A slip and fall accident can change your life in an instant. One moment you are walking through a grocery store, stepping across a parking lot, or heading down a stairwell, and the next moment you are on the ground in pain, wondering what just happened and how you are going to pay for the medical care you need. These accidents happen without warning, and the injuries they cause can be far more serious than most people expect.
The National Floor Safety Institute reports that slip and fall accidents account for more than one million emergency room visits across the country every single year.[1] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries and that more than three million older adults are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries annually.[2] These numbers represent real people with real families, and many of those injuries happen because a property owner failed to maintain a safe environment.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a fall accident on someone else’s property in Fort Worth or Tarrant County, you deserve a legal team that will fight to hold the responsible parties accountable. At Jim Adler & Associates, we have spent more than 50 years standing up for injured Texans, and we are ready to put that experience to work for you.
With offices serving Fort Worth and communities throughout Texas, our team can move quickly to investigate the property conditions and start building your slip and fall case. Your first step is a FREE slip and fall case review.
Call 1-800-505-1414 now or click here to get started online.
A serious fall can leave you dealing with painful injuries, mounting treatment costs, and questions about how you are going to support your family while you recover. You may be struggling with back pain, a broken bone, or even a head injury that makes it difficult to think clearly or get through the day. On top of the physical pain, you are facing the stress of missed paychecks and the uncertainty of not knowing whether things will ever get back to normal.
These accidents happen in places where you have every right to feel safe. Grocery stores, retail shops, apartment complexes, restaurants, parking lots, and office buildings in Fort Worth all have a legal obligation to keep their property free of hazardous conditions that could hurt visitors. When a property owner or manager fails to meet that obligation, and you get hurt because of their negligence, you should not have to carry the financial burden of someone else’s carelessness. A slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth families trust can help you understand your legal options and pursue the compensation you need to move forward. Jim Adler, The Texas Hammer®, offers a free consultation so you can learn what your case may be worth before you make any decisions.*
Slip and fall accidents happen for many different reasons, but they almost always trace back to a property owner or manager who failed to keep the premises safe. Property owners have a legal duty to inspect their property regularly, fix known hazards, and warn visitors about dangerous conditions that could cause injuries. When they ignore that responsibility, innocent people pay the price. Understanding what caused your fall accident is an important first step in determining whether you have a valid premises liability claim against the person or business responsible for your injuries.
The causes described in this section represent patterns that experienced Fort Worth slip and fall lawyers see over and over again in these cases. When a property owner’s negligence leads to a serious injury, the people responsible should be held accountable for the harm they cause. Our team at Jim Adler & Associates knows how to investigate these cases, identify the unsafe conditions that led to your fall, and build a strong case on your behalf.
Wet floors are one of the most common and preventable causes of slip and fall accidents in Fort Worth. Spilled liquids in grocery store aisles, freshly mopped floors without proper warning signs, leaking refrigeration units, and rain water tracked into building entrances all create slippery surfaces that can send someone crashing to the ground without any warning. The National Floor Safety Institute reports that falls account for more than eight million hospital emergency room visits each year, representing the leading cause of emergency room visits nationwide, and slips and falls on wet surfaces make up a significant portion of those injuries.[1]
Property owners and businesses have a duty to clean up spills promptly, place visible warning signs around wet areas, and use slip-resistant flooring in areas that are prone to moisture. When a store or restaurant fails to take these basic precautions and someone gets hurt, the property owner may be held liable for the resulting injuries. A personal injury attorney can help you determine whether a lack of warning signs or delayed cleanup contributed to your accident.
Cracked sidewalks, broken pavement, and uneven walkways create tripping hazards that can cause devastating injuries, especially when the person walking has no reason to expect the ground beneath them to be damaged. These hazards are common in parking lots, shopping centers, apartment complexes, and public sidewalks throughout Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Tree roots pushing up through concrete, potholes that have gone unrepaired for months, and transitions between different flooring surfaces can all catch someone off guard and send them falling.
Property owners are responsible for inspecting their walkways regularly and repairing any uneven pavement or broken surfaces that could pose a danger to visitors. Failing to address these conditions, or failing to provide adequate warnings while repairs are pending, may constitute negligence under Texas premises liability law. If you tripped and fell on damaged or uneven pavement on someone else’s property, you may have a valid liability claim against the property owner.
