A significant number of slip & fall accidents are reported in Jersey City each year. When you are legally on someone’s property, you expect the premises to be safe. Following such an ill-timed incident, you should promptly seek medical care and report the incident to the property owner or manager. Once you feel okay, consider meeting a Jersey City slip and fall attorney to know whether you have a claim. Let’s understand why hiring legal help is so relevant.
Knowing the complexities
Premise liability claims are often complicated, essentially because property owners rarely admit their mistakes. Also, commercial insurance companies try all ways to deny claims or pay lower settlements, and unless you are a pro, negotiating with a claims adjuster can be a real struggle. An attorney can help you navigate each step and guide you through the paperwork and everything related to the insurance process. They will also negotiate and discuss the settlement on your behalf.
The modified comparative fault rule
Take this situation: You were on your phone when you slipped on the wet floor of a bar. The management had a sign mentioning the hazard, but it was too small to notice. Here, the property owner is certainly at fault, but you, too, share a part of the blame. In such situations, the modified comparative fault rule in New Jersey will determine whether you can recover money. If you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot sue the other party. Also, the final settlement will be lower, depending on the fault percentage.
Because insurance companies will use this rule against you, it is best to let an attorney investigate further and gather the required evidence. Injury lawyers work on slip & fall accidents all the time and know what it takes to find information from various sources. Also, they will further hire expert witnesses, including medical and accident reconstruction professionals, from time to time.
You also have a deadline
If the insurance company denies the claim, you still have the option to file a direct civil lawsuit against the property owner. According to the statute of limitations in New Jersey, the deadline for slip & fall lawsuits is two years. The insurance process will take a significant amount of time, and it is best that you keep the other legal option open. An attorney will keep a tab on the two-year cap.
Don’t let the circumstances impact your claim – get an attorney now!
