If you got injured in a slip and fall accident in California, you might be entitled to financial compensation for your physical, emotional, and monetary damages. If you successfully prove in a court of law that the accident was not caused by your negligence, the premises liability law makes you eligible for obtaining compensation through a lawsuit or a settlement outside the court.
After a slip and fall accident, it is natural to question the worth of the potential compensation. The amount varies between different cases, and the average settlement value also varies between different states in the United States.
Factors Determining Financial Compensation
Most lawsuits filed in slip and fall accidents do not reach the stage of a court trial. Some slip and fall cases get resolved through informal settlement negotiations before the official filing of a complaint with the court.
Since the circumstances of each slip and fall accident are different, the amount varies greatly between different cases. A number of factors determine the amount you are likely to receive as compensation. Some of these factors include:
- The extent and severity of your physical injury
- The permanency of your physical injury
- Your average income before the accident
- Your working capacity after the accident
- The percentage of your fault or negligence that contributed to the accident
- The competency of your attorney
Average SLIP & FALL SETTLEMENT IN CALIFORNIA
In California, the average settlement for a slip and fall lawsuit varies between $15,000 and $50,000. Depending on the factors listed above, this amount might increase or decrease in your case. If your injuries and resulting damages are minor, your settlement amount might be lower than the average slip and fall settlement in California. However, if your injuries are extensive and severe, your settlement value might be higher than the average. It is important to note that in most slip and fall accidents, the settlement amount falls in the middle of the range mentioned above.
What Does The Compensation Cover?
The compensation you receive either as a settlement outside the court or as a result of a jury trial in the court covers the financial loss resulting from the accident (medical expenses, therapeutic and diagnostic bills, etc.), lost wages (based on your income before the accident), pain and suffering (proportional to the extent and permanency of your injuries), punitive damages, etc.
Comparative fault is a factor that impacts the settlement figure significantly. If you share part of the responsibility for the accident, your settlement amount will decrease proportionately to the percentage of your fault.
Importance Of A Competent Attorney
Hiring a competent lawyer who has sufficient experience in slip and fall lawsuits is essential to ensure that you will receive fair financial compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial damages. You can contact a well-reputed law firm in your city to obtain a free initial consultation. In most slip and fall lawsuits, the lawyers charge their clients upon obtaining the settlement amount successfully.