Inadequate lighting in stairwells, hallways, parking garages, and outdoor walkways makes it difficult or impossible for people to see hazards in their path. A step that is easy to navigate in broad daylight becomes a serious danger when a burned-out light leaves an entire section of a parking lot or stairwell in near darkness. Poor lighting can also make it harder to judge distances and depth, increasing the risk of a misstep that leads to a serious fall.
Property owners have a responsibility to maintain adequate lighting throughout their premises, especially in areas where people walk regularly. Replacing burned-out bulbs, installing motion-activated lights in parking areas, and making sure stairwells are properly illuminated are all reasonable steps that commercial property owners should take to protect visitors. When a property owner neglects these basic safety measures and someone suffers a traumatic injury as a result, The Tough, Smart Lawyer® can help that person pursue fair compensation from the negligent property owner.
Broken stairs, loose handrails, uneven steps, and deteriorating staircases are dangerous hazards that property owners should never ignore. A missing handrail or a step that has come loose can cause someone to lose their balance and fall, often resulting in broken bones, head injuries, or spinal damage. These hazards are especially dangerous for older adults and anyone carrying packages or groceries who may already have difficulty maintaining their balance.
Landlords, business owners, and property managers have a legal duty to inspect their staircases and handrails regularly and to make timely repairs when problems arise. Building codes exist specifically to ensure that stairs and handrails meet minimum safety standards, and failing to comply with those codes can serve as strong evidence of negligence in a premises liability case. If you were hurt because of a broken staircase or a missing handrail, a slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth residents rely on can help you hold the property owner accountable.
Retail stores, grocery stores, and restaurants see constant foot traffic, and spills happen regularly throughout the day. A dropped jar of pasta sauce in a grocery aisle, a beverage spill near a checkout counter, or a puddle of water from a leaking cooler can all create a dangerously slippery surface. The real danger comes when store employees fail to notice these spills or notice them but do not clean them up quickly enough, leaving customers to walk through the hazard without any warning.
Businesses that invite the public onto their property owe those visitors the highest level of care under Texas premises liability law, which means they have a duty to actively inspect their floors, clean up spills promptly, and place visible warning signs around any area that could be dangerous. Many slip and fall cases hinge on whether the business knew or should have known about the spill and how long it was left on the floor before someone got hurt. Our Fort Worth slip and fall lawyer team at Jim Adler & Associates investigates these details thoroughly to build the strongest possible case for our clients.
Construction sites and areas undergoing renovation create a wide range of hazards that can cause slip and fall accidents, including exposed wiring, debris on walkways, temporary flooring, open trenches, and tools left in pedestrian paths. Even when construction is happening inside a business that remains open to the public, the property owner has a responsibility to protect visitors from construction-related dangers by using barriers, warning signs, and alternative walkways.
Many construction-related fall accidents happen because the property owner or contractor failed to adequately separate the work area from public walkways, or because temporary surfaces lacked proper traction. These cases can involve multiple responsible parties, including the property owner, the general contractor, and any subcontractors whose work created the hazardous conditions. Bill Adler and our legal team know how to investigate these complex cases and identify every party that should be held accountable for your injuries.
Not every slip and fall accident leads to a valid legal claim, and understanding when a property owner can be held responsible for your injuries is an important part of deciding how to move forward. Under Texas premises liability law, property owners and occupiers have a legal duty to keep their property reasonably safe for people who enter it. The level of that duty depends on why you were on the property and what the property owner knew, or should have known, about the dangerous condition that caused your fall. When a property owner fails to meet that duty and someone gets hurt, the injured person may have the right to pursue a liability claim for compensation.
The insurance company representing the property owner will almost certainly try to argue that the owner did nothing wrong, or that you were somehow responsible for your own injuries. That is why it is so important to work with an experienced slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth victims trust, someone who understands how these cases work and knows how to build the evidence needed to hold negligent property owners accountable. The Hammer has been fighting insurance companies on behalf of injured Texans for more than five decades, and we know the tactics they use to avoid paying fair compensation.
One of the most important questions in any slip and fall case is whether the property owner knew about the hazard that caused your fall. Texas premises liability law recognizes two types of knowledge that can establish a property owner’s responsibility. Actual notice means the owner or an employee was directly aware of the dangerous condition, either because someone reported it, because an employee created it, or because the owner personally observed it before your accident.
Constructive notice applies when the property owner did not have direct knowledge of the hazard but should have discovered it through reasonable inspection and maintenance of the property. If a puddle of water sat in a grocery store aisle for 45 minutes without anyone checking the floor, a court could find that the store had constructive notice because a reasonable inspection would have caught the problem. Proving constructive notice often depends on showing how long the hazard existed before your accident and whether the property owner had adequate inspection procedures in place. Our Fort Worth slip and fall lawyer team knows how to obtain store inspection logs, employee schedules, and maintenance records that can establish whether the property owner should have found and fixed the hazard before you were hurt.
