A broken hip is a devastating injury. Getting full strength and motion back can take as long as a year. During that time, the patient may endure multiple surgeries, physical therapy, and significant mobility limitations. Elderly patients are especially prone to hip fractures. A lawsuit against the responsible party may be warranted when a slip-and-fall accident leads to a broken hip.
Slip-And-Fall Accidents in Texas
Slip-and-fall accidents fall within the scope of premises liability, a legal standard that holds property owners and other responsible parties (like tenants) responsible to varying degrees for injuries that occur on their property. The rules governing such a situation depend on the location of the injury and its specific cause.
Homeowners and residential tenants owe a duty to visitors to take reasonable steps to ensure that visitors are not injured by hazards on their properties. The reasonableness of the steps taken by a homeowner to address a hazard will vary according to the facts of the case. For example, a homeowner may or may not be required to warn visitors if a walkway is slippery during rainy weather. Businesses that are open to the public are held to a higher standard of care than homeowners are. They are required to keep their premises reasonably safe for use. Unlike a homeowner, a business needs to take affirmative steps to ensure that its facilities are free of hazards. Textbook slip-and-fall cases usually involve things like poorly maintained stairs, a failure to clean up a spill, or inadequate safety precautions around dangerous conditions like broken floor tiles.
Damages Recoverable for Broken Hips
A plaintiff who has suffered a broken hip in a slip-and-fall accident that resulted from the defendant’s negligence can often recover compensation for the damages associated with the injury. Damages include medical expenses, lost wages, transportation costs, short-and long-term modifications to a home, and physical therapy. Damages can also include compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and other personal consequences of the injury. Someone injured in a slip-and-fall accident has two years to file a lawsuit in Texas. Victims of someone’s negligence should consult an attorney right away. Quite often, there are important pieces of evidence, essential witnesses, and time-sensitive strategies that need to be addressed as soon as possible following the accident.
For several years, The Valenzuela Law Firm, PC has represented clients in personal injury cases. Our attorneys are available for consultations to discuss your injury and your options for filing a lawsuit. Through our contact page, we can be reached at any time to schedule an appointment or ask us to call you.
