A person who visits someone else’s property—whether a private residence, a business, or a government building—expects it to be reasonably safe. If the owner or manager is aware of unsafe conditions, they should be clearly marked to warn visitors and to prevent accidents.
In some cases, a property owner’s, manager’s, or employee’s negligence leads to a slip and fall accident. A fall can cause serious harm, including broken bones, head injuries, cuts, and scrapes. An accident can have particularly severe consequences if the victim falls down a flight of stairs or lands on a hard surface, such as a driveway.
If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, you may have been treated in the hospital and may need to continue to receive ongoing care from a chiropractor or a physical therapist. You might have undergone or need surgery. Because of the injuries you suffered in the accident, you could be unable to work, either temporarily or permanently.
The medical bills and lost income adding up might put a strain on your family financially. You may have used up your emergency fund and are tapping into your retirement savings to cover basic living expenses, such as your mortgage, rent, and groceries.
An Atlanta slip and fall injury lawyer may be able to help you seek justice. Ben Crump Law, PLLC, has represented clients across the United States who were hurt in accidents and helped them seek financial compensation. We may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person, business, or government entity that was liable for your injuries. Call our office at (855) 933-4005 to discuss your case and your legal options with a member of our staff.
How a Slip and Fall Accident Can Occur
A variety of hazardous conditions can cause someone to fall. A broken or uneven step, a damaged railing, a spill that was not wiped up, a floor that was recently mopped and not marked, a cracked or uneven sidewalk, and a walkway covered with snow or ice are just some examples. Poor lighting can increase the likelihood of an accident.
Owners and managers of private homes, businesses, and government buildings have a duty to address these sorts of conditions to prevent accidental injuries. Some issues can be handled immediately. For example, a spill can be mopped up, and a sign can be used to warn visitors that the floor is wet so they can avoid it.
Other hazards, such as a damaged staircase or sidewalk, may require professional repairs. Until those conditions can be fixed, they can be blocked or roped off, and signs can be posted warning people of the danger. If those steps are not taken, an unsuspecting visitor can fall and get hurt.
For a free legal consultation with a slip and fall injury lawyer serving Atlanta, call (855) 933-4005
Liability for a Slip and Fall Accident
If an accident occurs at a private residence, the owner may be liable. At a rental property, the landlord or building manager has a responsibility to ensure that conditions are safe and to maintain and repair the property.
In the case of a slip and fall accident, the owner or property manager may be found negligent and held liable. If someone falls and gets hurt at a business, the owner or manager may be found responsible. In the case of an accident at a government building, the state or local government may be held liable.
The team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, can investigate to find out whether someone was negligent. To prove negligence, we will need to demonstrate that a responsible party was aware of a dangerous condition, or should have been aware of it, and failed to take reasonable steps to protect people from harm.
We can interview you and other people who were present at the time of the accident. In a case involving a business or a government building, we may interview the owner, manager, and employees, and review maintenance and repair records. We can also review any surveillance or cellphone video of the accident that may exist, as well as any photos that were taken around the time of the accident that show the unsafe condition that led to your fall.
Atlanta Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer Near Me (855) 933-4005
How an Atlanta Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer Can Help You Seek Justice
Suppose we find that the owner or manager of the property was aware of a hazardous condition and did not take appropriate action to address it or should have been aware of the danger. In this case, we may file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries. We can pursue a financial award to cover your medical expenses (past and future), lost income, and pain and suffering.
If you were injured on federal, state, or local government property, seeking justice may be more complicated. Sovereign immunity limits government liability in some cases. We may be able to file a lawsuit against the relevant government body if an employee who was acting in an official capacity failed to take appropriate action to prevent an accident, and you fell and were injured because of that individual’s negligence.
In some cases, a victim’s actions contribute to an accident. For instance, a staircase may have a broken step, but a person may ignore a warning sign and use the stairs anyway. In that case, both the owner or manager of the property and the victim share liability.
Many states have comparative negligence laws to deal with those sorts of situations. Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence law, you may be entitled to compensation if your actions contributed to the accident, as long as you were less than half liable. A financial award that you would have been entitled to if you had not shared any responsibility will be reduced by a percentage to account for your level of fault.
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Consult with an Atlanta Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer
Ben Crump Law, PLLC, may be able to help you seek compensation for the losses you suffered because of an accident, but you have a limited amount of time to act.
According to the Georgia Civil Code § 9-3-33, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years. For claims against the state of Georgia, you must file a notice of claim within 12 months, according to Georgia Code § 50-21-26. If you believe the City of Atlanta is liable for your injuries, you must file a claim within six months, according to the City of Atlanta, GA. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (855) 933-4005 so we can begin working on your case as soon as possible.
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