The duty a property owner owes you depends on your legal status at the time of your accident, and Texas law divides visitors into three categories. Invitees are people who enter a property for the benefit of the property owner, such as customers in a store, diners in a restaurant, or tenants in an apartment complex. Property owners owe invitees the highest level of care, which includes a duty to regularly inspect the premises, fix known hazards, and warn visitors about dangerous conditions that cannot be fixed right away.
Licensees are people who enter a property with the owner’s permission but primarily for their own purposes, such as social guests or door-to-door salespeople. Property owners owe licensees a duty to warn them about known hazards that are not obvious, but they do not have the same obligation to actively inspect the property for hidden dangers. Trespassers, who enter without permission, receive the least protection, although property owners still may not injure them through willful or grossly negligent conduct. If you were hurt while shopping, dining, or visiting a business in Fort Worth, you were almost certainly an invitee, which means the property owner owed you the highest standard of care available under the law.
Commercial properties like shopping centers, restaurants, hotels, and apartment complexes see heavy foot traffic every day, and that volume creates a heightened responsibility for the businesses and landlords who operate them. These properties are required to maintain their premises in a condition that is safe for the customers, tenants, and visitors who use them. Common dangerous conditions on commercial property include wet floors without warning signs, damaged flooring or carpeting, poorly maintained parking lots with potholes or crumbling pavement, inadequate lighting in stairwells and walkways, and cluttered aisles that obstruct safe passage.
When a commercial property owner fails to address these hazards and someone suffers a serious injury as a result, the business may be held liable for the full extent of the victim’s damages. The Voice of The Victims™ has spent decades helping injured people in Fort Worth and across Texas hold commercial property owners accountable for failing to maintain safe premises. If you were hurt on commercial property because of unsafe conditions that the owner knew about or should have discovered, our team can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Winning a slip and fall case requires more than just showing that you fell and got hurt. You need evidence that connects your injuries to a specific hazardous condition on the property and that proves the property owner failed to act responsibly. Insurance companies fight these cases aggressively because the settlements and verdicts in serious fall injury cases can be substantial, and they will look for any reason to deny or minimize your claim. Building a strong case from the very beginning gives you the best chance of recovering the compensation you need.
The sections below explain the key elements your legal team will need to prove and the types of evidence that can make or break your case. A personal injury attorney experienced in premises liability cases understands what it takes to meet this burden of proof and how to collect the evidence necessary to hold the property owner responsible. At Jim Adler & Associates, we handle that investigation for you so that you can focus on healing while we build your case.
To hold a property owner legally responsible for your slip and fall accident, you generally need to prove four elements. First, you must show that the property owner owed you a duty of care, which is typically straightforward if you were a customer, tenant, or invited visitor on the property. Second, you need to demonstrate that the property owner breached that duty by failing to fix a known hazard, failing to warn you about it, or failing to inspect the property with reasonable care.
Third, you must prove that the property owner’s failure directly caused your accident, meaning your fall would not have happened if the owner had acted responsibly. Finally, you need to document the actual harm you suffered, including your treatment costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and any other losses tied to your injuries. Each of these elements requires supporting evidence, and missing even one of them can undermine your entire case. That is why working with an experienced slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth residents depend on can make such a critical difference in the outcome.
In cases where the property owner claims they did not know about the dangerous condition, you may need to prove that the hazard existed for a long enough period that a reasonable property owner would have discovered and addressed it. This is where the concept of constructive notice becomes essential. If a spill sat on a store floor for five minutes before you slipped, proving liability may be more difficult. If that same spill sat untouched for an hour with no employee checking the area, the evidence of negligence becomes much stronger.
Proving how long a hazard existed can involve reviewing the store’s cleaning and inspection schedules, checking time-stamped surveillance footage, interviewing employees about when they last walked through the area, and examining the condition of the spill itself. A Fort Worth slip and fall lawyer with experience in these cases knows how to piece together a timeline that demonstrates the property owner had ample opportunity to discover and correct the hazard before your accident. The earlier you contact an attorney, the more likely it is that this evidence will still be available.
Surveillance footage can be one of the most powerful pieces of evidence in a slip and fall case because it may show exactly what happened, how long the hazard existed, and whether employees walked past it without taking action. Many businesses in Fort Worth have security cameras that record activity throughout their stores, parking lots, and common areas, and this footage can prove or disprove key facts in your case.
