If you’ve recently been injured in a slip and fall accident due to dangerous property conditions, you may wonder who can face liability for the damages you’ve sustained. Please continue reading as we explore who can be held responsible for medical bills after a slip and fall injury in New York and how a determined New York City Slip and Fall Lawyer can assist you during these difficult times.
Who is Responsible for Paying My Medical Bills Following a Slip and Fall Accident?
In New York, property owners have a legal duty to maintain a safe environment for visitors. This is known as premises liability. If a property owner fails to ensure a reasonably safe environment for those who are on their property, they can be held responsible for any damages that occur as a result of their negligence.
Generally, your health insurance will cover the cost of your medical care. However, if your injuries exceeded your coverage as provided in your policy, you might seek compensation through a personal injury claim. When pursuing a claim, you must prove the following elements:
- The property owner owed you a duty of care
- The property owner breached that duty by creating a hazardous condition
- Their breach directly caused your fall and injuries
- You sustained damages as a result of the accident
Essentially, you must prove that the property owner failed to take reasonable steps to address a dangerous condition on their property and that the hazardous condition caused your fall and subsequent injuries. If successful, you can recover compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.
Nevertheless, property owners don’t owe a duty of care to trespassers. If you trespass on another person’s property and that is the cause of your injuries, you will not have a valid claim to seek compensation for the damages you’ve endured.
Can I Recover Additional Costs?
Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be entitled to receive compensation for past and future medical expenses. If you’ve sustained serious injuries, you may be facing long-term rehabilitation costs, lost income, or decreased earning capacity. As such, you can claim these additional losses in a personal lawsuit. As mentioned above, you can typically receive both economic and non-economic damages in a personal injury claim, meaning you can be compensated for both tangible and intangible losses arising from your injury.
Economic damages reflect quantifiable losses like medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and any other out-of-pocket expenses. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, reflect more subjective losses like pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. A skilled lawyer can help assess all possible damages to ensure you receive the full and fair compensation to which you are entitled.
At The Bàez Legal Group, we are prepared to help you fight for the compensation you deserve and need to get your life back on track. Connect with our firm today to discuss your case.
