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Slipping and falling causes thousands of injuries each year, some of them causing people continual suffering and expense. If the fall occurs on someone else’s property, there’s a chance that the victim could sue the property owner. It falls under the category of law known as “Premises Liability.”
Anyone who allows others to enter their property is liable for most injuries that happen on that property. But there are some questions that need to be answered before blame can truly be assigned.
For instance, injuries can be caused by a number of situations, like puddles, broken or uneven flooring, missing hand rails, debris in the walking space, and other situations.
Here are some questions you should ask before filing a law suit against a property owner:
- If a person slipped on a spilled liquid, was it there long enough for the owner to be aware of it and clean it up?
- Is the property regularly cleaned/maintained? If so, is there proof of such a cleaning regimen for the property?
- If the victim tripped over something, like a stack of boxes, was there a good explanation of why the boxes were there? Could they have been stored out of the way, or should there have been a barrier or sign that kept people from getting hurt by them?
- How was the lighting in the slip and fall area? Was it hard to see?
- Was the victim paying attention to what they were doing?
- Did the victim have a valid reason for being on the property?
- Is it reasonable that the victim could have avoided the slip and fall?
Know your rights and ask questions; many lawyers, like a personal injury attorney Southern California law firm, will allow a free consultation before filing.