The problem is that most businesses record over their surveillance footage on a short cycle, sometimes within just a few days or weeks. If no one asks the business to save the footage from the day of your accident, it could be gone before you even realize how important it was. A personal injury attorney can send a written demand to the property owner requiring them to secure all surveillance footage related to your accident, which helps prevent the footage from being erased or recorded over. Acting quickly on this step is one of the most important things you can do to protect your case.
Strong medical documentation creates a direct connection between your fall accident and the injuries you are claiming in your case. Insurance companies frequently argue that the injured person’s symptoms were caused by a pre-existing condition rather than the slip and fall, so having medical records that clearly tie your injuries to the date and circumstances of your accident is essential for overcoming that argument.
Seeking medical attention as soon as possible after your accident accomplishes two important goals. First, it protects your health by making sure serious injuries like internal bleeding, concussions, or fractures are diagnosed and treated before they get worse. Second, it creates a documented record that your injuries began at the time of the fall, which makes it much harder for the insurance company to claim your problems were caused by something else. Every medical visit, diagnostic test, and treatment plan related to your injuries becomes evidence that supports your claim for damages.
Eyewitnesses who saw your accident happen or who observed the hazardous condition before your fall can provide independent accounts that support your version of events. A witness who saw a puddle on the floor and noticed that no warning signs were posted, or who watched you fall and can describe exactly what happened, adds credibility to your case that goes beyond your own testimony.
Witness memories fade quickly, and people who happened to be nearby when your accident occurred may be difficult to locate weeks or months later. Collecting names and contact information from anyone who witnessed your fall should be a priority if you are physically able to do so at the scene. If you were unable to collect that information, an experienced slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth families count on can work to identify witnesses through surveillance footage, store records, and other investigative methods. Jim Adler, The Texas Hammer®, and our legal team know how to track down and interview witnesses who can strengthen your case.
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The injuries people suffer in slip and fall accidents are often far more serious than most people expect. A hard fall onto a concrete floor, a tile surface, or an asphalt parking lot can generate enough force to fracture bones, damage the spine, and cause lasting brain injuries that affect every part of your daily life. Many of these injuries require emergency treatment, followed by months or even years of rehabilitation, and some leave victims with permanent limitations that change how they work, how they move, and how they interact with their families.
If you are dealing with a serious injury after a fall on someone else’s property in Fort Worth, understanding the full scope of what you are facing can help you make informed decisions about your medical care and your legal options. A slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth victims rely on can help you calculate the true cost of your injuries and fight for compensation that accounts for your long-term needs, not just your immediate treatment costs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies falls as the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries in the United States.[2] When your head strikes a hard surface during a fall, the impact can cause concussions, skull fractures, bleeding inside the brain, and diffuse axonal injury, where the brain’s internal connections are torn by the sudden force. Even a concussion that seems mild at first can lead to lasting problems with memory, concentration, mood, and behavior that interfere with your ability to work and manage your daily responsibilities.
Many fall victims do not realize they have a brain injury until days or weeks after the accident, when symptoms like persistent headaches, confusion, difficulty sleeping, and personality changes begin to disrupt their lives. These injuries often require extensive neurological treatment and long-term monitoring, and some victims never fully recover the cognitive abilities they had before the fall. The financial and emotional toll of living with a traumatic brain injury extends far beyond the initial emergency room visit, which is why it is so important to have a legal team that understands how to pursue compensation that reflects the true impact of your injuries.
Your spine absorbs tremendous force when you hit the ground during a fall, and the damage can range from painful herniated discs to severe spinal cord injuries that cause partial or complete paralysis. When the spinal cord itself is damaged, victims may lose feeling and movement below the point of injury, sometimes permanently. Even injuries that do not directly affect the spinal cord can cause chronic pain that makes it difficult to sit, stand, walk, or perform basic daily activities without significant discomfort.
Spinal injuries from fall accidents frequently require surgery, physical therapy, pain management, and ongoing medical care that can stretch over years or even a lifetime. Many victims find that they can no longer work in their previous occupation or enjoy activities that once brought them happiness. The long-term treatment costs associated with spinal injuries can be enormous, and an experienced Fort Worth slip and fall lawyer can help you pursue compensation that accounts for your current and future medical needs so that you are not left paying out of pocket for care you will need for years to come.
