We’re all busy these days. When we’re running errands, attending a work function, hanging out with friends and family on vacation, we rely on floors and walkways to be clean and dry and well lit. Every day though, people are injured when they slip on the surface of the floor or on stairs and fall while out and about. Injuries that come from these falls can sometimes be severe or even fatal.
Lawyers who handle these kinds of “slip and fall” cases are called personal injury attorneys. They specialize in helping their clients to ensure that they get the right compensation for their injury. Personal injury lawyers make sure their injured clients and clients’ families find justice and that their quality of life is restored as much as possible.
Causes of slip and fall accidents
Some of the common causes of slip and fall accidents include –
- Slippery floors
- Potholes
- Uneven floor or pavement
- Ice, snow or sleet
- Defective railings
- Broken slabs, floors or sidewalks
- Inadequate lighting
- Wet floors from spillage
Liability in slip and fall accident
Who should be held liable in a slip and fall accident? It depends on who is the negligent party. If you slip and fall in a restaurant because you were distracted, you cannot sue the restaurant owner for your fall. If, however, you fall because the property owner failed to clean up a slimy mess on the floor or failed to provide lighting on a tricky staircase, or something similar, then the property owner may be held liable.
Slip and fall accidents can sometimes result in severe injuries including head or spinal cord injury, multiple fractures, neck, knee and back injuries. This can mean lifetime pain and expensive medical treatments. Therefore, if a property owner failed to repair faulty building parts or clear hazardous situations and objects, he or she should be held responsible to provide compensation for the injury resulting from the slip and fall on their property.
You need the assistance of a good personal injury lawyer
Slip and fall cases are not clear cut. They can get difficult and murky such that only experienced personal injury attorneys can successfully handle the case. Each slip and fall case is unique. The age and physical abilities of the plaintiff, the location of the fall, the notice of the condition that led to the fall, are among some of the factors a good lawyer will evaluate. An experienced slip and fall lawyer can properly evaluate the case, investigate the causes of the fall, and take the case to court if a settlement cannot be reached.
A good personal injury lawyer will investigate and analyze the facts and evidence of the case to be able to chart the right course. They can also help you understand the law and your rights in the case.
A skilled slip and fall lawyer will be able to determine who should be held liable in the accident and use those skills to obtain maximum compensation for the client.
A good slip and fall lawyer should be able to prove the case clearly in order to obtain the right compensation for you the client.
To prove that the property owner is to blame for your slip and fall, the lawyer must show that –
- The property owner had an obligation to ensure safety on the property;
- That the property owner failed to provide reasonable safety measures on the property;
- That this negligence caused the plaintiff (the person injured who is suing the property owner) to sustain injuries; and
- That the plaintiff suffered injuries from the slip and fall.
Proving these facts can be an arduous task, but a good personal injury lawyer can handle this. Slip and fall accidents can lead to life-altering injuries and death and thus should not be handled lightly. The negligent party should be made to face the music to ensure that future accidents do not happen on their property.