We'll Take On the Insurance Companies and Hold Negligent Parties Accountable
At Henson Fuerst, our experienced attorneys know the tactics insurers use and how to fight back. We'll handle every step of the legal process for you, including gathering evidence, negotiating with adjusters, preparing legal documentation, and advocating fiercely on your behalf.
We're Here to Help You on The Road to Recovery and Justice
In more serious cases, the injuries sustained from a slip and fall can lead to temporary or even permanent disability. Tasks that once came easily, such as walking, working, lifting, or even caring for loved ones, can suddenly become painful or impossible to perform. Finding new employment might be unrealistic. In such circumstances, having a trusted legal advocate becomes not just helpful, but necessary. You deserve an attorney who understands the depth of your loss and has the experience to fight for the compensation that reflects it.
Proving Fault in a Slip and Fall Case
In any slip and fall claim, proving fault is critical and far more complex than it might seem. Property owners and insurers rarely admit liability, and they may try to blame the victim or downplay the situation altogether. Successfully proving negligence requires clear evidence, such as photos, surveillance footage, witness statements, and detailed documentation of unsafe conditions. It also requires a deep understanding of North Carolina's premises liability law and how to apply it to your unique case.
At Henson Fuerst, we know what it takes to build a strong case to get our clients the compensation they're entitled to. Our legal team investigates thoroughly, consults experts when needed, and ensures every legal angle is covered. Having a lawyer on your side from the start can strengthen your case, protect your rights, and give you the best chance at securing the full compensation you need.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Your health comes first. Even if injuries seem minor, symptoms can develop or worsen over time. A medical evaluation also serves as crucial documentation for your case.
Report the Incident
Notify the property owner, store manager, or landlord as soon as possible. Request that they create a written report and provide a copy before you leave the premises.
Document Everything
Take photos or videos of the scene, including any hazardous conditions that led to your fall. Capture images of your injuries, if visible. Gather names and contact information of any witnesses.
Avoid Giving Statements
Do not provide a recorded statement to an insurance company or accept any settlement offers without legal counsel. These can be used to minimize your claim or invalidate your experience.
Preserve Physical Evidence
Keep the clothing and shoes you were wearing at the time of the fall, as they may be used to demonstrate the condition of the premises and any factors contributing to the incident.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Time is critical. Call a trusted attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options, gather evidence, and ensure all deadlines are met, especially within North Carolina’s three-year statute of limitations.
Types of Compensation You Could Be Entitled to After a Slip and Fall
When you've been injured in a slip and fall accident, the consequences often go far beyond physical pain. The financial, emotional, and practical impacts can be overwhelming, and you may be entitled to recover damages that address all aspects of your loss. In North Carolina, compensation for a personal injury case like this is typically broken out into three categories: economic damages, non-economic damages, and, in some circumstances, punitive damages.
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of each:
Economic Damages
Medical Expenses
Slip and fall accidents frequently result in serious injuries that require immediate and ongoing medical care. Compensation may include:
- Emergency room and urgent care visits
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries and medical procedures
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation services
- Prescription medications and over-the-counter pain management
- Medical devices or equipment, such as crutches, braces, or walkers
Future Medical Costs
Some injuries require long-term care, which can extend for months or even years. You may be compensated for:
- Ongoing doctor visits and specialist care
- Future surgeries or treatments
- In-home care or nursing services
- Assistive technologies or mobility aids
Lost Wages
If your injury has caused you to miss work temporarily, you may be entitled to:
- Reimbursement for the income lost during recovery
- Compensation for sick leave or paid time off used because of the injury
Loss of Earning Capacity
If the injury has long-term effects on your ability to work, you may be compensated for:
- Reduced ability to perform your previous job
- Inability to return to work in the same field or at all
- Decreased future income potential
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Injuries often result in unexpected personal expenses. These may include:
- Transportation to and from medical appointments
- Childcare or in-home assistance during recovery
- Home or vehicle modifications, such as installing ramps, stair lifts, or walk-in tubs
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and Suffering
This includes compensation for:
- Ongoing physical discomfort
- Loss of mobility or range of motion
- Chronic pain resulting from the injury
Emotional Distress
A slip and fall injury can have lasting psychological effects, such as:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances or post-traumatic stress
- Loss of confidence or independence
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
If the injury prevents you from participating in activities you once enjoyed, such as sports, hobbies, travel, or even daily routines, you may be compensated for:
- Reduced quality of life
- Inability to pursue passions or social activities
Loss of Consortium
In some cases, family members may also be affected. This type of damage compensates for:
- Strain on a marital relationship
- Loss of companionship, affection, or sexual intimacy
Emotional burden on spouses or family caregivers
Punitive Damages (awarded in exceptional cases)
While most personal injury claims focus on restoring what was lost, punitive damages are designed to punish the at-fault party for extreme negligence or malicious conduct. These are rare and typically only awarded when:
- The property owner acted with reckless disregard for safety
- There is evidence of intentional harm or gross negligence
- The behavior involved willful ignorance of a known hazard
The goal of punitive damages is not only to hold the defendant accountable but also to deter others from acting similarly in the future.
