When you fall on someone’s property, you may attribute it to two things: one is that you are just clumsy, and out of your own nature slipped and fell. The second is that there was a reason for your fall, and the owner of the property is the cause of the injury.
If you can prove that the owner of the property was to blame for your fall, and subsequent injury, you may be able to take legal action against them.
Examples of slip and fall accidents:
Not all reasons for a fall can be attributed to something that the owner did. Some examples of reasons individuals turned to filing a lawsuit for their slip and fall include:
- Loose floor boards
- Crumbling sidewalk
- Failing to shovel or plow ice or snow
- Wet floor without a sign
- Exposed cables on the ground
Typically, you need to be able to prove two things in order to hold someone negligent for your slip and fall injury:
- Property owner created the conditions: If the owner of the premises actually created the problem and did not alert you or fix it, they may be negligent. For example, if they spilled on the floor and did not clean it up or if they left an obstruction in your path and you tripped over it, you may be able to take legal action.
- Property owner should have prevented the conditions: If the owner of the premises did not compete their duty by preventing conditions that led to your slip and fall injury, they can be held liable. For example, if after a heavy snowfall they did nothing to clear the sidewalk or walkway and you slip and fall, they may be responsible.
Slipping and falling on someone property can be embarrassing, but when it leads to injury, you do not need to just brush it off and blame it on clumsiness. Knowing what you need to prove in order to gain compensation for your injury can be beneficial.