Slip and fall injuries are a common occurrence in Oklahoma City. Sometimes they are a freak accident, and nobody is to blame. On other occasions, however, your fall could be the fault of a third-party. And if it is, you may be owed compensation.

Hasbrook & Hasbrook are slip and fall injury lawyers who work with you to determine whether you have a viable slip and fall case. We evaluate the facts surrounding your accident and then tell you if we believe you could be owed compensation. With our legal support, you may be able to win large cash payouts.

The Leading Causes Of Slip And Fall Accidents In Oklahoma City

Rarely do slip and fall accidents happen in Oklahoma City isolation. Often there is a contributory factor. These include:

Broken stairs
Wet and slippery floors
Potholes
Torn carpets
Dim lighting
Ice or snow on the ground
Dark stairwells
Improper or inadequate draining
Spilled produce
Lack of handrails
Uneven or cracked sidewalk

What Damages Can You Claim In A Slip And Fall Accident?

The costs from a slip and fall can be considerable. You may face tangible costs such as medical expenses and lost wages as well as intangible costs, such as physical and mental suffering resulting from the accident.

At Hasbrook & Hasbrook, we help you obtain financial remuneration that provides sufficient restitution to cover all these costs, both economic and non-economic.

If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall, you need to act sooner rather than later. Oklahoma injury law has a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that you must initiate your case within 24 months of your fall.

What Are The Elements Of A Successful Slip And Fall Case?

If you want to launch a successful trip-and-fall case, you need to demonstrate to the court (with our assistance) that your slip and fall resulted from a third party’s negligent actions. (The third-party can be a business, a homeowner, or a public agency). The law requires you to show that the defendant owed you a duty of care, they breached that duty of care, and in so doing, caused your injuries.

Oklahoma’s rules of “contributory negligence” allow the courts to assign blame for injuries to both you and the defendant. According to the statute, “the amount of the recovery shall be diminished in proportion to such person’s contributory negligence.” Furthermore, if the court determines that your negligence accounted for 50 percent or more of the injuries, you can’t recover any damages.

Hasbrook & Hasbrook has extensive experience dealing with cases involving contributory negligence. We create a lawsuit on your behalf that argues for the third-party’s negligence, helping you to retrieve as much compensation as possible.

Oklahoma City Slip And Fall Statistics

The Oklahoma State Department of Health records the number of accidental deaths resulting from falls.

Falls were responsible for more than 731 deaths across the whole of Oklahoma. When we break down the data by metropolitan county, we find the following death tallies for 2018:

Canadian: 31 deaths
Cleveland: 38 deaths
Grady: 19 deaths
Kingfisher: less than 5 deaths
Lincoln: 7 deaths
Logan: 9 deaths
McClain: 13 deaths
Oklahoma: 202 deaths
Payne: 10 deaths
Pottawatomie: 16 deaths

Summing across all counties, we find the total number of deaths from accidental falls in the Oklahoma City metro area was 350 in 2018.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health also records the total incident rate of non-fatal illnesses and injuries, including slips, trips, and falls. In all industries, including state and local government, the overall recorded case rate was 3.8 per 100 full-time workers per year. In goods-producing sectors, the figure was 4.2, and in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, it was 5.1.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data on the number of non-fatal and fatal workplace falls, slips, and trips across all of Oklahoma. Data suggest that of the 91 fatal injuries recorded in Oklahoma in 2018, 11 were the result of slips, trips, and falls. Three of these people were between the ages of 25 and 34, and six were over the age of 55.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also collects nationwide slip, trip, and fall data. These reveal that there were 240,160 workplace-related slips, trips, and falls in 2018. 79,140 of these events resulted in sprains, strains, and tears of ligaments, tendons, and muscle fibers. 42,800 led to bone fractures, and 5,940 led to cuts, lacerations, and punctures. A further 28,570 injuries caused bruise contusions, and 12,710 caused multiple traumatic injuries to a variety of areas of the body. Around 19 percent of recorded injuries – 51,230 – led to general soreness and pain.

Hasbrook & Hasbrook points out that it is possible to slip and trip without a fall and still cause injury. The BLS data provides evidence that this is the case. There were a total of 35,330 slips and trips without a fall reported in 2018. Of those, 25,470 resulted in sprains, strains, and tears, and 1,870 caused fractures. A further 50 let to cuts, lacerations, or punctures of the skin.

Of all slip, trips, and falls recorded in the workplace, 147,390 were “falls on the same level.” 38,230 led to sprains, strains, or tears, and a further 26,300 led to bone fractures.

In addition, there were 52,510 “falls to a lower level” across the US in 2018. Of these, 13,160 led to sprains, strains, and tears, and a further 10,510 led to soreness and pain.

Get Help From An Oklahoma City Slip And Fall Attorney

If you’ve experienced a slip, trip, or fall, you may be owed compensation. Here at Hasbrook & Hasbrook, we can evaluate your case and let you know whether you recover any damages.

Get in touch with our team today to find out whether you can make a claim.