In most cases, the person who is responsible for ensuring the property is maintained can be found at fault for a slip-and-fall accident.
Summary
- To determine who is liable for a slip-and-fall accident, you need to establish who had a legal obligation to keep the property safe and whose actions created the dangerous conditions that led to your injuries.
- When a negligent property owner leaves a hazard unfixed, it can lead to a slip-and-fall accident.
- Slip-and-fall accidents may cause severe injuries like shoulder, facial, back, and neck injuries.
- If you slipped and fell on another person’s property, you may be able to hold the property owner or person responsible for keeping the property safe liable.
Slip-and-fall accidents occur when a walking hazard, such as a wet floor, loose floorboard, or missing step, causes a person to lose their balance and fall to the floor.
These types of accidents occur when a property owner, manager, or landlord fails to keep their property safe.
If their negligence led to your slip-and-fall accident, they may owe you compensation for your damages. Victims of slip-and-fall accidents can suffer significant damages.
For example, they may sustain damages such as medical bills, lost earning potential, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Our exceptional slip-and-fall accident lawyers at The Eberst Law Firm can use their experience litigating these claims to build a strong case for fair compensation for your damages.
Contact us for a free case evaluation at (772) 225-4900 or fill out an online contact form.
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
A slip-and-fall accident is a type of personal injury accident that happens when the people in charge of a property, including property landlords, owners, and managers, fail to keep walking surfaces clear of hazards.
These walking hazards, which sometimes are not clearly visible to those walking around, can cause a person to lose their balance and fall to the ground. The following are some walking hazards that can cause a slip-and-fall accident:
- Wet floor without a caution sign
- Debris on the floor
- Missing steps
- Lack of railing for elevated platforms
- Loose floorboards and rugs
- Cords running across floors
- Uneven walking surfaces
- Parking lot potholes
- Poor lighting
These walking hazards can result in severe slip-and-fall accident injuries. For example, slip-and-fall accident victims may suffer broken bones, facial injuries, or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), after colliding with a hard surface.
Following a slip-and-fall accident, a victim can hold many potentially liable parties accountable for causing their injuries.
Finding Property Owners Responsible For Damages in a Slip and Fall Accident Claim
The most likely liable party that can be liable for a slip-and-fall accident claim is the owner of the property where the slip-and-fall accident occurred. It’s their responsibility to maintain a safe environment for visitors and customers.
Failure to ensure their property is safe can leave them liable for slip-and-fall accident damages. This is called a breach of duty of care.
For a property owner to be liable for a slip-and-fall accident claim, there must be proof that their negligence led to the slip-and-fall accident.
A slip-and-fall accident that results from the victim’s clumsiness is not enough to hold the property owner liable. However, they can be held liable if there is a walking hazard left unfixed or if they failed to warn visitors about the hazard.
Holding Landlords Accountable for Negligence That Led to a Slip and Fall Accident
A landlord, otherwise known as the lessor, leases their property to another party for temporary ownership. In some circumstances, the landlord can share liability for a slip-and-fall accident caused by their negligence.
For example, a landlord must ensure the premises is safe before leasing it to a lessee. If they fail to do so and a missing floor boar leads to a slip-and-fall accident, they can be held liable for a slip-and-fall accident.
However, rental property liability can be complicated. You should still speak to a slip-and-fall accident lawyer to see if a property’s lessor or lessee can share liability for your slip-and-fall accident claim.
In most cases, a property owner of a public property like a restaurant, store, or museum will not be there to run the property’s operation on a daily basis. They will appoint a property manager to ensure the premises are safe.
If the property manager doesn’t fulfill their duties by preventing hazards, they can be held liable for their negligence. The slip-and-fall accident victim must prove that the property manager failed to address or notify visitors about the walking hazard.
Then, they must show that the hazard caused the slip-and-fall accident. If they can find evidence that can prove the property manager’s negligence, they can hold them liable for damages in a slip-and-fall accident claim.
How Can a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Help You Pursue Compensatory Damages?
Hiring a slip-and-fall accident lawyer is a vital step in the slip-and-fall accident claim process. They have experience litigating these types of claims.
Their skill set can help maximize your potential for recovering compensatory damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and mental anguish.
The following are some of the ways a slip-and-fall accident lawyer can help with your claim:
- Determine the monetary value of your slip-and-fall accident claim
- Ascertain who can share liability for causing the slip-and-fall accident
- Explain your right to seek compensation
- Draft and send the demand letter to the at-fault party and their insurance company
- Collect evidence for your slip-and-fall accident claim
- Speak to eyewitnesses and expert witnesses
- Negotiate a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Represent your case at trial
You should have someone in your corner with specific slip-and-fall accident claim experience. That increases the likelihood that you will successfully recover compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.
Reach out to a local slip-and-fall accident lawyer, like our team at The Eberst Law Firm, today to see how we can help with the claims process.
Contact The Eberst Law Firm for Help Proving Who is Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident Claim
The slip-and-fall accident lawyers at The Eberst Law Firm have substantial experience helping victims hold property owners, managers, and landlords liable for their negligence that led to the slip-and-fall accident.
Our personal injury lawyers value accountability. With that in mind, we will work tirelessly to secure a settlement that reimburses what you have lost.
As your attorneys, we can help you can prove you suffered damages from a slip-and-fall accident due to the at-fault party’s negligence.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free case evaluation at (772) 225-4900 or fill out an online contact form today.
