08 Oct Hawaii Slip and Fall Case Pays over $5 Million

A recent slip and fall injury case in Hawaii has paid the largest ever jury verdict in history for that state. The woman who was injured in a slip and fall accident in a fast food restaurant ended up receiving $5.67 million. She suffered a disabling spinal injury after she fell, and such injuries are all too common in these cases.

Why Are they Dangerous?

You've probably heard that people can die falling from their own height. This, even though it sounds like something of an urban legend, is precisely true. If you fall on a hard surface and strike your head or other vital areas of your body, you can easily be seriously injured or die. Slip and fall accidents can be extremely dangerous in certain establishments.

Restaurants and grocery stores tend to have very hard tile floors. This is actually a good thing, as it makes it possible to keep the floors very clean, which is necessary for health. The problem is that these floors have no real traction of their own. When water or other foreign substances are on top of the flooring, it can become dangerously slippery. If somebody with unstable footing – such as somebody of an advanced age or somebody wearing shoes that are slippery – steps on this flooring at the wrong time, they can end up taking a potentially fatal tumble.

The people who run these establishments are responsible for the safety of the people who visit them. Premise liability law is very well established and, in fact, most retail establishment owners carry a form of insurance that protects them in the event that they are sued over one of these incidents. Because the medical bills that the victims suffer can be very high – or a wrongful death may even occur – the settlements and jury awards can be very large, as the Hawaii case demonstrates.

Contacting a Lawyer

There are limitations on how long you have to file a lawsuit in these cases, so it's always best to talk to an attorney as quickly as possible after the incident. You may be offered a settlement by the premises owner to get you to not file a lawsuit. You should at least have an attorney take a look at this. If it's a good settlement, they'll tell you. If it's too little and it would be better for you to go after the premises owner in court, the attorney will let you know, as well.