Results
$9.5 Million
$7.5 Million
$3 Million
Don't Settle For Less Than You're Entitled
After a slip and fall, many victims are tempted to accept a quick settlement just to move on. But without understanding the full scope of damages—both economic and non-economic—you may be leaving money on the table and shortchanging your recovery. That’s why it’s critical to work with an experienced personal injury attorney in North Carolina who can help you calculate the full value of your claim and fight for every dollar you deserve.
At Henson Fuerst, we’re here to ensure your voice is heard, your losses are fully realized, and your future is protected.
Common Slip and Fall Accident Injuries
Slip and fall accidents may seem minor at first, but they can lead to serious, life-altering injuries, especially for older adults or individuals with pre-existing conditions. Even a seemingly simple fall can result in significant damage that requires months, or even years, of recovery.
Here are some of the most common injuries associated with slip and fall incidents:
Broken Bones
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Sprains and Strains
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Cuts and Abrasions
Knee and Shoulder Injuries
These injuries can affect every aspect of your life—physically, emotionally, and financially. If you’ve experienced any of these as a result of a slip and fall, the attorneys at Henson Fuerst are here to help you seek the justice and compensation you need to move forward.
Don’t Let Your Insurance Company Break Its Promises
Insurance companies are quick to advertise support, protection, and peace of mind. Still, when it comes time to file a claim after a slip and fall accident, many policyholders experience a very different reality. The unfortunate truth is that insurance adjusters are often trained to prioritize their company’s bottom line over your well-being. Their goal is to pay out as little as possible, and they frequently employ a range of tactics to achieve this.
From the moment your claim is filed, adjusters may begin subtly undermining your case. They might downplay the severity of your injuries, question your account of the incident, or challenge whether the property owner was truly at fault. These strategies are designed to cast doubt on your experience and make you feel as if your pain is exaggerated or unjustified. The goal? To pressure you into accepting a quick, lowball settlement, far less than what you truly need.
In many cases, insurance representatives will delay communication or stall the claims process altogether. You may find it challenging to reach your adjuster, get answers, or move forward. This isn’t accidental—it’s intentional. These delays are meant to wear you down, frustrate you, and lead you to accept whatever they offer simply to move on. For some, the result is abandoning the claim entirely, leaving them without the financial support needed to recover.
While they may sound sympathetic on the phone or promise to "take care of everything," remember that you are one of hundreds or thousands of claims crossing their desk. To them, your pain is paperwork. Your recovery is a line item. Without a strong legal advocate, you're left to navigate a cold and calculated system that was never built to serve your best interests.
Dealing with insurance companies on your own can be emotionally exhausting and financially risky. You may unknowingly give up your right to future compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages, or pain and suffering. This could result in inadequate care, delayed recovery, or long-term financial instability for you and your family.
You don’t have to face this battle alone. With Henson Fuerst on your side, you’ll have a team of experienced attorneys who know how to challenge these tactics, negotiate effectively, and fight for the full compensation you’re entitled to. We’ll take on the insurance company so you can focus on what matters most: your healing, your family, and your future.
