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A slip or trip and fall at a grocery store, restaurant, parking lot, or friend’s home can potentially result in serious injuries. If a slip and fall injury occurs because of the property owner, manager, or landlord’s negligence, the injured individual may have a viable case to recover personal injury damages.
A Fort Mill slip and fall lawyer at Schiller & Hamilton could offer legal counsel about your potential claim if you were injured in a recent fall on someone else’s property. If the owner failed in their legal duty of care to you as a visitor on their premises, a personal injury attorney could help you build a compelling claim for damages and work hard to help you recover just compensation.
Frequent Causes of Tripping Accidents
Several common accidents can result in serious slip and fall injuries. Hazards such as loose floorboards, old stairways, potholes in parking lots or sidewalks, and wet surfaces are some of the most common causes of slip and fall incidents. Part of the reason that slip and falls can result in such serious injury is that they usually happen suddenly, giving the individual little time to react to prevent themselves from being injured.
For instance, when someone encounters an unexpected slick spot on the floor of a grocery store, they could easily slip, twisting their ankle or landing hard on their side as they fall to the ground, resulting in muscle injuries or broken bones. Slip and fall accidents can also result in spinal cord injuries, fractured bones, and head injuries.
Modified Comparative Negligence in a Slip and Fall
Slipping and falling on someone’s property does not always mean that the owner is liable. The injured claimant’s attorney must be able to show that the owner’s negligence caused or contributed to the slip and fall incident. Property owners have a duty to legal visitors to take reasonable care to keep them safe from harm, whether by resolving hidden dangers or warning visitors about property hazards that could result in injury. If an owner defaults on their legal duty, such as by failing to notify a visitor about dangerous and defective stairs, they can be liable for negligence if someone is consequently injured and sustains damages.
When someone is injured in a slip and fall, but their negligence was partly responsible for the incident, the state’s modified comparative negligence rule applies. Per South Carolina Code of Laws § 15-38-15, the modified comparative negligence rule allows an injured individual to recover damages if they are no more than 49 percent at fault for the underlying accident. The court will then subtract the individual’s percentage of negligence from their total award of compensation.
Getting a Slip and Fall Case Started
The deadline to get a slip and fall claim started is three years from the date the person is injured. If an individual does not file a claim against the property owner within three years, they can lose their right to seek compensation for their medical bills, pain, and suffering, wage loss, and other damages. Therefore, a person injured in a slip and fall should contact a Fort Mill attorney as soon as possible after their incident.
Retain The Services Of A Fort Mill Slip and Fall Attorney
A Fort Mill slip and fall lawyer can give you more information about filing a lawsuit. An attorney can correspond with the property owner’s insurance company and handle all aspects of negotiating for a fair settlement. A lawyer can work hard to reclaim all damages owed to you. Call now to book a consultation with a Fort Mill lawyer.