Trip and Fall Accident caused by Exposed Tree Stump Lawsuit Attorney

Falls are the most common cause of injury in the United States, accounting for one third of all ER visits every year. Many of these injuries are caused by trip and fall accidents, which can happen just about anywhere. When someone has a trip and fall outdoors, the culprit may be an exposed tree stump.

A trip and fall over a large and hard object such as a tree stump can result in serious injuries. It’s important that you seek medical attention right away to prevent long-term health issues. Additionally, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer regarding your right to sue for monetary compensation. Our attorneys can address all your question and concerns, including:

• What are my rights if I got hurt from tripping over a tree stump?
• If I fell over a tree stump on public property, who do I sue?
• What can I ask for in a lawsuit for a trip and fall accident?

As an injury victim, you must take advantage of all the legal options that are available to you. If your accident was the result of a property owner’s negligence, a lawsuit can help you recover your economic and emotional damages. The lawyers of Normandie have decades of experience winning trip and fall lawsuits for injury victims. We look forward to meeting you and fighting for the settlement you deserve.

Dangers Posed by an Exposed Tree Stump

We’ve all seen a tree stump sticking out of the ground and think nothing of it. However, a tree stump that has not been removed can cause serious harm to those nearby. At our law firm, we’ve seen more than our share of victims who have tripped over exposed tree stumps and tree roots. In some cases, the client didn’t trip over the stump, but they hit the stump on the way down This is commonly seen in cases where the person trips over broken or uneven pavement, resulting from tree roots that break through the soil or concrete. If the unsuspecting victim trips over the tree root and falls down on the stump, they can sustain numerous injuries, such as cracked ribs, ankle fractures, and traumatic brain injury.

The potential for injury is even greater if there is a hole in the tree stump. Holes are not surprising in old trees, which are often ransacked by birds and wood-boring insects. These holes can affect the structural integrity of the tree and cause it to fall down. Many owners heed the signs of an unstable tree and have them removed before they can fall on to someone or their property. However, accidents can still happen if they fail to remove the stump. Just imagine, for example, a child playing in a yard and leaping on to a stump with a hole in it. But even adults can be severely injured if their foot falls into one of these holes. Hip fracture is a real possibility in such an accident, which can lead to permanent disability and even death.

Property owners have a legal duty to remove such hazards. Furthermore, they must be ordered to make restitution if someone is harmed as a result of their negligence. If you’re suffering from a trip and fall caused by an exposed tree stump, contact the lawyers of Normandie right away Compensation may be available for your medical needs and emotional trauma, but injury claims have strict deadlines. Our lawyers can take immediate action on your claim and ensure that you are fairly compensated for your losses.
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Can I Sue for my Fall Injury?

Yes, you can sue for a trip and fall accident caused by an exposed tree stump, whether you fell at a public property or private residence. Under California’s premise liability laws, commercial, public, and private property owners have a duty to ensure the safety of their guests and visitors. Essentially, owners must inspect the property on a regular basis and take care of hazards that can lead to an accident. An exposed tree stump is definitely a hazard, as people can easily trip over it or fall on to it if they trip over something else.

Once you determine that you are able to sue, you will need to figure out who is responsible for your accident. If you tripped over an exposed tree stump on a private residence, like someone’s home, you would sue the homeowner. If your accident occurred on a commercial property, like a restaurant, grocery store, or hotel, then you would sue the business owner. Or, if your accident caused by an exposed tree stump occurred at an apartment complex, you may need to sue the management or leasing company.

But what if you fell over a tree stump in a park, city parking lot, or some other public property? The city can be sued as well, but you will need to determine the governing agency responsible for the upkeep of your accident site. Then, you’ll have to follow the agency’s claims process and make sure that your claim is filed in a timely manner.

Our lawyers can help you figure out who is responsible for your accident and how to go about recovering compensation for your injuries. To learn more about your rights and legal options, please give us a call and speak to a trip and fall lawsuit attorney.

Injuries from Tripping on an Exposed Tree Stump

Trip and fall accidents often result in serious injuries, but the potential for harm is that much greater with an exposed tree stump. Here are just some of the injuries you can sustain from tripping over a tree stump:

• Broken bones in the feet and ankles
• Knee injuries (dislocated kneecap, ACL / MCL tear)
• Hip fracture
• Deep cuts / lacerations
• Hand / wrist injuries (sprain, tendonitis, strain)
• Broken fingers and toes
• Dislocated shoulder / shoulder fracture
• Broken tailbone (coccyx fracture)
• Spine injury
• Nerve damage
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Many trip and fall victims have more than one injury and require treatments like surgery and physical therapy. They may also suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and other forms of emotional trauma, and need help from a licensed therapist. Paying for your damages after a trip and fall can be very expensive, so it’s essential to take action against the individual or entity that has harmed you. In the next section, we will talk about the damages you can request in a trip and fall lawsuit.

