Table of Contents

• Our Record Speaks for Itself
• Who Is Most Likely to Have a Slip and Fall Accident?
• What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents?
• What Is a Slip and Fall Case?
• Cape Girardeau Slip and Fall FAQs
• Contact Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz’s Cape Girardeau Slip and Fall Attorneys Today

Our Record Speaks for Itself

Here are some examples of our successes, including slip and fall accident claims, throughout the years:

• $17 million verdict in a personal injury case
• $2.5 million settlement for wrongful death case
• $3.55 million settlement in an industrial brain injury case
• $1.25 million settlement of automobile injury case

Of course, we cannot guarantee that these results will apply to your case, but they show our commitment to fighting for the most possible compensation in every case we take.

Who Is Most Likely to Have a Slip and Fall Accident?

Some people are more likely to suffer slip and fall injuries. These include people over age 65 who are especially prone to hip fractures in falls. However, people of any age can slip and fall when they least expect it.

Slip and fall accidents usually happen in the following types of areas:

• Grocery stores like Schnucks or Food Giant
• Big box stores like Costco or Walmart
• Popular restaurants like Lambert’s
• A.C. Brace Arena, the Show Me Center, or Flickerwood Arena
• Hotels and motels
• Apartment and condo complexes

What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents?

Various factors cause slip and fall accidents, but overall, a slip and fall accident typically happens when a property owner fails to keep their property well-maintained.

Common causes of slip and fall injuries include:

• Broken stairs or guardrails
• Slippery wet floors
• Trash or other debris left in the entranceway or on the floor
• Broken tiles
• Bad lighting
• Cracks on the sidewalk
• Failure to place a caution sign (like a wet floor sign)

Many different property owners can cause slip and fall injuries. All property owners have a legal obligation to maintain a safe property. Whether you suffered an injury at a neighbor’s house or a big department store, you deserve to collect compensation for your injuries. You need an experienced and qualified attorney working for you.

Slip and fall cases can be overwhelming and confusing. Accident victims may not know who to hold responsible for their harm and who should pay for their injuries. Because of the difficulty that you will face, you must have the right attorney on your side.

The attorneys at Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz have the experience, knowledge, and skill that you need to maximize your compensation. If you have suffered an injury in a slip and fall accident, call the attorneys at Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz for your free consultation.

What Is a Slip and Fall Case?

Slip and fall cases occur when the defendant’s negligence hurts an accident victim. They happen on a negligently maintained property. Slip and fall injuries are common.

If you suffered an injury in a slip and fall injury, call the attorneys at Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz. Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined trial experience. We have successfully litigated hundreds of slip and fall cases over our years of service.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Slip and Fall Case?

Yes, it is wise to hire an experienced injury attorney to assist you in any injury case. At Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz, we have the skill, knowledge, and experience to help you get the most out of your case.

Examples of what an injury attorney can do for you include:

• Injury attorneys help accident victims negotiate settlements. Experienced injury attorneys know how to negotiate with insurance companies. A good law firm representing your interests will know what questions to ask the insurance companies to get the best settlement outcome. Having an attorney on your side takes the guesswork out of settlement negotiations.
• An injury attorney will help you defend your rights at trial. You do not want to face a big insurance company on your own.
• Injury attorneys have the training to know the procedural rules of the county where you filed your case, along with your state’s laws. The body of law that governs slip and fall law is dense and can be hard to understand for people who don’t have training on the subject. At Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz, our attorneys have a combined 100 years of experience in this area of the law. We provide high-quality representation for our clients who have been in slip and fall accidents.

What Are Common Injuries That Happen in Slip and Fall Cases?

Every injury claim is different. There is no way to truly predict your slip and fall injuries. At Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz, we know that your injuries can vary from temporary and mild to permanent and potentially life-threatening.

You deserve to receive compensation for any injury that you sustain. Call our office or visit us online to schedule a free consultation if you have suffered an injury in a slip and fall injury.

Examples of injuries that may result from a slip and fall accident include:

• Bruises
• Cuts or lacerations
• Scrapes
• Sprains
• Broken bones
• Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Other head injuries
• Amputation
• Paralysis
• Death

Some injuries require long-term or short-term care. An accident lawyer can help an accident victim get the help they need to pay for treatment, physical therapy, lost wages, and other damages that an accident victim may suffer.

Accident victims can face an uphill battle when fighting for the compensation they need to provide for themselves and their families. An accident lawyer can help individuals get the money they need. Accident lawyers know how to negotiate a proper settlement for serious injuries and long-term care.

