Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents

Trips, slips, and falls are a staple for viral home videos that give us a good laugh. As a society in general, we love to watch and laugh as others slip and fall. All of us have fallen down at one time or another, causing us to cringe in sympathy for the unsuspecting victim that loses their footing.

As funny as these videos are, the real injuries that are possible are not a laughing matter. Broken limbs, concussions, paralysis, and death can really take the humor out of most situations.

Have you been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident? While you may feel embarrassed, it is best to speak up because compensation may be due from the property owner. The following points can help you decide if your slip and fall was just a matter of clumsiness:

• Did you trip or slip on something? Immediately after recovering from the fall, look around at your surroundings. Did you fall because it was icy or perhaps wet? Was there an object out of place that caused you to trip? Was there an uncovered hole that you stepped into?
• What caused the dangerous condition and how long had it been dangerous? Property owners are generally responsible for keeping their property safe, but they can’t predict everything. If the condition only existed for a few minutes or in some situations a few hours, it is possible that a court may decide that your fall was an unfortunate accident that even with good safety policies and practices in place could not have prevented. If, however, the property owner knew – or should have known – about the dangerous condition and did nothing to correct it, he or she may be liable for your injuries. This is doubly true if the property owner or one of his employees actually caused the dangerous condition.
• Were you also negligent? It is important to determine if you were also at fault for the accident. It is expected that we can all walk down the street looking out for dangerous situations. While property owners can held responsible, you also have a responsibility to pay attention to your surroundings. For example, if you were texting and did not see a sign warning that the floor was wet, you may be found to have contributed to your own injuries. That may not always mean that you won’t recover anything, but the amount of your recovery could be reduced by the percentage the court finds you contributed to your injuries.

Each slip and fall case is unique. There are many factors to be considered before determining who was at fault. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact an experienced Tennessee personal injury attorney at High Law Office, PLLC. We can help!