Slip and falls cause serious injuries and result in victims missing countless days of work each year. Some falls are unavoidable, but others stem from negligent maintenance of the property. At Meagher Injury Lawyers, we work closely with accident victims to determine whether they can sue for compensation.
A slip and fall or trip and fall is an example of a premises liability claim. These are difficult claims to pursue. Property owners often have many defenses they can raise, and you need solid evidence to show who is to blame for your tumble. Contact our law firm to speak with a Shelbyville slip/trip and fall lawyer for more information.
Some people trip over their own feet, but most falls are caused by some hazard on the property. These hazards might occur naturally, but others are created by the property owner.
In our experience, many of our slip/trip and fall clients are upended by:
Most injuries occur when the person falls. Someone falling down a flight of stairs can suffer a traumatic impact with each step they slam against. Other people get injured when they wrench their bodies to prevent a fall.
The most serious injuries include:
Falls also might be fatal, especially when a person falls down a flight of stairs or lands directly on their head.
If you are injured in a fall, you should quickly meet with an attorney to determine if you have a lawsuit. The fact that you fell isn’t enough to make the property owner liable. We need to look at other factors, such as whether the owner created the hazard or whether it was naturally occurring.
Another key factor is whether the owner knew about the hazard. Imagine if someone drops a jar of mayonnaise in a grocery store aisle a minute before you walk by and slip on it. The store probably didn’t know about the spill, so they had no time to warn customers or clean it up. The analysis is different if someone dropped the jar an hour ago. A careful store would have staff regularly inspect the aisles.
We will carefully review all evidence to determine whether you can sue. Then we take steps to make sure you have the evidence you need to show the property owner is to blame.
Some victims are so hurt they can only lie on the ground and beg for an ambulance. But if you can move around, we recommend the following. You can bolster your case if you follow these steps:
Kentucky gives an injury victim only one year to file a lawsuit. That is barely enough time for most people. You are probably spending day and night rehabbing your injuries and trying to figure out how to return to work. A lawsuit might be the last thing on your mind. Nonetheless, if you go past this deadline, you lose the ability to sue.
This deadline is important even if you hope to settle your claim. When the statute of limitations expires, you lose all leverage in settlement negotiations.
Meagher Injury Lawyers will protect your rights following a fall accident. Please contact us today. We can possibly sue a retailer, school, grocery, gas station, store owner, property owner, or government entity for a fall in its building. Call our law office today for a free consultation.