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Writer's pictureRobert Schuerger II

What Is the Difference Between Slip and Fall and Trip and Fall Accidents?

If the victim in a personal injury case wants to get compensation for the accident they were in, they need to fully understand the type of accident they are dealing with.


Filing a claim for a car accident is not the same as doing it for a workers' negligence case, and the same happens with slip/trip and fall accidents.


Slip and fall and trip and fall are not the same, even though many people think they are synonyms. Both accidents imply different things, which is essential to the evidence the victim and their lawyer can get for the case.


This page has all the information victims of a slip and fall and trip and fall accident need before filing a claim against the other party. However, if they have any other questions about the matter, they can ask the slip-and-fall injury lawyer they hire.


Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys is one of the best law firms people in Nashville can call, so victims of a slip and fall accident shouldn't miss the opportunity to hire it. They an answer questions such as, "What is the 4 to 1 rule?"


Definition of a Slip and Fall Accident

Definition of a Slip and Fall Accident


Before getting to the difference between slip and fall and trip and fall accidents, people first need to know what both cases consist of.


Slip and fall accidents are, in a nutshell, when someone slips due to water or any other thing on the floor and falls. People who slip often fall backward.


When a slip-and-fall accident occurs, the first thing victims look for is any signs that might have told them the floor was slippery. Most slip-and-fall accidents happen because of watery floors.


Victims of these cases can get all kinds of injuries, and people could even die after slipping and falling.


What Is a Trip and Fall Accident?


On the other hand, trip and fall accidents are when someone trips over an object in their way. Uneven surfaces can make people trip too.


Unlike slip and fall accidents, trip and fall cases often consist of the victim falling forward instead of backward. Both options are highly dangerous, and the injuries the victim gets depend on the circumstances in which the accident happened.


While victims of a slip and fall accident look for signs that might have told them the floor was slippery, people who trip and fall first need to wonder why that object was there and how they didn't see it.

Victims often prepare their legal case based on if the object they tripped over should or shouldn't have been there. Apart from that, they need to consider how easy it was to notice the object was there or if there was any sign of it.


Trip and fall injuries are dangerous because they make the victim fall forward with all the speed they had when they were walking or running. That speed could make the fall worse and cause neck injuries.

Getting hit too hard in the head or a sudden neck movement could instantly kill the victim, so no one should take these cases lightly.


What's the Difference Between Slip and Fall and Trip and Fall?


The main difference between slip and fall and trip and fall is the reason why the victim fell in the first place. In the former, the victim slips due to the water on the floor or any other thing that could have made the floor slippery.


They often fall backward and fall in the same place where they slipped.


As for the latter, victims trip over an object in their way, which almost always makes them fall forward. Where the victim falls depends on how fast they were going when they tripped.


The thing about tripping and falling is that the victim is more prone to get head injuries. When someone hits their head too hard, they could develop dangerous brain injuries. Those injuries lead to permanent and semi-permanent damage.


The victim must tell their personal injury attorney the details of the accident and the exact reason they fell. That information will determine how they prepare the case and the evidence they look for to win the case.


Most slip-and-fall accidents happen due to the poor or unsafe conditions of a place. Trips and falls, though, are more prone to occur just because of the negligence of the person who put that object there or didn't warn others it was there.


Trip and Fall Injuries Victims Should Watch Out for


Trip and fall injuries are as dangerous as the injuries other personal injury cases cause the victim. People often underestimate how dangerous these accidents have, but that's the worst mistake they can make.


Victims of a trip and fall accident should always schedule a doctor's appointment to make sure there's not any major health problem they need to take care of due to the accident.


These are the injuries people get when trip and fall accidents happen:

  • Traumatic brain injuries

  • Spinal cord injuries

  • Knee injuries

  • Bone fractures

  • Soft tissue injuries

  • Sprains and strains

  • Back injuries

The more severe the injuries in a case are, the more money the victim needs to cover the medical treatment. That makes the claims with severe injuries way more expensive than others.


Who Is Liable in a Trip and Fall Accident?


When a person falls due to the negligence of another party, they often fall on the premises of that party. In most cases, the liable party for the accident is the owner of the place where it happened, even if the owner wasn't there when it happened.


The reason for that is they had the duty the ensure the safety of the people that got onto their property or at least warn them of the danger of going there.


Something similar happens when a random object causes other people to trip. Property owners should have told others that the object was there.


What If the Accident Happened in a Public Place?


Unlike what most people think, if someone falls in a public place and gets a brain injury or any other kind of physical damage, they can still file a claim to get compensation for all the injuries caused by the accident.


Who will the victim sue? The state's government.


The government has to make sure the streets and public places are safe enough for everyone. If the victim falling backward or forward does it because of their own carelessness, they can't do anything.

However, if they do it because of a random object in the place or its unsafe conditions, they can hire slip and fall attorneys to take the case.


Can Victims of a Trip and Fall Get Compensation?


As it happens with every other personal injury case, victims of a trip and fall accident can file a trip and fall injury attorney to sue the liable party for what happened and get financial compensation.


The process to get that compensation can be a bit challenging for someone who has never been in a legal trial before. However, scheduling a free consultation with a decent lawyer should make everything easier.


In a nutshell, victims need to first get the other party's personal information, call an attorney, schedule a consultation, collect evidence, and let their lawyers handle all the paperwork to file the lawsuit.


What Do Victims Get Compensated for?


After a personal injury accident happens, victims can get compensation for economic and non-economic damages.


The former includes any lost properties during the accident and the money the victim needs to cover their medical treatment. Lost wages also fit in here.


Non-economic damages are everything people can't calculate directly, such as pain, distress, and emotional trauma.


The money the victim receives is the total amount of money for the economic damages they lost and a calculation of the worth of the non-economic one.


Is Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys a Good Option for Trip and Fall Cases?

Is Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys a Good Option for Trip and Fall Cases?


Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys is one of the best options - if not the best - people can go for to get compensation in Nashville, TN. The reason for that is its lawyers know all the secrets insurance companies and liable parties have to avoid paying victims the money they deserve.


Why do they know that? Because they used to work for that people.


Now, they switched sides and are ready to share all those secrets with their clients to get to the best strategy to win the case.


Hiring this law firm is as easy as calling it and scheduling a free consultation.

The lawyer in the victim's case will go to war for their client and do everything they can to get them the compensation they deserve to cover their medical expenses.


Final Thoughts - Schedule a Free Consultation with Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys Now


Whether it's a trip and fall or a slip and fall accident, victims need all the support they can get throughout the case.


Legal processes are often stressful for non-lawyers involved, and Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys can make the process way easier for its clients. They can also advise on questions like, "What is the average payout for a trip and fall?"


However, if the victim has any questions about what classification their case falls under, they can ask their lawyers, and they will answer them with no problem.


Clients shouldn't hesitate to schedule a free case evaluation with this law firm now to get the best results they can.

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