Premises Liability

The term "slip and fall" describes the type of injury that occurs on someone else’s property, usually as a result of a defective surface, a slippery substance, or other dangerous conditions. Slip & fall legal practice deals with the concept of premises liability. An owner of property ("premises") owes a duty to his guests ("invitees") to keep his property in a reasonably safe condition. So, if you slip and fall on a piece of lettuce while at the local grocery store, your grocer may have breached his duty to provide you, his customer, with a reasonably safe shopping experience. If such a breach caused your injury, you may be entitled to compensation from the grocer.

As illustrated by the example above, these types of injuries most commonly occur at restaurants, supermarkets, and shopping malls. Inside a building, dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, abrupt changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow or poorly maintained stairs, or a wet floor can cause victims to slip, fall, and seriously injure themselves. Outside of a building, victims may slip, trip, and fall because of rain, ice, snow, or a hidden hazard such as a pothole. The fact that you become injured from a slip, trip, or fall does not necessarily mean that someone else is legally responsible for your injury. The owner or operator of a business has a legal duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition, or at least warn the public of a dangerous condition that they caused, were aware of, or should have been aware of. If these tests are not met, and you injure yourself on their property as a result of their failure to meet these conditions, you may have a valid claim against the business owner or operator. Premises liability claims encompass a variety of injuries including but not limited to:

• Injuries that occur in elevators
• Injuries that occur in stores or restaurants
• Injuries that occur in building corridors
• Injuries that occur (outside) on private or public land
• Injuries that occur in resorts
• Injuries that occur during recreational activities
• Injuries that occur in swimming pools

While the most common premises liability case is a slip and fall accident or a trip and fall accident, these injuries are by no means the only kind of premises negligence case that our firm handles. Premises liability lawsuits may also stem from any kind of unsafe or dangerous conditions on the premises, or defect in the construction of, or inadequate maintenance of the premises where an injury or accident occurs. These types of cases include:

• Defective lighting
• Failure to warn of hazardous conditions on the property
• Improperly maintained equipment
• Dog bites and animal attacks
• Other dangerous conditions of the premises

If you have questions or concerns about a premises liability claim, please contact us today. We offer free initial consultations and work on a contingency fee basis.

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