Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall injuries typically fall under what is known as “premise liability.” This means that the owners of a piece of property, or those who are in possession of it (for example a business leasing a space from a land owner) are required to keep the property up to certain standards set forth by state, local and federal laws. The details of these laws can vary, but at their core they require the property to be kept safe for authorized visitors of that property.

When property owners fail to keep their property up to these standards people can slip and fall and become seriously injured.
We have all watched videos or seen TV shows and movies where someone is walking through a store and they either step on a banana peel or in a puddle of water then slip and falls and crashes to the ground. In the real world slips and falls are often no laughing matter. A person may only suffer a bruise to their ego, but they may also suffer serious injuries including back, head and neck injuries. In extreme cases a person may actually be rendered disabled or even die from a slip and fall accident.

It's the Business' Responsibility

All businesses must take steps to actively ensure the safety of all of their customers, but sometimes they fail to do that. The most common causes for slip and fall accidents are:

1. Poorly maintained sidewalks, walkways and parking lots
2. Unsafe stairways
3. Poor flooring including torn carpets, wet floors and uneven floors
4. Poor lighting

If a business is not doing its job and maintaining a safe environment for its customers it is acting in negligence and is liable for any injuries you may sustain if you slip and fall.

The Burden of Proof is on You

In order to pursue a slip and fall injury claim you must first be able to prove that the business or individual that owns the property was acting in a negligent manner. You will need to show how you fell and why their negligence caused the fall. You will also have to show damages including what type of injury you suffered and how it affected your life. For example, if you slipped and fell and broke your arm due to a wet floor in a store and that break caused you to miss a month of work, you deserve to have your medical bills paid for and to be reimbursed for the time you missed on the job as well as your pain and suffering.

All of these can be difficult things to prove and the various claims that must be filed in order to show proof can easily become a complex issue. This is where a skilled attorney that is familiar with slip and fall injuries can help.

If you have slipped and fell and been injured and you would like to speak to an attorney please contact LA Injury Group, Inc. here on our contact form or call us toll free at 1-888-500-1006.