins sustained a serious head injury due to hitting his head on the concrete wall as he fell. He fractured his skull as well as several bones in his face, leading to a buildup of blood in the brain.

The attorneys for the apartment complex unsuccessfully argued that they were not responsible for his injuries. Higgins was in a coma for four days and had to spend over 2 months in a rehabilitation facility after the incident. His attorney, Barry Eichen, states that this injury has greatly impacted Higgins’ life, even six years later. Today, Higgins struggles with mobility and basic tasks.

Slip and fall incidents such as these can lead to serious injuries and have long-lasting impacts. If you or a loved one suffered a severe injury at an apartment complex, do not wait. TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you receive the compensation you deserve. Please call 800-215-7211 or send us a message here. For more on this story, click here.

TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers | Car Accidents and Slip and Falls in Winter

Winter weather is unpredictable and can create hazardous road and sidewalk conditions. Far more car accidents and slip and falls take place in the winter than any other time of year. Below freezing temperatures and winter storms can further contribute to these incidents.

Car Accidents

About 17% of car accidents occur in winter weather conditions. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that Pennsylvania is one of the most dangerous states for driving in the winter. The state also ranked 5th in the nation for fatal accidents in winter.

When driving in winter weather, it’s important to increase the following distance between the vehicle in front of you and to follow the speed limit. If possible, avoid any unnecessary travel during winter storms. If you or a loved one suffered an injury from an accident in winter weather, it’s important that you contact an attorney right away. For more on how to stay safe while driving in winter weather, click here.

car accidents and slip and falls in winter weather
Winter weather can make roads very slick and easy for accidents to occur.

Slip and Falls

TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers has filed several lawsuits for slip and falls that happened on sidewalks. More slip and fall incidents occur in the winter months than any other time of year. Ice and sleet left on the sidewalks make even the shortest of distances a challenge.

Slip and falls are one of the leading causes of preventable injury in the U.S. Common injuries from falls include soft tissue injuries, fractures, and back and spine injuries. If you slip and fall on a sidewalk, it’s important to take a picture of the spot that caused you to fall and to contact an attorney.

TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help if you suffer an injury from winter conditions. Call us at 800-215-7211 or send us a message for a free consultation. For more information about other types of cases we handle, click here.

TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers | How To Win A Slip And Fall Case

Slip and fall cases occur when there is an injury sustained after falling on someone else’s property. Usually caused by negligence, the fall could happen from ice that was not salted, cracked pavement, spilled water, etc. So when this happens on someone else’s property, is there anything you can do? With TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers, yes! We can work together to prove that the property owner is legally responsible for the injuries.

The first things that we need to find out are 1) who is the liable party and 2) did they cause the fall or prevent it from happening? We need to know these factors so we can prove that it was not the injured person’s own carelessness that caused the accident.

To be held liable for the slip and fall, the party being blamed must have failed to take initiative on the property’s care. Things to consider are the amount of time the hazardous condition has existed, does the property owner have a routine of checking for hazards, is there a good reason for the hazard to exist, could it have been prevented, and was there poor lighting or signage?

In slip and fall cases, it is common for the defendant to argue that the injured person is responsible for the accident. That argument is called “comparative fault.” Each state has different laws that affect this argument and determine the plaintiff’s compensation if the defendant’s argument is true.

To determine if the plaintiff might be even slightly responsible, consider the following:

  • Was the injured person engaging in activity that could have caused them to not notice the hazard?
  • Was the injured person even allowed to be there?
  • Were there warning signs posted?

If it becomes obvious that the plaintiff is at fault, winning an injury claim becomes very unlikely.

Have you been injured in a slip and fall and believe you are entitled to financial compensation? If so, contact TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers today! You can call us at 800-215-7211 or send us a message for a free consultation.

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