Property owners, landlords and business owners all have a duty to exercise care to maintain their properties in a safe way. When they fail to meet this obligation and a customer or guest experiences injury as a result, they could be held legally responsible for the injuries. Even despite having a duty, slip-and-fall accidents happen all the time, and they happen in a variety of circumstances. Victims who walk on poorly maintained sidewalks or in icy parking lots could be in danger of this. What are your rights if you find yourself injured in an accident like this?
Speak with a Legal Representative as Soon as Possible
For anyone who has suffered in a slip-and-fall accident, they should speak with a lawyer as quickly as possible because the evidence starts to fade immediately and memories aren’t as concrete. Some of the damages that you could be legally entitled to include:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
How It Works
When it comes to slip-and-fall injuries the process of compensation works like a negotiation. The injured party makes a claim and the defending party makes a counter-claim. The process goes back and forth until both parties have reached a satisfying conclusion. You might be wondering what happens when neither party can reach a satisfying conclusion for compensation? If neither side can reach an agreement for an adequate settlement, the case goes to court to look at the evidence. The entire process of a court case can take a few months to several years, depending on a variety of factors.
The Premises Liability Law
Whenever you seek compensation for a slip-and-fall accident, it falls under premises liability law. This means that if you want a successful case against a property or store owner, you will first need to show that the store owner understood how they had dangerous conditions on their property, and they understood the potential for a slip-and-fall injury. You can normally prove this knowledge through one of three methods:
- One of the employees caused the dangerous slip injury.
- The property owner or the store employees saw how slippery the floors could be.
- When the dangerous condition lasted long enough that the store owner should’ve been aware of it.
You should also understand how several exceptions to these basic laws could be outlined as well. For example, the slip-and-fall injuries that happen on sidewalks or parking lots because of ice and snow are different.
To fully understand your rights after you have slipped and fallen, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible. In this way, you learn exactly what your rights are. You need a qualified attorney to help you navigate these intricate legal waters because a slip-and-fall case will often have many complexities if you can’t identify an owner like in a real estate trust. In addition, you want someone who’s a good negotiator to help you receive the fairest amount of compensation for your case.