 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Premises liability accidents generally involve accidents that occur on someone else's property. Although there are
several types of Premises liability scenarios, slip, trip and falls are most common. These generally refer to a
situation in which a person slips and falls or trips and falls due to a dangerous condition on someone else's
property and is injured as a result. When an individual is injured on property or premises owned or maintained
by someone else, the owner or possessor of the property can be held liable for the injury. CLICK HERE to learn
more about premises liability cases.
Imagine all the places you visit on a daily basis: hotels, shopping centers, supermarkets, businesses, apartments,
and more. When you step foot onto someone else's property, you have a reasonable expectation that the area is
safe. Slip and fall or trip and fall accidents can happen in a variety of different locations and be caused by
numerous dangerous conditions.
The following are common slip, trip and fall scenarios:
Slipping on slippery or defective floors, pathways and sidewalks;
Slipping on spilled food or drink in a grocery store;
Slipping on accumulations of snow and/or ice in a parking lot, sidewalk or entrance that has either not been
treated or removed or was improperly removed;
Slipping on a loose throw rug on the floor of a person's home;
Slipping on a wet floor in a lobby of an office building;
Tripping on raised, uneven and dilapidated cement sidewalk slabs;
Tripping on merchandise that has fallen from store shelves or was improperly stacked in aisles;
Tripping down stairs that are loose, worn or missing a handrail;
One day you decide to go to your local supermarket as part of your daily routine to pick up some grocery items.
There you are strolling down the beverage aisle or tomato sauce aisle. The next thing you know your feet fly right
from under you and you find yourself laying on your back staring at the ceiling in extreme pain from your head to
your knees. As you lay there trying to deal with the pain and confused by what just happened, several people
come to help you. Soon thereafter a store employee, usually the manager, leads you from the scene of the accident
to a back room where you can rest and the manager can take your statement.
Your normal reaction is to feel extremely embarrassed by the experience and still suffering the effects of the
injury, you decide to go home and rest. You just want to get out of there all the while you are thinking that you
will be fine the next day. However, that evening the intensity of your pain increases to an unbearable level and
you proceed to your local hospital emergency room. You learn that you have a concussion, a fractured wrist, a
sprain or strain of your back and a torn ligament in your knee. The medical care is going to be expensive and the
injury will result in unexpected time off work.
Do you have a case? Should the supermarket pay for your medical expenses, loss of wages and pain and
suffering? Isn’t it clearly obvious that the supermarket was negligent and caused your injuries? Read on and
these questions and more will be answered for you.
Too many people who suffer a slip and fall accident in a supermarket or retail store feel embarrassed and want to
quickly move away from the scene, even if they are injured. If you slipped on a wet surface or tripped over a
product display, it is not your fault. Don't dismiss it as an act of clumsiness. Many times the incidents are caught
on store cameras which clearly show a defect and the seriousness of the fall.
What should you do if you find yourself in a situation where you have just slipped or tripped and fell?
After you have gathered your composure, and you are able to, try to get pictures of what you believe caused you to
slip and fall. Today almost everyone who has a cellphone has a built in camera. You should take or have someone
else take as many pictures as you can before the floor is mopped up or the object that caused your accident is
picked up by store personnel. Pictures of the defect in slip trip and fall cases speak a thousand words. They are
critical in proving a negligence against the property or store owner.
Injuries resulting from a slip and fall accident vary in severity from a few bumps and bruises to a serious head
injury. If you were hurt, you should always go to your local emergency room or local immediate care clinic to have
yourself evaluated. You may have sustained a closed head or brain injury, neck and back injuries, spinal cord
injuries, fractures and other wounds, including knee and hip injuries.
In slip and fall cases, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone's
injuries. In a commercial setting or retail store, the business may rent space from a property owner, and both the
property owner and the business (the tenant or possessor/occupier of the property) may be liable. If a third party,
such as a management company, was responsible for maintaining the space, but failed to do so, that party may be
liable as well. In a residential setting, both a landlord and tenant may be liable for injuries caused by dangerous
conditions on the property.
A slip and fall or a trip and fall accident can be embarrassing and result in painful injuries. If you were injured
while on another's property, you may be able to recover damages. Although common, slip trip and fall accidents
can be legally complex and often very difficult to prove, it is important to contact an experienced premises liability
attorney like Jordan Masiakos who has extensive experience handling slip, trip and fall cases to discuss the
details of your case as soon as possible. premises liability slip trip fall injuries personal serious
| JORDAN MASIAKOS, PC Attorney At Law 200 Willis Avenue Mineola, New York 11501 Tel: (516) 873-0795 Email: masiakoslaw@optonline.net www.masiakoslaw.com |
| The information provided in this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. Copyright 2012 Jordan Masiakos PC Attorney Advertisement |
| PREMISES LIABILITY - SLIP, TRIP & FALL ACCIDENTS- |
Loading...