Broken bones are among the most common injuries in slip and fall cases, and the fractures caused by a hard fall are often more severe than those seen in other types of accidents. Shattered wrists, broken arms, fractured ankles, cracked ribs, and broken hips are all injuries that our team sees regularly in fall cases throughout Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Many of these fractures require surgical repair with metal plates, screws, or rods, and the recovery process can keep you out of work for weeks or months while you heal.
Hip fractures are particularly devastating, especially for older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 83 percent of hip fracture deaths are caused by falls, and nearly 319,000 older adults are hospitalized for hip fractures each year across the country.[2] These injuries often lead to a permanent loss of mobility and independence, and the medical expenses associated with hip fracture treatment and rehabilitation can be substantial. The Tough, Smart Lawyer® fights to make sure fall victims recover compensation that reflects the full extent of their injuries and the long road to recovery ahead.
Hip fractures deserve special attention because they represent one of the most life-altering injuries a fall victim can suffer. A broken hip often requires emergency surgery, followed by an extended stay in a rehabilitation facility and months of physical therapy before the victim can walk again, if they are able to walk at all. Many hip fracture patients never return to their previous level of independence, and the risk of serious complications, including blood clots, pneumonia, and infections, remains elevated throughout the recovery process.
The financial burden of a hip fracture goes well beyond the initial surgery. Rehabilitation stays, in-home nursing care, mobility devices, home modifications to accommodate reduced mobility, and ongoing physical therapy all add up quickly. For older adults living on a fixed income, these expenses can be financially devastating. If a property owner’s negligence caused the fall that led to your hip fracture, you should not have to bear those costs alone. A personal injury attorney experienced in premises liability cases can help you pursue compensation from the responsible parties.
Not every fall results in a broken bone or a visible wound, but that does not mean the injuries are any less painful or disruptive. Soft tissue injuries, including torn ligaments, strained muscles, damaged tendons, and deep bruising, can cause severe pain that limits your ability to move, work, and care for yourself for weeks or months after the accident. Sprains and tears in the knees, ankles, shoulders, and wrists are especially common when someone tries to catch themselves during a fall.
Insurance companies often try to minimize soft tissue injuries by arguing that they are minor or that they would have healed on their own without medical treatment. The reality is that many soft tissue injuries require physical therapy, anti-inflammatory treatment, and sometimes surgery to repair, and some victims develop chronic pain conditions that persist long after the initial injury has healed. Jim Adler & Associates fights back against insurance company tactics designed to undervalue these injuries and works to make sure your settlement reflects the full impact of your soft tissue damage on your daily life.
Our Houston slip and fall lawyers help Texans get the financial compensation they deserve. We only get paid if you win.* And we fight to win.
A serious slip and fall accident can leave you facing enormous financial pressure at a time when you are least able to handle it. You may be unable to work while treatment costs continue to pile up, and the stress of not knowing how you will provide for your family can feel just as overwhelming as the physical pain. Understanding what types of compensation you may be entitled to can help you make informed decisions about your case and avoid accepting a settlement that falls far short of what you actually need to recover.
The sections below outline the main categories of damages that may be available in a Fort Worth slip and fall case. Every case is different, and the specific compensation you may be able to recover depends on the facts of your situation. A Fort Worth slip and fall lawyer at our firm can evaluate your case and help you understand what a fair recovery should look like based on your injuries, your losses, and the evidence available.
Medical expenses are often the largest category of damages in a serious fall injury case. This includes the cost of your emergency room visit, hospital stays, surgeries, diagnostic imaging, prescription medications, physical therapy, and any medical equipment you need during your recovery. If your doctors have determined that you will need ongoing treatment or future surgeries related to your injuries, you may also be entitled to compensation for those anticipated expenses so that you are not left paying for care out of your own pocket months or years from now.
Many slip and fall victims worry about how they will pay for medical care while their case is still pending. Through a Letter of Protection, doctors in our trusted network can provide treatment now and wait for payment until your case is resolved. This arrangement may help you access the care you need without facing out-of-pocket costs right away. Your focus should be on getting better, and our team works to remove the financial barriers that might otherwise prevent you from getting the treatment your injuries require.
If your injuries prevent you from working, you may be entitled to compensation for the income you have already lost and the wages you will continue to lose during your recovery. Even a few weeks away from work can create serious financial hardship for families who depend on every paycheck, and more severe injuries can keep people out of work for months or longer. Lost wage claims account for the income you would have earned if the accident had not happened, including overtime, bonuses, and other regular compensation you can document.
