DANGEROUS CONDITIONS OR “SLIP AND FALL” CASES

Slips, trips, and falls can cause serious or even fatal injuries. In many situations, a slip and fall occurs because a business or store failed to maintain its property in a safe condition. Unfortunately, many stores and businesses demonstrate a pattern of failing to keep their premises safe for customers, resulting in repeated instances of slip and fall and trip and fall injuries. Some of the most frequent examples of dangerous and unsafe conditions that lead to a slip and fall include wet floors, uneven walking surfaces, and serious building code violations.

Glass & Robson is personal injury law firm focused exclusively on protecting and fighting for people who are injured through the carelessness and neglect of businesses, including in slip and fall and trip and fall cases. With nearly two decades of collective experience and a commitment to client advocacy, our knowledgeable Atlanta slip and fall lawyers provide the assistance you need to fight for full and fair compensation following a slip and fall.

WHEN CAN A VICTIM RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR INJURIES CAUSED BY A SLIP AND FALL?

In Georgia, a premises owner or tenant has a responsibility to keep and maintain the premises and approaches safe for customers and invited members of the public. A business that fails to take reasonable steps to maintain a safe premises and negligently allows customers to encounter dangerous slip and fall hazards can be held liable for the customer’s injuries. The responsibility of businesses to keep their premises safe applies to all companies large and small. Some of the most frequent places where slip and fall or trip and fall injuries occur include:

• Grocery stores
• Pharmacies
• Large retailers and box stores
• Apartment complexes
• Office buildings
• Shopping malls
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Parking lots
• Sports venues and convention centers
• Hospitals and medical providers
• Car dealerships
• Airport terminals
• Amusement parks

When a business invites customers to its property, the property owner or occupier has certain legal obligations to make sure the store and outdoor spaces leading to it are safe and free from slip and fall hazards. This responsibility applies to all customers and potential customers, even if the person has not completed a purchase or is simply accompanying a friend or family member to the business.

Cases involving slip and fall injuries are fact-sensitive, and the legal duties owed will vary based on the circumstances of the case and the nature of the property. Ultimately, it is up to the injured person to prove the business or store negligently caused the person’s injuries. This is done by showing that the store or business had “superior knowledge” of the slip and fall hazard and that the injured person exercised ordinary care for his or her own safety. While any number of unsafe conditions can result in a slip and fall, some of the most frequent hazards include:

• Wet floors
• Slippery walking surfaces
• Foreign objects (food, motor oil, soap/detergent, etc.)
• Static defects (potholes, unpainted parking stops)
• Missing or inadequate warning signs
  Uneven walking surfaces
• Inadequate lighting conditions
  Building code violations
• Unsafe escalators or staircases (missing or broken stairs, missing handrails, equipment malfunctions)

WHAT COMPENSATION IS AVAILABLE IN SLIP AND FALL CLAIMS?

Slip and fall injuries can be very serious with permanent and lasting injuries. Some of the most common injuries in slip and fall cases including:

• Head and brain injuries
• Neck injuries
• Shoulder injuries and rotator cuff tears
• Broken wrist and ligament tears
• Hip and knee injuries
• Lower back and tailbone injuries
• Broken or sprained ankles

Frequently, slip and fall victims are embarrassed when they fall and may not realize that they are injured. Only after the shock wears off do they notice their pain. If you or a loved one are injured from a slip and fall, you should immediately seek medical attention. Early diagnosis of a slip and fall injury gives a person the best opportunity to make a full recovery and avoid any issues with the insurance company about the cause of the person’s injuries.

When a person suffers injury from a slip and fall, they are entitled to recover all past and future medical bills due to the fall, even if their health insurance paid for all or a portion of the treatment. A person is also entitled to recover for lost wages from time missed from work, both past and future, as well as any decrease in their earnings from a reduced work schedule or hourly rate.

In addition to the economic losses, a person who is injured in a slip and fall is entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and permanent disfigurement or disability. The injuries from a slip and fall can be devastating and long lasting. A person may endure pain for months, years, or even a lifetime. While money cannot undue the physical and emotional scars, it can help a person cope with the mental anguish and provide financial security for them and their family.

HOW CAN AN ATLANTA SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENT LAWYER HELP?

A person who suffers injuries from a slip and fall should immediately seek medical attention. Only after the person has received medical treatment for their injuries should they seek the advice of a lawyer.

Cases involving slip and fall injuries can be very challenging and obtaining key evidence early on is crucial to winning a slip and fall case. The lawyers at Glass & Robson have handled numerous serious injury cases involving slip and fall and trip and falls. Our lawyers will work aggressively to investigate your case, including questioning witnesses and obtaining statements, securing video evidence from the business where you or a loved one fell, reviewing medical records and securing helpful medical testimony, taking depositions of store employees and management, visiting and photographing the scene, locating prior slip and fall victims, and requesting copies of all incident reports and claim forms.

Many times, the key evidence needed to win a slip and fall case can be lost or destroyed. Therefore, it is important to contact a lawyer immediately after your slip and fall to make sure that the store or business is on notice to preserve the evidence that is needed for your case. In addition, the premises liability lawyer can meet with witnesses and preserve their testimony by taking a recorded statement.

Under no circumstances should the victim of a slip and fall speak with the insurance company for a store or business where the person was injured. Insurance company adjusters routinely try and deceive slip and fall victims through what appear to be innocent questions about what happened only to later use the person’s statement against them if the person decides to file a claim. Some insurance company adjusters may offer to pay for a person’s medical bills or offer them a free gift card in exchange for a person waiving their legal right. Our qualified slip and fall lawyers can advise you on the merits of your case and provide an assessment of its actual value.

The lawyers in our firm have gone up against some of the biggest corporations and insurance companies in the country fighting on behalf of our clients for justice. We are ready to help you or a loved one injured in a slip and fall or trip and fall. Please give us a call at (404) 751-4702 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.