What a slip and fall settlement can look like
Bills piling up and no idea what your fall is worth? A free case review comes with no fee unless you win.
Round the clock, we weigh your fall free, and a slip and fall lawyer fights today.
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Your medical bills come first
You fell on someone else's property, and now the bills are coming in. A slip and fall settlement starts with your medical bills and grows from there. Lost pay, pain and proof of fault add the rest.
Settlements are private, so no one publishes an average. In a 2005 federal study of trials, premises liability plaintiffs won 38.4 percent of the time. When they won, the median award was $98,000.
What raises the number
Surgery, a hospital stay and months of treatment all raise the value. A hip fracture with surgery can pass that $98,000 median. A sprain that healed in three weeks settles for a small part of it.
Proof the owner knew helps too, like a written complaint about the same step or video of staff passing a spill. Lost pay counts dollar for dollar, so keep every pay stub. The CDC reports falls cause 83 percent of hip fracture deaths in older adults, and juries know it.
What lowers the number
Your own share of the blame comes off the top. In most states, 20 percent fault cuts the award by 20 percent. In Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, any fault at all can block the claim.
Gaps in treatment cost money. If you wait three weeks to see a doctor, the insurer will say the fall did not cause it. A low policy limit can cap what you collect, whatever the injury is worth.
Linda's broken wrist claim
Linda, 71, broke her wrist on a wet store floor in Ohio. Her bills came to $8,000, and she lost $2,000 in pay. Her claim builds from those two numbers, a multiple for pain and Ohio's fault rule.
Slip and fall settlement calculator
The settlement calculator starts with Linda's numbers and 10 percent fault, and you can change any field to see your range.
Questions people ask after a fall
What is the average payout for a slip and fall?
No official average exists, because settlements are private. In 2005 federal trials, winning premises liability plaintiffs got a median award of $98,000. Smaller injuries settle for much less.
How is pain and suffering calculated in a slip and fall?
No proven universal multiplier exists. The calculator uses labeled assumptions from 1.5 to 5 to show how the math changes. These are not an insurer rule or a prediction.
How long does a slip and fall settlement take?
A clear claim with a healed injury can settle in a few months. A disputed claim or one headed to trial can take one to two years. Most lawyers wait until treatment ends so the full bill is known.
Should I accept the first settlement offer?
A first offer is the insurer's low number. Call us for a free case review before you sign anything. A signed release ends the claim for good.
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What to do now
You want a settlement that pays your bills, lost pay and pain. No official average exists, though a 2005 federal study found a $98,000 median trial award. Call now and get a lawyer pushing back before you accept any offer.
The review is free. A slip and fall lawyer in your state takes the case on contingency: no fee unless you win.