Slip and fall injuries are all too common; whether you are walking in the mall, in the workplace, or your own kitchen making dinner. If you happen to slip in your kitchen after you spilled your pan, the fault in most cases would be your own. However, this is not always the circumstance for every falling accident. Believe it or not, every year there are thousands of injuries caused by slipping and falling alone? Many of these accidents happen as a result of wet floors, slippery stairwells, uneven surfaces, items on the floor, etc. if you were injured in a slip and fall accident, and you believe it was caused by another person, contact Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers today. At our firm we represent those who were wrongfully injured, and help them obtain compensation for their injuries and suffering.
Determining liability in one of these accidents can be a complicating process, which is why having a Shreveport personal injury attorney on your side is so helpful. First off, the slip must have happened on someone else’s property, such as at work or in a store. Next, the owner of the location or an employee must have been the cause of the wet or dangerous floor space. It is important to realize, however that accidents do happen, so the employer must have been aware of the hazard and willingly chose to do nothing about it. Lastly, the owner should have been aware of the hazard because there was a person designated to caring for the property keeping close watch for unsafe areas on the property.
In many cases; however, comparative negligence is brought up in a slip and fall accident. This means that the victim carries a level of fault as well. For example, had the victim been paying closer attention, would they have avoided the wet or unsafe floor space? Perhaps there were signs on the floor warning the passerby of the wet or hazardous area and because the victim was distracted they did not notice it. This is important to know especially when dealing with an insurance adjuster who will find how much fault you had in the accident. When dealing with contributory negligence, as long as you are able to prove that the other party holds more responsibility for the accident, you may still be able to receive some form of compensation for your injury.
A slip and fall accident caused by a spilled coffee at the mall; but, it is a different situation than a construction worker who slips on the job and is severely injured or killed as a result. Construction accidents, maritime injuries, and other dangerous occupations may result in much more severe injuries because of wet or slippery surfaces; therefore the responsibility lies with the employer to create a safe environment for their workers. If slippery surfaces are a part of the workplace, the employees need to be adequately trained and given the proper equipment to handle the situation; and when this does not happen, people are injured.
Essentially, proving liability in a slip and fall accident comes down to being able to show the court that the unsafe condition could have been preventable, had the person responsible been taking better care of their property. In the event that you or a loved one were injured in a slip and fall accident, please contact our firm today for the Shreveport injury lawyer you deserve on your side. Call us today at (318) 221-1508 to schedule an appointment with our legal team!
