People often think of slipping and falling as something played for laughs in cartoons. However, the reality is anything but funny. People break bones, suffer permanent nerve damage, and get all sorts of other nasty injuries after slipping and falling. Worse still, treating those injuries can be incredibly expensive, to the point that even someone with very good health insurance might feel significant financial strain because of their injuries.
If you slipped and fell because someone else was careless, we can help you. Our lawyers have dealt with many of these cases, so we know how to build a strong case that gives you the best chance of getting justice and financial compensation for your injuries.
To get a free analysis of your claim from our slip and fall injury attorneys, call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C., at (201) 777-1111.
Who Can You Sue in New Jersey Slip and Fall Cases?
An important thing for our slip and fall injury attorneys to determine early on when building your claim is whom you will sue. Slip-and-fall cases deal with what is called “premises liability.” Essentially, property owners have a duty to ensure that their property is safe for whoever may go onto it. When property owners fail to do this, they can be held liable for any injuries that occur on their premises.
For example, suppose you are shopping in a supermarket and slip and fall on some spilled product. In that case, you would potentially be able to sue the store owner for negligently causing your injuries, especially if they did not warn you about it with something like a “Wet Floor” sign.
Property owners are not the only parties you can sue in a premises liability lawsuit. You may also be able to sue other entities like maintenance companies. For example, suppose a contractor does bad repair work on a set of stairs, and you subsequently slip, fall, and get hurt on those stairs. In that case, you might be able to sue the company that did work on the stairs.
You may even be able to sue a government entity in a slip and fall case. Usually, this comes up when a plaintiff is injured on government property like a state-owned building.
How Long Do I Have to Sue in New Jersey Slip and Fall Cases?
You cannot wait forever to sue someone for an injury in New Jersey. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. § 2A;14-2, you must file your claim within two years of getting hurt. If you fail to do so, courts cannot hear your case, and you will not be able to receive any damages.
Laws that set a timetable for how long you have to sue are called “statutes of limitations.” They may seem unfair, but they have important reasons for being in place. First, they ensure that cases are brought when all the facts are still fresh in the minds of everyone involved. Second, they allow people, after a time, to move on with their lives without the specter of a lawsuit hanging over their heads.
Two years may seem like a long time, but when you consider how long it takes to gather evidence and build a case before filing it, this is really no time at all. Accordingly, it is always a good idea to get in touch with our lawyers sooner rather than later.
What Compensation Can I Get in New Jersey Slip and Fall Lawsuits?
If you are successful in your claim, you will be awarded damages for your injuries. “Damages” are how the legal system attempts to get the plaintiff back to the financial and physical state they were in before an accident. Of course, the nature of a plaintiff’s injuries often makes this impossible, so financial compensation is used as a proxy for many injuries.
Damages can be broken down into economic damages and non-economic damages. Some cases also involve punitive damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are based on things that have actual monetary value. For example, your medical expenses will fall under this category.
Another thing that falls under the category of economic damages is “lost wages,” which covers a few things. First, if you had to take time off work and were not getting paid because you were hurt, you can get damages based on that lost pay. Second, if you have to take a less lucrative job due to your injuries, you can get compensation based on the difference in income. Finally, if you are so injured that you can no longer work, you can get damages based on what your projected earnings for the rest of your career would have been.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages differ from economic damages in that they are based on things that are not monetary, like physical pain or emotional distress. Unlike economic damages, there is not going to be a receipt for something like “pain,” so you must argue their worth to the court.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are different from economic or non-economic damages because they are not based on the harm you suffered but on the defendant’s conduct. Courts generally only award these damages when defendants have acted especially badly.
Seeking punitive damages is not the right move in every case, so you should talk with our attorneys to see if it is right for you. Do not worry about getting “enough” compensation if you do not seek punitive damages, as plaintiffs should get all the compensation they are owed accounted for through economic and non-economic damages.
Speak to Our New Jersey Slip and Fall Attorneys Today
Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C., can be reached at (201) 777-1111 for free case reviews from our slip and fall injury attorneys.