Injuries can be expensive. Between medical bills and time away from work, injuries can cause major financial difficulties or even bankruptcy for victims. The legal system allows victims a chance to pursue compensation for their injury-related losses when their injuries are someone else’s fault, but some victims are reluctant to take that step.

Some victims are intimidated or put off by the idea of having to hire a lawyer or potentially go to court, while others don’t take action because they don’t want to burden the at-fault parties. This is especially common after slip and fall injuries, as they frequently occur on private property that’s owned by victims’ family members or friends.

But are slip and fall lawsuits paid out of pocket by property owners, or are they paid by others?

Property Owners Rarely Pay Out of Pocket for Victims’ Expenses

Although property owners are usually named the at-fault parties in slip and fall cases, they are rarely on the hook for victims’ expenses. Just as at-fault drivers often pay for victims’ accident expenses through their auto insurance policies, property owners typically pay for slip and fall victims’ expenses through their property insurance policies.

• Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers residential slip and falls—When victims get hurt at other people’s homes, their personal injury claims are usually handled by homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies. However, not all homeowners have homeowner’s insurance, especially if their mortgages are paid in full. In these cases, homeowners can be sued directly and may have to pay out of pocket for slip and fall victims’ damages.
• General liability insurance covers commercial slip and falls—Business owners face many risks when they invite the public onto their properties and into their stores, restaurants, and hotels. To protect themselves from a variety of expenses, they purchase general liability insurance. This insurance kicks in for both injuries and property damage.

In other words, victims shouldn’t hesitate to pursue compensation after slip and fall injuries because they’re worried about causing undue financial harm to property owners.

How Are Slip and Fall Injury Claims Started?

If you or someone you love is injured on someone else’s property, you should immediately notify the property owner or the manager on duty. If you don’t report the injury right away, it can be difficult to proceed with an injury claim, as the home or property owner may simply deny that your injury happened on the premises—especially if it wasn’t witnessed or caught on camera.

You should also ask for the property owner’s homeowner’s insurance or general liability insurance information. Unlike auto accidents, this information isn’t always given out after slip and fall accidents. Instead, it’s up to victims to get this information and then to contact the insurers themselves to begin the claim process.

Getting Fair Compensation is Difficult After Slip and Fall Injuries

The one common factor across all types of injury claims is the reluctance of insurance companies to pay victims the money they’re owed. It’s true for auto accident claims and it’s also true for slip and fall injury claims. Whether they happened at a private residence or at a public venue, the companies that insure those properties are likely to fight tooth and nail to protect their profits and pay victims as little as possible. However, that doesn’t mean victims’ injuries are any less severe or less expensive to treat, and when those injuries are not their fault, victims still should not have to pay those bills out of their own pockets.

Because slip and fall accidents typically aren’t investigated by police the same way that auto accidents are, it’s easier for property owners to be uncooperative or deny liability. When that happens, their insurers have every reason to deny slip and fall victims the money they’re owed. Proving that a slip and fall injury occurred without concrete evidence can be difficult—unless you get a lawyer, that is.

We Work Hard to Get Slip and Fall Victims Full Compensation

Slip and falls aren’t just embarrassing mishaps. For many victims, they can be life-altering injuries that result in broken bones, permanent pain, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, and even death. But slip and fall victims face many hurdles when it comes to getting compensation. Property owners are often uncooperative, insurance companies are skeptical, and public perception may even be against them due to the media’s portrayal of fraudulent slip and fall cases.

After a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you need a law firm on your side that knows how much money you’re owed and knows how to get you every penny of that. The Oklahoma premises liability attorneys at Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers have helped many victims just like you through this difficult experience, and we’ll use every resource at our disposal to win your claim. Contact us today for a free consultation.