Calculating lost wages is usually straightforward when you have pay stubs and employment records to show what you were earning before the accident. The calculation becomes more complex when the injury prevents you from returning to work indefinitely or forces you to take a lower-paying position because of your physical limitations. An experienced slip and fall accident attorney Fort Worth workers trust can help you document your lost income thoroughly so that nothing is left off the table when it comes time to negotiate your settlement.
When a slip and fall accident causes injuries so severe that you can no longer earn what you earned before the fall, you may be entitled to compensation for your diminished earning capacity over the rest of your working life. This category of damages goes beyond the paychecks you have already missed and accounts for the long-term reduction in your ability to earn a living. A construction worker who can no longer lift heavy materials, a nurse who cannot stand for long shifts, or a warehouse employee who cannot perform physical labor may all face a dramatic and permanent drop in their earning potential.
Proving diminished earning capacity typically requires testimony from vocational experts and economists who can analyze your work history, your skills, your education, and the limitations your injuries have imposed on you. These experts calculate the difference between what you would have earned over your career without the injury and what you can reasonably expect to earn now. The Hammer fights to make sure that every aspect of your financial losses is accounted for when pursuing compensation from the responsible property owner.
Not every loss from a slip and fall shows up on a bill or a bank statement. Pain and suffering damages recognize the physical pain you have endured and will continue to experience during your recovery, as well as the emotional toll that a serious injury takes on your daily life. Chronic pain, loss of sleep, difficulty performing basic tasks, and the frustration of watching your independence slip away are all real consequences of a fall injury that deserve recognition in your case.
Calculating a fair value for pain and suffering is more complex than adding up medical bills because there is no receipt that puts a dollar amount on physical agony or emotional distress. Insurance companies often try to minimize these damages because they are harder to quantify, but a skilled personal injury attorney understands how to present this evidence in a way that demonstrates the true impact your injuries have had on your quality of life. Your pain is real, and The Texas Hammer® fights to make sure it is treated that way.
The psychological effects of a serious fall can be just as debilitating as the physical injuries. Many fall victims develop anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and a persistent fear of falling again that limits their willingness to leave home, navigate public spaces, or engage in activities they once enjoyed. The emotional distress caused by a traumatic injury can strain relationships, interfere with your ability to work, and diminish your overall quality of life for years after the accident.
Depression and anxiety are recognized injuries that deserve fair compensation, just like broken bones or brain injuries. As The Voice of The Victims™, we believe that every aspect of the harm you have suffered should be accounted for when seeking compensation from the people responsible for your injuries. If your fall has left you struggling with emotional or psychological effects, our team can help you document those harms and include them in your claim for damages.
Tragically, some slip and fall accidents result in fatal injuries, leaving families to cope with sudden and devastating loss. Under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 71, the surviving spouse, children, and parents of a person who dies because of another party’s negligence may have the right to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties.[3] These claims can seek compensation for funeral and burial expenses, the loss of the deceased person’s income and financial support, loss of companionship and guidance, and the mental anguish suffered by surviving family members.
No amount of money can replace someone you love, but holding a negligent property owner accountable can provide financial security for your family and help prevent the same kind of tragedy from happening to someone else. If you have lost a loved one in a fall accident caused by unsafe conditions on someone else’s property, our team at Jim Adler & Associates can help you understand your legal options and pursue justice on behalf of your family. We handle wrongful death cases with the care and compassion that grieving families deserve.
The moments after a slip and fall accident can be overwhelming, and it is difficult to think clearly when you are in pain, embarrassed, and trying to figure out what just happened. Taking certain steps in the hours and days following your fall can help protect both your health and your ability to seek compensation later. The following suggestions are general guidelines, and your specific situation may require different actions depending on the circumstances. Your health and safety should always come first, and anything you cannot do at the scene can often be addressed afterward with the help of a legal team.
Every fall accident is different, and you should always prioritize your health and safety above everything else. If you have questions about your specific situation or want to understand your legal options, Jim Adler, The Texas Hammer®, is here to help with a free consultation.*
Texas sets strict deadlines for filing personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, and missing these deadlines can permanently destroy your right to seek compensation. Under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Section 16.003, you generally have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit for your injuries.[4] If a loved one died as a result of a fall accident, wrongful death claims must also be filed within two years of the date of death under the same statute.[4]
Two years may sound like plenty of time, but building a strong premises liability case requires extensive investigation, and critical evidence can disappear quickly if you wait too long to take action. Surveillance footage gets recorded over, witnesses forget details or move away, and property owners may repair the hazardous conditions that caused your fall, eliminating physical evidence of what happened. There is also an important exception that applies when the property where you fell is owned by a government entity, such as a city, county, or state agency. Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, Chapter 101, you may be required to provide formal notice of your claim within a much shorter timeframe, sometimes as few as six months, before you can file a lawsuit against a governmental unit.[5] Missing this notice deadline can bar your claim entirely, regardless of how strong your evidence may be.
