When business or property owners are negligent in maintaining the safety of their property, an unmarked or unaddressed hazard may cause you to slip and fall. Although a slip and fall might seem like a minor incident, it can result in serious injuries. Furthermore, these property owners may be legally liable for any injuries that result from a dangerous condition that leads to a slip and fall accident.
Allowing an experienced Calumet City slip and fall lawyer to assist you may be the key to a favorable outcome in your case. If you sustained an injury due to slipping and falling on property containing a hazardous condition, a dedicated personal injury attorney may be able to help you seek compensation from the property owner. En Español.
There are certain situations the party claiming injury—or plaintiff—must prove to hold a property owner liable for injuries resulting from a slip and fall incident. If the injured parties cannot provide evidence of at least one of these required elements, the property owner may not be found negligent.
Specifically, injury claimants must prove that one of the following is true:
If evidence demonstrates that any of these situations occurred, the property owner may be liable for the costs of any resulting injuries. By using the legal theory of premises liability, a knowledgeable Calumet City slip and fall lawyer may be able to help an injured plaintiff recover compensation.
There are also several factors that may influence the outcome of a claim based on a slip and falls injury. One such factor may be whether the hazardous condition was temporary or permanent in nature. If a condition was temporary, for instance, it may be more difficult to prove that the property owner failed to remove or warn others of the condition in an adequate and timely manner.
One of the most common slip and fall scenarios occurs when customers at a store or other business slip and fall due to some dangerous condition. These cases may be particularly strong when the hazard was avoidable or there was not warning given to customers. Examples of common dangers or hazards in businesses include:
If store or property owners fails to remedy any of these dangerous conditions in a timely manner or fail to warn customers of potentially hazardous conditions, they may be liable if a customer slips, falls, and suffers injuries as a result. Since it falls to the potential plaintiff to prove liability in a slip and fall case, a dedicated lawyer could help injured people in Calumet City determine whether they should pursue a premises liability claim.
While many would not expect major injuries to result from a slip and fall, these incidents can easily—and often do—lead to back injuries, head trauma, and broken bones. Often, those hurt in slip and fall accidents require surgery, incur significant expenses for medical treatment and rehabilitation, and must take time away from work to heal. All of these may be extremely costly in both financial and personal terms.
Fortunately, if an injury requires surgery, hospitalization, or an extended period of rehabilitation, those harmed may be able to recover compensation for their financial losses during a lawsuit, including the value of lost wages and income. Plaintiffs could also potentially seek restitution for intangible losses like pain and suffering as well.
Determining whether you have a valid premises liability claim arising from a slip and fall accident can be difficult, especially due to the number of factors that may impact the validity of a claim. A Calumet City slip and fall lawyer could provide a clear assessment of your potential legal claim and help you take the steps necessary to pursue any such claims.
Although slip and fall claims can be complicated, getting legal advice about your situation could be essential to pursuing compensation. Get in touch with a knowledgeable attorney today to discuss your potential claim and begin working towards compensation.