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Dedicated Lawrence Slip and Fall Lawyers on Your Side

The managers and owners of properties that are open to the public and other invitees have a duty to keep the property in a condition that is free of danger and hazardous conditions. When someone becomes the victim of a slip and fall accident as a result of a dangerous condition, then the property owner or manager has breached that duty. If you suffered injury or lost a loved one due to a slip and fall incident, call Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Lawrence slip and fall lawyers for your free consultation.

Common Slip and Fall Injuries

The Lawrence slip and fall lawyers at JHC know that falling accidents can result in a wide range of injuries. Minor incidents may result in a few bumps and bruises. The most serious accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries—or even death. While the injuries are typically immediately obvious, such as a broken bone resulting from a slip and fall, other injuries may not become apparent until days after the incident.

Some common injuries that occur as the result of a slip and fall accident include:

• Back and neck injuries: Sometimes a slip and fall can cause a back strain or sprain. When the fall is from a great height, it can lead to more serious injuries, such as a broken back and spinal cord damage.
• Broken bones and fractures: These injuries can consist of fractures to the hands, arms, feet, and legs, as well as broken skulls that result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
• Knee injuries: Slipping on a wet or slick surface can cause a person to twist and turn in a manner that causes serious injury to the knee.
• Ligament and tendon damage: If a slip and fall is caused by a slippery or slick surface, ligaments and tendons can be torn, resulting in serious injury that can require a long recovery period.

Slip and Fall Conditions

Slip and fall injuries can occur nearly anywhere. Most cases typically take place in a business or store that has failed to maintain safe surfaces. This can include liquids spilled on the floor, failure to place signage to warn of the slipping hazard, improperly securing a carpet or rug, poor lighting, broken stairway rails, and exposed obstacles that present a tripping hazard. Any of these conditions can cause someone to fall from losing traction, slipping, stumbling, or tripping due to a negligent hazard.

Some common locations for a slip and fall to happen include:

• Businesses
• Grocery stores
• Hospitals
• Restaurants
• Retail establishments
• Salons and spas
• Shopping centers and malls
• Sidewalks
• Residences of friends, family, or neighbors

Proving Negligence in Slip and Fall Injury Cases

Slip and fall cases can be complex and difficult to successfully pursue. One common difficulty is obtaining the evidence necessary to show:

• The property owner or manager for the property caused the unsafe conditions that resulted in the slip and fall and did not take action to block off the unsafe area, repair the hazardous conditions, and/or properly warn visitors about the conditions.

• The property owner or manager for the property had knowledge of the unsafe conditions that resulted in the slip and fall and did not take action to block off the unsafe area, repair the hazardous conditions, and/or properly warn visitors about the conditions.
• The property owner or manager for the property should have known about the unsafe conditions that resulted in the slip and fall because a “reasonable” person in the same circumstances would have been aware of them, and could and should have taken action to block off the unsafe area, repair the hazardous conditions and/or properly warn visitors about the conditions.

To succeed on a claim, you must prove at least one of these circumstances existed. JHC’s Lawrence, Kansas, slip and fall lawyers will collect and examine all available evidence to make your case.

Contact JHC’s Lawrence Slip and Fall Lawyers Today

If you have been injured as a result of a slip and fall, consult with an attorney to determine whether you have a viable claim for damages. An initial consultation with JHC’s Lawrence, Kansas, slip and fall attorneys costs nothing, and we will not charge attorneys’ fees unless and until we recover money for you. Call our Lawrence office at (785) 856-0143 or fill out our online form.

FAQs 

Are property owners responsible for a slip and fall as the result of snow and ice accumulation?

Laws and regulations pertaining to responsibility for removal of snow and ice from inclement weather vary by state and municipality. In general, a property owner or manager must keep their property in a condition that is not dangerous for visitors and the general public. Landlords have a duty to keep common areas safe for tenants. Property owners and managers also need to take care that they do not make the conditions at a property unsafe by improper removal of snow and ice, which can make them liable if someone is injured and makes a claim.

What is a “slip and fall” accident?

Even though it is called a “slip and fall,” the term refers to an area of personal injury law that involves a dangerous condition under foot that causes a misstep, overextension, stumble, twist, or other movement that results in injury.

Will I be blamed for the slip and fall?

Owners, operators, and managers are not automatically liable for injuries sustained on their property. They may argue that the injured person caused the fall. A typical defense used by property owners in slip and fall cases is to question the footwear worn by the victim at the time of the slip and fall. It is also a regular tactic to call into question whether the person who was injured was paying attention to their surroundings or if they were distracted at the time of the slip and fall. Your case may also be more complicated if you:

• were injured while trespassing on the property where the slip and fall accident happened
• behaved in a careless manner that contributed to the slip and fall accident
• should have been able to evade the slip and fall accident because a reasonable person in the same circumstances would have been aware of the hazard and avoided falling

However, you can recover compensation even if you are partially at fault for the incident.