Slip and Fall Cases: What Should I Know?

More than one million people visit emergency rooms every year due to a slip and fall injuries. Fractures, particularly hip fractures, are the most common injury suffered by those who fall. At Springer & Lyle, we want to help those who have suffered such an event to get the compensation they deserve if it was caused by another’s negligence.

Elements of a Premises Liability Case

Premises liability law applies when your injury was caused by the negligence of a property owner or manager. To collect for damages for an injury you incurred when you slipped and fell, you must prove:

• The owner or manager knew or should have known about the dangerous condition.
• The owner or manager did not repair the dangerous condition or take measures to warn others about the danger.
• You were injured on the property due to the failure of the owner or manager to repair the dangerous condition or to warn you about it.
• You suffered damages because of the owner or manager’s negligence. Damages include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any expense you incurred as a result of the negligence.

Some of the Most Common Types of Slip and Fall Occurrences

Although about 40 percent of falls occur when people fall off a high place, often a ladder, 60 percent of falls are from the same level, such as in a slip and fall. Some of the most common types of these accidents include:

• Tripping over debris left in a store aisle.
• Tripping over cracks in the sidewalk or debris that was not cleaned or trimmed as it should have been.
• Spilled liquids not cleaned up off the floor with no warning signs about the dangerous condition.
• Inadequate lighting in public parking lots, sidewalks, or other areas where people will be walking.
• Holes in the ground not covered by a lid that was supposed to be there.

Not every slip and fall is the fault of another. For example, if you are in the grocery store and see a “Wet Floor” sign where someone dropped a bottle of milk that leaked and splashed over the floor, but you ignore the sign and walk across the wet floor anyway and then slip and fall, the owner or manager will not be liable since you ignored the warning about the wet floor.

Each case is different. The personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle will evaluate the circumstances of your slip and fall and can help you obtain the reasonable compensation you are entitled for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other physical damage. Contact us at 940.387.0404 for a free consultation.