Your Injury Case Matters to Our Slip and Fall Attorneys
You should never let anyone undermine your struggle after suffering an injury in a slip and fall -- especially not the insurance company that is supposed to help you and lessen the burden. At Henson Fuerst, our attorneys work tirelessly to alleviate the burden and help ensure you have the proper time, space, and resources for a full recovery. We strive to restore hope to accident victims of all kinds, having done so for over 45 years. Unlike insurance companies, we will not treat you like a number; instead, we will treat you as the unique individual you are.
Our primary goal is to give our clients the best chance at a worry-free life possible following a serious injury. We will approach you and your case with the same care and attention that we would our own family’s, leveraging our individual and combined years of experience. We strive to make our clients feel less alone in their most trying times and have their backs every step of the way. Whether you’re about to file a claim with an insurance company or are debating litigation, we will apply our knowledge to your unique case and leave no stone unturned in your journey to security and recovery.
Slip and Fall Injury FAQs in North Carolina
Time is of the essence when beginning a slip and fall injury claim in North Carolina. Before you take any legal action or make any claims, you should seek medical attention immediately for any injuries sustained in the fall. Having proof of medical care and documentation of your injuries will strengthen your case and provide the necessary evidence in litigation. You should also obtain any evidence and gather details of the scene, including the property owner, any witnesses, and the time and place of the incident. Once you have this information, a personal injury lawyer can assist you with the next steps.
In most cases, the statute of limitations for filing a slip and fall case in North Carolina, which extends to most other injuries, is 3 years. However, there are exceptions to this law. After suffering an injury from a slip or fall, it's important to act quickly. If you choose to pursue a slip and fall injury claim after three years, you may not be entitled to compensation anymore.
Yes, but under certain conditions. Under North Carolina premises liability laws, the injured person must be able to demonstrate:
- The business owner owed you and failed to fulfill a duty
- Failure of the business to satisfy its duty caused your injuries; and
- You suffered an injury and/or losses because of the injury.
Business owners in North Carolina are required to use reasonable care to protect patrons from harm on their property. To show that the business breached that claim, the victim must be able to prove that:
- There was a dangerous condition on the premises;
- The business owner knew or should have known of the existence of the hazard;
- The owner failed to take reasonable steps to correct or warn of the dangerous condition; and
- The hazard caused your injuries.
On the flip side, there are a few responsibilities and requirements expected of the victim to successfully litigate for a slip and fall on a business’s premises. In North Carolina, a slip and fall injury victim will not be eligible for compensation if the company at fault can prove that:
- You were not paying attention to where you were going because you were on your phone, interacting with another person, or otherwise distracted.
- You purposefully ignored the warning signs of the hazard.
- You went into a part of the premises not open to the public.
- Your attire was unsafe or inappropriate, such as shoes with worn or slippery soles.
Your Slip and Fall Recovery Starts With the Right Legal Team
At Henson Fuerst, we know that a single moment, whether it’s a slip on an uneven floor or a fall down poorly lit stairs, can have lifelong consequences. What may seem like a minor accident at first can quickly escalate into a long-term struggle with chronic pain, lost income, mounting medical bills, and emotional distress. These aren’t just inconveniences—they are real hardships that can affect every part of your life, from your physical health to your financial stability and family well-being.
That’s why choosing the right legal team is not just important – it’s critical. With over four decades of experience in personal injury law, our attorneys have helped clients throughout North Carolina navigate the complex aftermath of slip and fall accidents. We understand the tactics insurance companies use to minimize claims, and we are fully prepared to push back on your behalf. Whether you’re seeking reimbursement for hospital visits, physical therapy, time missed from work, or long-term care, our team will work diligently to pursue every available avenue of compensation for you.
At our firm, you’re not just a case number. You’re a person with a story, a family, and a future worth protecting. We approach every case with empathy, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to justice. From the first consultation to the final resolution, we stand by your side, offering personalized guidance and aggressive representation designed to help you reclaim your life.
You don’t have to go through this alone. Let us carry the legal burden so you can focus on healing. Call Henson Fuerst today for a free consultation. We’ll listen to your story, assess your case, and help you take the first step toward the recovery, security, and peace of mind you deserve.