Especially in the winter, it’s very common to have a slip and fall accident. If you hit a patch of ice or some water on a slick surface, you can find yourself on the ground before you know what happened.

If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, the first thing you should do is to get medical attention. Treat your injuries first, and then you can decide whether or not your slip and fall accident deserves attention as a possible lawsuit focus. If it does, you should contact a Brooklyn, Queens or New York injury attorney who specializes in personal injury, including slip and fall accidents.

When does a slip and fall accident become worthy of a lawsuit?

It’s very important that you don’t simply go running to the first personal injury lawyer you find if you’ve had a slip and fall accident. The requirements for a slip and fall accident to be lawsuit-worthy are quite stringent. Because slip and fall accidents are often staged or are made out to be worse than they are simply because it’s seen as an “easy” way to make money, professionals like personal injury lawyers are very cautious before they take on these cases. Because of that, before you contact an injury lawyer, ask yourself these questions:

Is the injury very serious, such that I truly can’t work and earn a living, or is it negatively impacted in some way?

If the injury is minor such that you may be off your feet a day or two but not for a long period of time, it’s probably not worthy of a lawsuit. If, however, you are laid up for a significant period of time or will even have to switch careers because of the injury, it may be worthy of a lawsuit. If so, contact a personal injury attorney in Suffolk to talk about your case.

Does this injury seriously disable me, either temporarily or permanently?

If you’re seriously disabled either temporarily or permanently so that you can’t work, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit.

Did I need medical attention immediately?

If you simply went home and iced your ankle, took some ibuprofen, and were fine in a day or two, the injury is probably not worthy of a lawsuit. If, however, you required medical attention immediately because of the pain, it may be worthy of a lawsuit.

Is this a simple strain or sprain, or am I going to need significant treatment/rehabilitation order to be able to get back to “normal”?

If you broke your ankle or leg and it’s going to require significant treatment and rehabilitation to get back to normal, or if you’re permanently disabled such that you can’t go back to your normal life as usual, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you think you are, contact a personal injury attorney in Queens or Brooklyn, and have your case reviewed. If it’s found to have merit, your attorney will work for you to get case fairly settled or will go to court to fight for a jury award, at no cost you up front.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a slip and fall accident, the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe handles slip and fall accident claims throughout Nassau, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Suffolk.  We have collected millions for our clients and we can do the same for you.  We invite you to contact us  at (516) 358-6900 so that we can evaluate your car accident claim and provide an estimate of the value of your claim.