It may not have been an incident of medical malpractice that caused your injuries and damages. Rather, it may have been due to the unsafe conditions present at the hospital you were staying at. Even still, you must strongly consider pursuing legal action against the negligent party. Read on to discover when you should sue for a hospital accident and how one of the seasoned Panama City slip & fall accident attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA can help you attain justice.
Under what circumstances can I sue after a slip and fall in a hospital?
Just like any other establishment, a hospital may be littered with potential safety hazards if its owner does not upkeep the premises. For example, there may be large cracks in the hospital’s sidewalk or potholes in its parking lot; inadequate security systems or staff at its entranceways; insufficient lighting in its hallways; loose handrails or steps in its stairwells; malfunctioning elevators and automatic doors; and more.
Regardless of how you might have slipped and fallen at a hospital, you might want to consider filing a lawsuit against the negligent hospital owner or one of their employees. But before you proceed any further, you must ensure that the following circumstances apply to your case:
- You must ensure that you were a registered patient or welcomed visitor at the hospital.
- You must ensure that a hospital owner knew, or should have reasonably known, about the potential safety hazard on their premises.
- You must ensure that a hospital owner had a reasonable amount of time to rectify the potential safety hazard.
- You must ensure that there was no way that you could have reasonably avoided the potential safety hazard.
- You must ensure that your incurred injuries and damages are a direct result of encountering the hazard.
What damages can I recover after my hospital accident?
As the plaintiff, you must account for and cite all the damages that your slip and fall accident at a hospital has caused you to incur. This may just be your only chance to recover these damages, as you cannot go back and cite additional damages later on. Below are examples of damages that may apply to your case:
- Your additional medical bills after having to extend your stay at the hospital.
- Your additional lost wages after having to extend your stay at the hospital.
- Your diminished earning capacity after being unable to return to your field of work due to your incurred injuries.
- Your physical pain and suffering due to your incurred injuries.
- Your diminished quality of life due to your incurred injuries.
For your slip and fall accident claim, please consider contacting one of the competent Panama City personal injury attorneys. Our team at Manuel & Thompson, PA is ready and willing to assist you.
