Slip and fall accidents are common personal injury cases. In these non-criminal cases, a victim seeks compensation for injury caused by another party’s negligence. This is sometimes referred to as premises liability. Regardless of where they occur, premises liability cases require the assistance of a competent attorney.
What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents?
Slip and fall accidents may be caused by a number of factors, but only when a party’s negligence contributes to a slip and fall accident does it become a potential premises liability case. Common third party causes for slip and falls include:
- Poor Maintenance Practices. Overcrowded aisles or slick floors which have not been properly maintained may lead to slip and falls. Defective sidewalks and parking lot potholes can also cause accidents and injuries.
- Improper Weather Precautions. While business owners and homeowners cannot be held liable for the weather, it is important to take proper precautions to lessen the chance of an accident. Icy sidewalks should be treated with rock salt and floors made slippery by rain should be protected with dry mats or wet floor signs to advise customers of hazardous conditions.
When you suffer a slip and fall injury on someone else’s property, it can be difficult to prove liability in order to receive compensation for recovery and treatment. However, if the slip was the result of any of the above, a premises liability lawyer at The Paul Powell Law Firm may be able to help.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur?
Slip and falls can happen anywhere, but some locations are more common than others. These include:
- Commercial Property. Shopping malls, office buildings, and medical centers are all candidates for a potential slip and fall. Grocery stores in particular are a very common setting of slip and falls in most states due to crowds, likelihood of spills, and high density of product, which can also be a tripping hazard.
- Government Property. Slip and falls which occur in post offices, court buildings, or on city-maintained sidewalks and roads place liability with the government entity that owns them.
- Private Property. Privately-owned homes are also sometimes the site of a slip and fall accident. Improper home maintenance, excessive clutter, and inadequate lighting can all leave a homeowner liable for slip and fall accidents on their own property.
How Do You Win a Slip and Fall Claim?
To be successful, a premises liability lawyer must establish that the injury was caused by the reckless action or negligent inaction of another party. In any case in order to prove liability, you must show that reasonable action was not taken by the property owner to notice, fix, or provide adequate signage regarding potential slip and fall hazards.
For example, if a spill goes unnoticed by a grocery store’s employees and owners for an extended period of time and a customer slips, that is negligence. If an employee or owner purposely creates and ignores a slip and fall hazard which then results in a customer injury, this is recklessness.
Who Do You Contact About Slip and Fall Accidents?
The premises liability attorneys at The Paul Powell Law Firm can help you build a case by collecting statements about the incident from witnesses and taking photographs of the area where it occurred. Our team will also look at medical records to confirm that the injury was caused solely by the slip.
Between our tenacity and combined years of experience with slip and fall cases, our attorneys can help you obtain a fair settlement, one which may cover the costs of medical treatment, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and lost wages. Depending on the circumstances, slip and fall settlements may run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to millions.
For immediate, compassionate, and professional help, contact The Paul Powell Law Firm today. You can reach us at 312-635-5400 if you are in the Chicago area, or at 702-728-5500 if you are located in the Las Vegas valley. You can also submit a free case evaluation online at your convenience or visit one of our offices during regular business hours.