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Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of hospitalization in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of patients report to the emergency department due to injuries resulting from slip and fall incidents. While most of these injuries can resolve after a few weeks, months, or years, some can lead to lifelong consequences. Some of these consequences include physical incapacitation or immobility, dependence on nursing care, inability to work, etc.
Most slip and fall accidents occur on public wet surfaces due to the lack of proper caution. If you or your loved one got injured due to a wet surface slip and fall accident, you can pursue legal options to obtain financial compensation for your damages.
Causes of Wet Floor Slip and Fall Accidents
Although most public places keep a strict check on safety hazards like wet or slippery surfaces on the property, lapses in adhering to public safety standards can result in slip and fall accidents. Some of the most common causes of wet or slippery surfaces at public places like hotels, shopping malls, offices, and educational institutions include snow, rain, liquid spills, oil spills, floor cleaners, etc.
All public places are legally bound to place sufficient warning signs around the wet areas on the floor of their property to warn visitors and guests. Failure to provide adequate warning signs around liquid spills or freshly wiped floors can cause an individual to slip and fall, incurring severe physical injuries that might require medical or surgical treatment.
Who Is Responsible for Your Injuries?
While it is true that you can sue the property owner for damages resulting from a public wet surface slip and fall accident, it is essential to prove negligence on the part of the property owner to obtain financial compensation for your injuries. You will have to prove that the accident resulted from the wet surface, which was caused by the negligence of the property owner. It is also essential to prove that said property owner had or should have had the knowledge of the safety hazard at the property.
Such claims fall under the Premises Liability Law, according to which each property owner owes its guests or visitors a certain duty of care. By creating a wet surface that leads to slip and fall accidents and failing to warn visitors about it, the property owner directly violates this duty of care. In such cases, the owner of the public establishment can be held liable for the slip and fall accident.
In some cases, a person’s own negligence can also contribute to the accident. Depending on where you live, you can still seek damages for your slip and fall injuries, even if your own negligence somehow contributed to the accident. In these cases, a percentage is assigned to your level of fault, and the amount of compensation you receive through the lawsuit decreases in direct relation to this percentage.
Importance of Legal Representation
While it is possible to represent yourself in such slip and fall lawsuits, it is advisable to hire an experienced attorney from a reputable law firm, especially a slip and fall lawyer at Salamati Law Firm in Los Angeles, CA, to handle your case. A lawyer who has experience in these lawsuits can be your best chance to obtain fair financial compensation through a trial or settlement.