Because of these time-sensitive requirements, The Hammer encourages you to contact our team as soon as possible after your accident so we can begin protecting your rights and collecting the evidence you need to pursue full compensation. The earlier you reach out, the stronger your case will be.
Choosing the right legal team after a serious fall injury can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. Insurance companies have experienced adjusters and defense attorneys whose job is to pay you as little as possible, and they start working on that goal the moment they learn about your accident. You deserve a legal team that will match their resources, push back against their tactics, and fight for a result that reflects the true value of your injuries and losses. At Jim Adler & Associates, we have been doing exactly that for injured Texans for more than 50 years, and we are ready to put that experience to work for your family.
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Slip and fall cases involving serious injuries require a legal team that understands the complexities of Texas premises liability law and has the courtroom experience to take your case to trial if necessary. Insurance companies know which law firms are willing to fight and which ones will fold at the first lowball offer, and that knowledge directly affects how much they are willing to pay. Our team of more than 30 attorneys and 300 legal professionals brings decades of combined experience in personal injury litigation to every case we handle, and we prepare every case as though it is going to trial.
That level of preparation sends a clear message to insurance companies that we are not going to accept an inadequate settlement just to close a file. Our track record includes multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for injury victims across Texas, and the insurance companies we negotiate with know that we have the resources and the willingness to take their clients to court if they refuse to offer fair compensation. Bill Adler and our legal team fight for every dollar our clients deserve.
The insurance company representing the property owner is not on your side, no matter how friendly their adjuster may seem. Their goal is to settle your claim for as little as possible, and they use a playbook of tactics designed to achieve that result. They may try to get a recorded statement from you before you understand the full extent of your injuries. They may dispute your medical treatment or argue that your injuries were pre-existing. They may delay the process hoping that financial pressure will force you to accept a lowball offer just to keep your family afloat.
The Tough, Smart Lawyer® knows every one of these tactics and fights back against them aggressively on your behalf. We handle all communications with the insurance company so that you do not have to worry about saying something that could be used against you. We counter their lowball offers with thorough documentation of your injuries, your losses, and the full impact this accident has had on your life. When the insurance company knows it is dealing with a firm that will not back down, it has much more incentive to negotiate a fair settlement rather than risk a jury verdict.
You should never have to pay out of pocket to find out if you have a case or to get a legal team working for you. At Jim Adler & Associates, we handle slip and fall cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.* This arrangement allows you to get experienced legal representation without any financial risk at a time when you are already dealing with the stress of treatment costs and lost income.
Our contingency fee structure means that our interests are aligned with yours. We only get paid when you get paid, which gives us every incentive to fight for the maximum compensation available in your case. You can focus on your recovery while we handle the legal work, knowing that our team is motivated to achieve the best possible result for you and your family.
Understanding your legal options should not cost you anything. We offer a free consultation so that you can speak with a Fort Worth slip and fall lawyer on our team, ask questions about your case, and get honest answers about what to expect before you make any commitments.* During your consultation, we will review the details of your accident, explain the legal process, and help you understand what your claim may be worth based on the specific facts of your situation.
There is no obligation to hire us after your consultation, and we will never pressure you into making a decision you are not ready for. Our goal is to give you the information you need to make the best choice for yourself and your family. If you decide to move forward with our firm, we can begin working on your case right away, securing evidence and building your claim while the details are still fresh. Call The Texas Hammer® today or fill out the form on this page to get started.
After a serious fall on someone else’s property, you probably have questions about what comes next and how to protect your family’s future. The answers below address some of the concerns we hear most often from people in your situation. If you have questions that are not covered here, our team is always available to speak with you directly.
There is no single average that applies to every slip and fall case because the value of each claim depends on the specific facts involved. The severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, the amount of income you have lost, the strength of the evidence proving the property owner’s negligence, and the impact of the accident on your daily life all factor into what your case may be worth. A fall that causes a mild ankle sprain will result in a very different settlement than a fall that causes a traumatic brain injury or a shattered hip.