What Can I Recover from a Lawsuit?

The specific damages you can recover will depend on the details of your accident, as well as your personal circumstances. In general, here are the types of losses that you may be eligible to receive:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages / loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Legal fees
• Punitive damages

Some damages, like pain and suffering, are not based on your financial losses. Instead, pain and suffering is meant to compensate you for the emotional distress you’ve suffered – and may continue to suffer from – as a result of your accident. As there is no universal formula for calculating non-economic damages, it’s best to work with a lawyer that’s experienced in cases involving pain and suffering.

For more information on the compensation you could receive in a trip and fall accident lawsuit, contact our office and schedule a free consultation.

What to do after Your Accident

Your actions right after a trip and fall accident is extremely important, as they will establish the grounds and evidence to support your injury claim. To protect your rights as a personal injury victim, we recommend the following steps:

• See a doctor right away.

The emergency room is recommended for serious injuries, but you can also go to your own doctor or to an urgent care center. Immediate treatment will prevent your injuries from getting worse. You will also need a medical report in order to claim damages for a trip and fall accident.

• Gather your evidence.

If you can, take photos of your injuries and the accident scene. Then, look around you and make note of any surveillance cameras that may have captured your accident. If witnesses are around, try to get statements from them, along with their contact information.

• Organize your evidence.

Gather documents like medical reports and records of missed time at work. If you have photos or video, download them on to a secure device, like a USB or your laptop, just in case they’re deleted from your phone.

• Find an experienced trip and fall injury lawyer.

Legal advice is essential for protecting your rights and making sure you are properly compensated for your accident. Give us a call as soon as possible and speak to one of our knowledgeable attorneys.

Statute of Limitations for Trip and Fall Lawsuits

Statute of limitations refers to the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. If you miss the filing deadline for your type of accident, you may lose the right to sue the responsible party for damages. Generally, victims are given 2 years from the date of their accident to sue for their monetary losses and emotional distress. But the timeline is much shorter if you’re suing a government or public entity. Here is an outline of the process involving government / public entity claims:

• File an injury claim within 6 months of your accident.
• If your claim is rejected within 45 days, you have 6 months to file a lawsuit.
• If there is no response from the agency within 45 days, you have 2 years to file a lawsuit.

There’s a lot to process when it comes to deadlines and filing procedures for trip and fall injury lawsuits. Our attorneys can take care of all the paperwork related to your claim and make sure everything is filed in a timely manner.

Free Second Opinion

There’s no way to turn back time and undo the circumstance that led to your accident. But you don’t have to feel that about your lawyer. If you have a pending lawsuit but you’re not happy with your lawyer, it’s not too late to find another attorney. Still, you should make an informed decision after weighing the pros and cons, which we can help you with during a free second opinion. During this time, we can go over any concerns you have, such as:

• I can never get in touch with my lawyer.
• I don’t feel like any work is being done on my case.
• My law firm is pressuring me to settle, but I think the offer’s too low.
• My lawyer missed a filing deadline, and now my case may be dismissed.

These are red flags that you shouldn’t ignore, so please schedule a second opinion with us right away. If you’d like to switch over to our law firm, all the work needed to transfer your case will be taken care of by us. All you have to do is make that appointment and speak to one of our attorneys.

The Personal Injury Lawyers of Normandie

A trip and fall accident from an exposed tree stump is easily preventable, but many premise owners fail to resolve the problem. Some of them will try to deny liability by saying the person shouldn’t have been near the stump or that they acted irresponsibly and caused their own injury. However, an owner is obligated to fix or remove hazardous conditions on their property. If an accident occurs because they failed to take care of the hazard, they can be sued by the injured party.

If you are in this situation and need to learn about your legal options, don’t hesitate to give us a call. The lawyers of Normandie are ready to guide you during this difficult time. We are ready to work with you, whether you’ve just been injured or you have an active lawsuit. Our Zero fee guarantee makes all our services free to you for the duration of your case. Our fees are recovered from wining your case, so if we don’t win, you owe us absolutely nothing.

To learn more about the claims process for a trip and fall injury, contact Normandie Law Firm and schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.