Premises Liability Cases: Slip and Fall

A restaurant visitor slips on a grease spill near the kitchen. A child falls after slipping on a collected pool of water at an amusement park. A delivery service representative slips and falls down a stairway that has broken or poorly lit steps.

If the individual in these situations has been injured, these become slip and fall injuries. If the injured person makes a legal claim for injuries suffered due to a hazardous condition, this type of case is called a premises liability lawsuit.

While individuals have a certain responsibility to watch where they're going, property owners have obligations to maintain their properties in a safe manner.

Slip and fall injuries, including trip and fall injuries, can be caused by many unsafe conditions both inside and outside, including:

• Torn carpeting
• Flooring changes
• Narrow stairs
• Poor lighting
• Wet floor
• Foreign substances on floor
• Cracked or broken sidewalks
• Hidden hazard like a pothole
• Failure to treat or remove ice and snow

These types of hazards are caused by:

• Unsafe walkways maintained by municipalities
• Poor retail store and restaurant maintenance
• Amusement park accidents
• Neglected snow and ice
• Construction zone accidents
• Stairways not properly maintained according to code

All property owners, managers and tenants have an obligation to make sure that their property is not dangerous to anyone entering the premises and must comply with these safety principles:

• The design and construction of the building and grounds must be fundamentally safe.
• The property must have adequate security, lighting, exits and guardrails.
• Dangerous conditions must be remedied quickly.
• Wet spots must be made safe.
• Ice and snow must be promptly removed.
• Safety policies including regular inspections must be in place.

The property owner, manager or tenant has a legal responsibility to warn visitors, residents or patrons of any hazard or defect. Additionally, they must take the appropriate action to fix dangerous situations in a timely manner.

Assigning blame or liability for a slip and fall injury is not always straightforward. The property owner or an employee must have caused or known about the hazard, or should have known about it because a "reasonable" person taking care of the area would have discovered and dealt with it.

However, if negligence can be shown to have contributed to injuries suffered on someone else's property or business, you or your family members may be eligible for compensation for suffering and loss.

The Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria, P.A. has extensive experience in representing victims who have been injured in slip and falls or any other type of premises liability injury. You may be eligible for compensation if the accident was due to someone's negligence. Please call us for a free consultation. Attorney Diana Santa Maria, personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale, will fight to get you the compensation that you and your family deserve. You can reach us at (954) 434-1077 or contact us via the website.