What we can tell you is that serious fall injuries involving broken bones, spinal damage, or head trauma often result in significant compensation because the treatment costs and long-term consequences are substantial. Our team evaluates every case individually and fights to pursue the maximum compensation available based on your injuries and losses. We do not accept lowball offers just to close cases quickly.*
Proving negligence in a premises liability case generally requires establishing four elements. You must show that the property owner owed you a duty of care, that the owner breached that duty by failing to fix or warn about a hazardous condition, that the breach directly caused your fall, and that you suffered real damages as a result. Evidence such as surveillance footage, incident reports, maintenance logs, photographs of the hazard, medical records, and witness statements all play a role in building a strong case.
One of the most critical factors is demonstrating that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition before your accident. This concept of actual or constructive notice, which we discussed earlier in this article, often determines whether a case succeeds or fails. Our team knows how to obtain and organize this evidence to present the strongest possible claim on your behalf.[1][2]
Businesses are not automatically liable every time someone falls on their property, but they do owe customers and visitors the highest standard of care under Texas premises liability law. A business can be held responsible when it knew or should have known about a hazardous condition and failed to fix it or warn visitors about it within a reasonable amount of time. If a grocery store employee mopped the floor and failed to post a warning sign, or if a restaurant manager ignored a leaking pipe that created a puddle in a walkway for hours, the business may be liable for injuries caused by those conditions.
The property owner’s defense will often argue that the hazard was “open and obvious” and that you should have seen it and avoided it. Texas courts have recognized, however, that even obvious hazards can support a premises liability claim when there are circumstances that distracted the visitor or made the hazard unavoidable. An experienced legal team can help counter these defenses with evidence that puts the responsibility where it belongs.
Under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Section 33.001, you can still recover compensation even if you were partially responsible for your accident, as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50 percent.[6] Your total damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault. If a jury determines that you were 25 percent at fault and your total damages were $200,000, you would recover $150,000.
Insurance companies know this rule well and often try to shift as much blame as possible onto the injured person to reduce what they have to pay. They may argue that you were distracted, that you were wearing improper footwear, or that you should have noticed the hazard. The Voice of The Victims™ fights back against these blame-shifting tactics and works to make sure fault is assigned fairly based on the actual evidence.
At Jim Adler & Associates, we handle slip and fall cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.* Your initial consultation is completely free, and there is no financial risk to you for getting experienced legal representation working on your case.* This structure ensures that our team is fully invested in achieving the best possible result because we only get paid when you do.
We believe that access to quality legal representation should not depend on how much money you have in your bank account. A serious fall injury can drain your savings and disrupt your income, and the last thing you should have to worry about is whether you can afford a lawyer. Our contingency fee arrangement removes that barrier so you can focus on your recovery while we handle the legal fight.
If you were injured in a fall at your workplace, your situation may involve both a workers’ compensation claim against your employer and a separate personal injury claim against a third party. Texas does not require private employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, but many do. If your employer carries coverage, workers’ compensation may cover your medical expenses and a portion of your lost wages regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
However, if a third party other than your employer contributed to your fall, such as a property owner, a maintenance contractor, or a company that created the hazardous condition, you may have the right to file a separate lawsuit against that third party. These third-party claims can provide compensation for damages that workers’ compensation does not cover, including pain and suffering and the full value of your lost income. Our team can help you determine whether a third-party claim may be available in addition to any workers’ compensation benefits you are receiving.
After a serious slip and fall accident in Fort Worth, you need a legal team that knows how to take on property owners, insurance companies, and their defense attorneys. Jim Adler & Associates steps in to secure evidence, handle insurance communications, and build your case while you focus on recovery. We fight negligent property owners with thorough preparation and aggressive representation, not empty promises. Our team is available to speak with you in both English and Spanish.
We offer a free case review so you can understand your options before you commit.* You pay no fee unless we win your case.* Slip and fall cases move fast, and early action protects your rights and helps secure critical evidence before it disappears. The Texas Hammer® is here for injured Texans and their families. If a property owner’s negligence turned your life upside down in Fort Worth or anywhere in Tarrant County, let our team carry the legal burden so you can focus on healing.
[1] National Floor Safety Institute, “Slip and Fall Quick Facts,” National Floor Safety Institute. https://nfsi.org/
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Facts About Falls,” National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
[3] Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 71, “Wrongful Death.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.71.htm
[4] Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 16, Section 16.003, “Two-Year Limitations Period.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm
[5] Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 101, “Texas Tort Claims Act.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.101.htm
[6] Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 33, Section 33.001, “Proportionate Responsibility.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.33.htm
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