Can Your Falls Church Personal Injury Lawyer Demand Punitive Damages in a Slip-and-Fall Case?

If you slip and fall in the local supermarket, you’re going to be in pain. You’ll probably also be pretty angry. After all, how hard is it to make sure your floors are clean and dry for your customers? On top of compensation for your injuries, you may also want to send a message. You tell your Falls Church personal injury lawyer that you want the defendant to pay. You may want the grocery store owners to really feel a hit to their pockets. That could be the only way for them to prevent this sort of thing in the future.

As angry as you may be, that doesn’t mean you’re going to receive punitive damages. These are reserved for the rare instance when a defendant acted grossly negligent. The court uses punitive damages to send a message to the defendant. They also use it to punish them for what is seen as egregious behavior. While your Falls Church personal injury lawyer will hear you out, that doesn’t mean they can guarantee anything. The only way to know for sure is to call and talk to an experienced Falls Church personal injury lawyer right away.

What Are Punitive Damages?

Punitive damages are the court’s way of sending a message to certain defendants. In cases where the defendant acted egregiously or was grossly negligent, it doesn’t seem as if typical damages are enough. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for their behavior. The judge who awards punitive damages wants to accomplish two things. First, they want to make sure the defendant in your case never acts that way again. Second, they want to let everybody else know that the court isn’t going to stand for this sort of thing. 

When it comes to a slip-and-fall case, the judge isn’t going to have this kind of fire in his belly. It would have to be a very unique situation. For example, if the store manager has a pool going to see how many people fall in a given month, it could give rise to punitive damages. But these cases are few and far between. It is doubtful that you can demand these sorts of damages in your slip-and-fall lawsuit.

Your Falls Church Personal Injury Lawyer Knows It Is Rare for a Judge to Award These Damages in a Slip-and-Fall Case

It’s very rare that a civil judge will award punitive damages in this kind of case. These damages are reserved for cases where the judge wants to punish the defendant. A slip-and-fall case doesn’t really fall into that category. These cases tend to involve negligence more than anything else. A store owner doesn’t think to put out wet floor signs. Or the manager of a grocery market forgets to wipe down the produce section. These are innocent mistakes that anybody could make. Yes, the defendant will have to pay to cover your damages. But they didn’t set out to hurt you on purpose. 

Talk to an Experienced Falls Church Personal Injury Lawyer Now

If you suffer injuries in a slip-and-fall incident, you may need help. Even if your injuries aren’t all that serious, it can take time to get back on your feet. You may need to get physical therapy or see a chiropractor. Some slip-and-fall victims are out of work for a while. The good news is that, while you’re dealing with this, your personal injury lawyer in Falls Church can handle everything else. They’ll negotiate with the defendant’s insurance company and try to get your claim paid. If this isn’t possible, they’ll file a lawsuit with your county court. 

All you have to do is call and talk to a skilled Falls Church personal injury lawyer. Talk to the office and set up a date and time that works for you. They can schedule your free, initial consultation right over the phone. It won’t take up much of your time, but it can make a world of difference. The insurance company will take your attorney a lot more seriously than it would you. They won’t ignore your lawyer’s calls or emails. They also won’t try to offer your Falls Church personal injury lawyer a lowball settlement.

Call today and schedule your first consultation as soon as possible. It will cost you nothing, and you won’t have to pay a dime until your case is resolved.