Slip and Fall Accidents
“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and is injured on someone else’s property. There are many dangerous conditions like torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor that can cause someone to slip and be injured. The same is true if someone were to trip on a broken or cracked public sidewalks, or falls down a flight of stairs. This occurs in the summer season mostly when puddles or leaks are formed (usually from rain, wet clothes, leaks,etc.).
In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or falls outdoors because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.
Either way, the plaintiff must have suffered some kind of injury, however minor in order to collect.
Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases
There is no precise way to determine when someone is legally responsible for your injuries if you slip or trip. Each case is based on whether the property owner acted carefully and took preventative steps to avoid slipping or tripping.
You can find some general rules below to help you decide whether someone else was at fault for your slip or trip and fall injury:
In most cases, the person injured in a slip and fall must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner of the property knew of the dangerous condition and neglected to react. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party did not anticipate under the circumstances.
In order to establish that a property owner knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that the owner:
• created the condition
• knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it, or
• the condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the incident in question in the first place
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall and needs legal help, please contact Rob Levine & Associates. Our experienced personal injury lawyers will review your case to help you understand what your next steps should be. Getting legal help can put your mind at ease and let your focus on getting better.
At Rob Levine & Associates we are experienced in personal injury cases in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Our team is available 24/7 to help you. Contact us at 888.533.7507 or visit our website for more information.
