SLIP AND FALL CASES

If you injure yourself as a result of a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, the landowner or business proprietor may be liable for your injuries. If you have been injured on someone else’s property, seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. Your time to file a claim is limited, so call Levinson Law Group at 1-866-643-HURT (4878) for a free case evaluation today.

A landowner or business proprietor must maintain reasonably safe conditions on their property. If a dangerous condition contributed to your injuries, a landowner or business proprietor may be liable if they:

• Created the dangerous condition
• Knew of the dangerous condition and failed to do anything to correct it
• Negligently allowed a dangerous condition to persist on the property

Common dangerous conditions include:

• Abrupt changes in flooring
• Hidden hazards
• Slick surfaces (OSHA recommends a static coefficient of friction of .5)
• Water, ice, or snow on the ground
• Gaps or hard to see holes in the ground
• Torn carpeting
• Unsecured electrical cords
• Distractions such as flashy window displays
• Unmarked steps
• Debris
• Poor lighting (walking surfaces should be evenly illuminated and should have a brightness level of at least 20 candles with contrast between 3-1 and 20-1)
• Cracked or uneven surfaces

Proving Your Case

In almost every slip or trip and fall case, it must be decided whether or not your carelessness contributed to the accident (“comparative fault”). For example, if in the absence of any stress in circumstances, you proceed to walk into a dark room without first finding out where you are going and what hazards or obstructions may lay in your path, you may be found to be comparatively negligent (step in the dark rule). However, this finding does not necessarily mean that you will not recover damages for your injuries. Call our office for further information.

Photographs are often important in proving your case. It is important to photograph the site properly. Anybody who witnessed the accident can also help prove your case. Expert witnesses may be called to inspect the accident site or attempt to reconstruct the accident. Engineers are often hired to gather and present evidence on the slickness of a surface in slip and fall cases.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we can help you recover damages. Damages may include pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, and other items. Call the Levinson Law Group at 1-866-643-HURT (4878) to schedule a free consultation today.

Slip and Fall Statistics

According to the National Safety Council, slips and falls are the single largest cause of emergency room visits.

The National Safety Council reports over 9 million disabling slip and fall injuries occur per year (25 thousand injuries every day, 175,000 slip and fall injuries each week).

Slip and Fall injuries cause 95 million lost work days each year.

The National Safety Council found that expenses from slip and fall injuries amount to 3.5 million dollars per hour every day of the year (over one hundred billion dollars each year).

The average total cost per slip and fall accident is $20,228.00

The Bureau of Labor reported 303,800 workplace fall injuries in 2000. Slip and fall injuries are the most common work related injury. Slip and falls represent over 65% of all work days lost.

The National Floor Safety Institute found that more than 3 million food service employees and 1 million guests are injured as the result of a slip and fall accident each year.