What Do Big Insurance Companies Do To Avoid Paying Injury Claims?

It is the goal of the insurance companies to protect their bottom line and save the company money. To save the company money, insurance adjusters work to reduce the number of claims that they must pay out to injury victims. Accident victims who work on their cases without an attorney are much more vulnerable to the insurance company’s tricks.

Get an experienced advocate on your side to ensure that big insurance companies do not take advantage of you.

Some tricks of big insurance companies include:

• Drawing out the process. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to extend the claims process. The insurance company is likely trying to exhaust the claimant to get the claimant to drop their claim. Insurance companies are unlikely to attempt this tactic if counsel represents the accident victim.
• Insurance companies may hire a private investigator to monitor your movements during the investigation. If you are not familiar with the process of an insurance investigation, you may not know to anticipate a private investigator following you.
• An insurance company may offer you a false sense of security, but the opposing insurance company is not on your side. The insurance company’s goal is to ensure that the company’s bottom line is protected. One way that the insurance company protects the company’s interest is to lowball accident victims. An opposing insurance company adjuster may offer an accident victim a small settlement and imply that it is the best result that the victim can ask for, but the injury victim may be settling for a substantially smaller amount that is necessary for fully recovering from their injuries. An experienced injury lawyer will protect an accident victim from a lowball offer.

Cape Girardeau Slip and Fall FAQs

Do I Have a Wrongful Death Case?

While it is uncommon for a simple slip and fall accident to result in death, it is still possible for wrongful death to occur. If a wrongful death has happened, a surviving family member will need to have an experienced attorney on their side to receive the compensation they need and deserve. At Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz, our attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience in helping clients who have lost loved ones as a result of wrongful death.

Wrongful death damages can include:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Pre-death medical expenses
• Survivor’s emotional distress
• Financial loss
• Loss of services and support
• Loss of relationship and companionship

An experienced wrongful death lawyer can help with a wrongful death case. The laws surrounding a wrongful death claim are complex. Winning a wrongful death case requires someone with legal experience to represent a client who is pursuing a wrongful death case.

Can I Afford to Hire a Slip and Fall Lawyer?

Many people are afraid to pursue a lawsuit because they worry they cannot afford the legal costs. Most accident victims do not know that there are different fee structures that attorneys are willing to use with their clients so that their clients can pursue a legal claim after a slip and fall accident. The most common fee structure in injury cases is the contingency fee.

What Is a Contingency Fee?

A contingency fee is a payment structure that many injury attorneys and accident victims enter before the lawyer begins any legal work. In a contingency fee arrangement, the client does not pay the lawyer upfront. The lawyer and client agree that the lawyer will only collect payment if there is a settlement or jury verdict at the end of the case.

How Much Will I Pay My Attorney if I Win My Case?

The agreement you and your lawyer make before any legal work begins will determine the amount you will pay your attorney. Typically, you will have this discussion at the initial consultation. The amount of money that your attorney will earn is usually in line with what other law firms charge in your area.

Talk to your lawyer about what you will pay after your injury case. Attorneys customarily charge clients a percentage of around one-third of the total compensation, though this can vary. Your lawyer should explain the numbers before you sign the representation agreement.

What Are Litigation Costs?

In addition to deciding the payment structure, you and your attorney will also decide when you will pay litigation fees. Litigation costs are the expenses associated with a case.

Examples of litigation costs include:

• Filing Fees
• Deposition transcript fees
• Mediation fees
• Costs of expert witnesses
• Travel expenses
• Costs of preparing exhibits
• Printing, postage, and mailing

Contact Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz’s Cape Girardeau Slip and Fall Attorneys Today

At Cook, Barkett, Ponder, & Wolz, we have the trial experience to protect your rights against big insurance companies. Our accident lawyers have helped our clients recoup millions of dollars for our clients. We have 100 years of combined trial experience and have spent our years of service helping those who have chosen to allow us to help them.

Call us at (573) 335-6651 or contact us online today if you have suffered an injury in a Cape Girardeau slip and fall accident or anywhere else in Southeast Missouri. We look forward to assisting you.

Testimonial:

I had never worked with lawyers, and at first I was scared, not knowing what to expect. When I first met with Cook, Barkett, Ponder & Wolz, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. I’m a shy person, and they gave me confidence to speak out. The experience was very good. If you are in a similar situation, I highly recommend them. They’ll take care of everything. – Laura A.