Slip and Fall

Slip and fall accidents happen all the time. Whether you are shopping for groceries, walking through a hotel lobby, strolling through a city park, crossing a parking lot, or descending some stairs, an uneven or slick surface can cause you to lose your footing and fall to the ground. While injuries caused by slip and fall accidents may heal relatively quickly, some victims may suffer broken bones, torn muscles, or other painful injuries requiring extensive (and costly) medical treatments. If you sustained a slip and fall injury that occurred on someone else’s property, you have the right to file a personal injury case to recover the compensation you need to support your recovery. The trusted and empathetic legal team at Henderson Taylor Law Firm PLLC is prepared to help you evaluate your slip and fall injury case to identify the most strategic path forward. Together, we will seek to maximize your settlement offer to ensure you secure the compensation you need to cover the medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses associated with the accident. 

Premises Liability Claims in Washington and Oregon

State laws establish that property owners carry an obligation to keep their properties reasonably safe for anyone who visits the premises lawfully. Anyone who owns residential property (i.e., apartments, condominiums, single-family homes, duplexes, etc.) or commercial property (i.e., shopping malls, retail stores, hotels, hospitals, private schools, university campuses, and other establishments open to the public) must keep the premises in good repair and free of hazards. A proprietor’s failure to address potential safety risks, such as slick surfaces, broken steps, or uneven walkways, may result in a slip and fall accident victim filing a premises liability claim against them. Essentially, a premises liability claim allows the victim to hold the property owner financially responsible for breaching their legal obligation to maintain the safety of the property.

Establishing Legal Responsibility in Premises Liability Claims

While owners are responsible for maintaining their property’s safety, it’s important to recognize that they are not automatically liable when an accident happens. The plaintiff must identify the property’s hazard that caused the accident and prove that the property owner should have known about it and taken steps to repair it. There are several scenarios in which the injured party can establish negligence. For example, the property owner or employees may have created a hazardous condition, such as spilling a considerable amount of liquid in an area of the property where they know that customers often visit. If they fail to mop up the mess, someone may slip and fall as a result, suffering an injury in the process. In this case, the owner failed to clean up the spill, so the plaintiff will illustrate how this negligence led to a slip-and-fall accident. It’s equally important to understand that a successful premises liability claim only applies to visitors who have the legal right to visit the property. Trespassers are not eligible to recover compensation for any injuries they suffered while on the property without the owner’s consent. 

Preparing a Strong Premises Liability Claim

Even if you do not believe the injuries you sustained in the slip and fall accident are severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, you should still schedule a doctor’s appointment within the next few days. The medical professional can evaluate you for any harder-to-detect injuries, such as internal bleeding or hairline fractures. Additionally, the medical records established by your visit will be useful when you move forward with your premises liability claim. The more evidence you can provide that details the nature and extent of your injuries, the more compelling your claim will be in justifying your request for compensation. Be sure to follow through on all recommended medical treatments (i.e., follow-up visits, physical therapy appointments, etc.) to show how seriously you are taking your recovery.