A slip and fall accident can happen almost anywhere, and injuries may be far more severe than others realize. While slip and fall accidents are often disregarded, you should definitely call a lawyer and talk about your legal options.
It is important to take action to get fair compensation after a slip and fall injury because more money than you realize might be on the line. Damages in these cases may be extremely high, and filing a case with your attorney can be a major help. Slip and fall accidents might happen anywhere, and the person responsible is usually whoever owns the property. While property owners owe a legal duty of care to invited guests and guests that may be reasonably expected, they owe nothing to unknown trespassers. Damages should account for your step medical costs and the income you lose from being unable to work due to your injuries. In addition, we should consider the value of non-economic damages like pain, suffering, humiliation, and other negative experiences.
For help starting your claim, contact our slip and fall lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm to set up a free initial claim evaluation by calling us at (215) 709-6940.
Why You Should Take Legal Action After a Slip and Fall Accident in Phoenixville, PA
People often roll their eyes when they hear about someone filing a case related to a slip and fall accident. While these cases are frequently brushed off, they are far more serious than people care to admit. You should talk to an attorney about legal action so you can get justice and fair compensation for your injuries.
One very important reason to file a claim is to cover your medical expenses. Slip and fall injuries can be serious, even extreme. Injuries like broken bones, spinal cord damage, head and neck injuries, and even brain trauma are not just possible but common. As such, medical expenses for slip and fall victims tend to be high. Filing a case with an attorney might help you get these costs covered by those responsible for creating the hazardous conditions that led to your accident.
You also deserve justice and closure. Even if your damages are affordable, your pain and humiliation from the accident may take a significant toll on your life. Having the negligent owner of the property where you were hurt held responsible might give you the closure you need to move on.
Where Slip and Fall Accidents Might Occur Around Phoenixville, PA
A slip and fall accident might occur anywhere, making them a somewhat complicated legal matter to deal with. You might fall on someone’s private property, in a store, or on public or government property. The location of your accident is important as it will help us determine who should be held liable.
A slip and fall accident might occur on someone’s personal property. Perhaps you personally know the property owner, or perhaps you do not. Either way, our slip and fall lawyers can help you file a case and get compensation from the negligent owner. A common example of an accident on private property involves icy or wet stairs and walkways. You might approach a neighbor’s home by walking up their front walkway or steps only to slip and fall because the owner did not clean up a mess or other hazards. This is common in the winter when property owners fail to clear away ice and snow.
Your accident could instead happen in a store, restaurant, or other business or retail space. Spills and messes are common in these kinds of places, especially in restaurants where drinks and food are often spilled. If an employee does not clean the mess quickly or warn customers to avoid the spill, customers could slip and fall.
Who is At Fault for a Phoenixville, PA Slip and Fall Accident?
In the case of a slip and fall accident, the person responsible is often the owner of the property where the incident occurred. Sometimes, it is simple to identify the defendant. For example, if you slip and fall on your neighbor’s front step because they did not maintain their steps, the neighbor is obviously at fault. However, the identity of a property owner is not always clear, and an attorney can help you find them.
If you slip and fall in a store or restaurant, there is a good chance the property owner is not present. While you can talk to employees and managers, they are often not the owners. Even if we can find the business owner, there is a chance they do not own the property but lease it. Who is responsible, the business owner or the property owner, might come down to the terms of the lease agreement between the two.
Property owners may be liable for a slip and fall because of the legal obligation they owe to guests on the premises. The legal duty of care requires property owners to make the premises safe for guests. This might involve repairing or removing known hazards and making reasonable inspections for possible unknown hazards. If the owner claims they cannot be responsible because they did not know about the danger, but a reasonable inspection of their property would have made them aware, they may still be liable.
This duty of care extends to guests directly invited onto the property and those who were not invited but are still expected. For example, stores do not extend invitations to customers. Instead, customers are reasonably expected to enter anytime during business hours. Similarly, people who can reasonably be expected are also covered. A delivery person might not be invited, but they should be reasonably expected to use the front steps, so property owners must make the steps safe.
Unknown trespassers are owed no duty of care. If someone was trespassing when they slipped and fell, the property owner should not be held liable.
Contact Our Phoenixville, PA Slip and Fall Lawyers to Talk About Your Potential Case
For help starting your claim, contact our slip and fall lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm to set up a free initial claim evaluation by calling us at (215) 709-6940.
