Slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries. The most common and easiest example to describe is an accident that commonly happens in retail stores. When a patron trips or falls on something that should have been cleaned up, then he or she may have a premises liability claim.
Generally, if the slip and fall was caused by someone else’s carelessness or wrongdoing, then you likely have a personal injury claim.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Unfortunately, slip and fall injuries are very common. In fact, they cost the United States roughly $36 million in related damages every year.
The most common slip and fall injuries occur in the following locations:
• Businesses, shopping malls, and other retail locations
• Other people’s property, such as a friend or neighbor
• Stairs
• Public or privately owned sidewalks
• Business parking lots or sidewalks
• Government property
Falls or trips like these can result in a wide variety of injuries including:
• Twisted or sprained ankles
• Knee and wrist problems
• Torn ligaments or tendons
• Muscle strains
• Bruises, lacerations, or contusions
• Head injuries, including traumatic brain injury
• Fractured or broken bones
• Herniated disks or other back and neck injuries
These types of injuries can be particularly troublesome for the elderly and disabled, but they can affect those of all ages.
Determining Liability in a Slip and Fall Case
In slip and fall situations, someone else must be at fault for there to be a valid premises liability claim. That also means you usually cannot assert a slip and fall claim on your own property; instead, someone else must be responsible for maintaining the property.
Slip and fall cases can be difficult to prove because you need to show that someone acted negligently, which ultimately caused your fall.
I can help you show one of the following to meet this burden:
• The business or an employee of the business caused the unsafe condition that lead to your fall;
• The property owner knew about the unsafe condition and did nothing to correct it
• The property owner should have known about the dangerous condition and corrected it.
What to Do If You Have Fallen on Someone Else’s Property
If you have fallen on someone else’s property, then you may not realize that you have a personal injury case until long after your injuries have occurred and healed.
Follow these simple steps after the accident as they will help immensely in your slip and fall case:
Seek medical help immediately: Getting help quickly is the best way to address any potential medical problems, even if you do not think they are very serious. If your injuries are severe, call an ambulance.
Determine the hazard that caused your slip and fall: You must identify what caused your slip and fall if you are going to assert a valid slip and fall claim. If possible, take photos of the cause and also the surrounding area.
Report the slip and fall accident: You should tell the management or owners of the property that you have fallen and injured yourself. Although telling them right away is not always practical or possible, you should let them know as soon as you can. Then, the company can file an incident report, which will be crucial to your case.
Contacting an attorney quickly can increase your chances of a favorable result in your slip and fall case. Please call me today at 802-888-7707 for a free consultation.
5/6/2022 Slip and Fall Attorney in Hyde Park, Vermont, David Polow, Offers Free Consultations
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