My name is Jessica Samayoa, I am a 51-year-old Guatemalan, and for nearly six years I have lived with the permanent consequences of a fall that could have been prevented. Like every Sunday, on November 20, 2011 I woke up early to do laundry, taking advantage of my kids sleeping and getting everything ready for the Thanksgiving holiday that was fast approaching. We had been living in this house for seven months, however, every time I had to go down to the basement, where the washer and dryer were, I did it with great care and fear. The carpet that covered the steps was not stable, there was no railing and, to top it off, there was a hole at the bottom of the stairs.
Ever since we had moved, I had alerted the owner of the house of the danger that the condition of the basement stairs represented to me and my children, but he always gave me the runaround. Until it happened: I lost my balance, I slipped and fell to the bottom of the steps. My left foot was stuck in the hollow with my whole body on my ankle. The pain was unbearable. For about half an hour I was unable to move. Then, as I could, I crawled up.
Immediately I informed the owner, who the next day came to close the hole and staple the carpet, but the stairs still had no rail. However, the damage was already done. I had fractured my ankle and tendons and my ligaments were severely torn. The doctor prescribed cortisone and put a cast boot to aid in recovery.
Last Christmas I had to go back to the doctor because I was still in a lot of pain and it was when he gave me the bad news: I had to operate because the foot had deteriorated. After the surgery I had to receive more pain medication and therapy for a year. Also, because of my inability, I lost my job and could not go back home because I could not go up and down the stairs. In parallel to what I was suffering, the landlord told me that it was all my fault for not have been taking caution. That’s when I decided to sue him.
I came to the Ginarte lawyers after a friend referred me to them. I called them, explained my case and they immediately came to see me, because I could not move. From the first interview they treated me like family and took the time to explain all the details of my case and the next steps I had to take.
In my life there is definitely a before and after that fall. I was disabled and in lot of pain, in addition to the forced sedentariness which also made me gain a lot of weight and become pre-diabetic with high blood pressure. However, in the midst of this hard test that God has given me, it has been comforting to have the Ginarte lawyers defend my rights. My previous quality of life will never be given back to me by anyone, but, at least financially, the Ginarte lawyers obtained justice and I was compensated by who, with their negligence, damaged my life forever.
Contact us today by calling 1-888-GINARTE (1-888-446-2783) for a free consultation, or visit our website www.ginart