A Look at Some of the Biggest Slip-and-Fall Settlements
December 19, 2023
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A slip-and-fall accident could leave you dealing with pain and medical bills for the rest of your life. There’s a chance that you’ll lose income as well, and quite likely, your overall quality of life will be reduced. The good news is that you can work with a slip and fall lawyer to secure compensation if another party was responsible for or contributed to your injury. We’ll take a look at some of the biggest settlements resulting from a slip and fall, but if you or a loved one have suffered an injury, it’s smart to reach out to an attorney.
Man Falls Into Manhole ($18 Million)
Sadly, a University of Pennsylvania medical student fell into an open manhole in Philadelphia back in 2004 and sustained severe injuries to his back, neck, and head. The company that operates the steam system under the streets in Philadelphia ended up hit with an $18 million settlement. The individual fell over 18 feet. Several other big settlements have been the result of unmarked, open manholes.
If you’re walking in an urban area, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for such risks. Cases involving manholes are somewhat common in cities like Philadelphia and New York. In some cases, people have died after falling into a manhole. The drop is often quite far and the landing hard.
Woman Slips on Puddle at Corner Store ($12.2 Million)
An entrepreneur running a cosmetology business in Virginia slipped on a puddle created by leakage from an awning while entering Miller Mart, a corner store. She fell, suffered a bad landing, was knocked out, and then days later started suffering seizures. The incident and the damage sustained deeply affected the woman, her business, and her personal relationships. Ultimately, she had to step down from running her business and was rewarded a $12.2 million settlement. The store operators acknowledged that they knew about the leaks and risks created.
One of the most important considerations after you suffer an injury is lost income. In this case, a successful businesswoman had her entrepreneurial ambitions disrupted by negligence. The financial and emotional damage can get quite high in these situations, but fortunately, a personal injury attorney can help ensure fair compensation.
Man Brakes Nose in Albertsons ($4.3 Million)
While not the biggest settlement on this list, this case is one of the more recent ones. A man was shopping at an Albertsons in California in 2016 when he slipped on a puddle near the meat section. At first, the injuries seemed minor, but months after the accident, the man started having trouble remembering things. MRI scans uncovered serious damage and thus the injured party pushed for compensation, with the case settled in 2022.
If you do suffer a slip and fall or another injury, make sure you watch out for signs of a serious injury long after the event itself. The human body is fickle, and you might seem fine for weeks on end. Then, one day could wake up to severe headaches, memory loss, and various other issues. If so, and if someone else contributed to your injury, you may be owed compensation.
Child Falls Out of Window at a University ($2 Million)
Sadly, even the highest settlements will never be enough in the case of a fatality. While most slip-and-falls don’t end so tragically, some of them do. A 4-year-old child fell out of the window of a student housing unit at Wilson College in Pennsylvania. Her mother was a student at the university. The family later sued because adequate protection wasn’t in place to prevent the child from opening the window.
Especially with small children, you’ll want to make every home as safe as possible. Windows can be a trouble spot, especially with mid-rise and high-rise buildings. While the family received considerable compensation, it can come nowhere close to making up for what was lost.
Worn Out Ladders Lead to Big Workplace Settlement ($4 Million)
A construction/maintenance worker in New Jersey fell when the scaffolding he was working on failed. The man fell roughly twenty feet and landed in a parking lot. He suffered severe injuries, and later experienced seizures and other health challenges. The ladders on the scaffolding were found to be old and unfit for use, leading to the slip-and-fall.
Most of the cases we examined didn’t occur to an employee or contractor. However, workplace injuries are common and if you suffered one, you may have legal grounds to pursue compensation. When someone pursues legal action, they can hold faulty employers responsible, which in the long run could help make workplaces safer.
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