Slip and Fall
It’s a term that is most respond with a funny story; however, “Slip and Fall” is a serious legal matter. Slip and fall results from an injury suffered due to hazardous conditions on someone else’s property.
When someone is injured due to a slip and fall as a result of the use of another’s property and its condition, they may have a right to make a claim for their damages against the owner of the property. Many homeowners and business owners fail to secure a sufficient level of liability insurance to cover the amount of any damages from the accident on their property.
Although falls are most common in people over the age of 65, anyone can have a slip and fall accident. In fact, statistics from the National Safety Counsel show falls as the leading cause of non fatal injuries treated in the emergency room, with nearly 8 million people treated fall-related injuries in 2001. In 2002, 14,500 people died from falls from one level to another or on the same level. Studies show 60 percent of all falls are related to a slipping or tripping incident, with such likely causes as a foreign object on the walking surface, a design flaw in the walking surface, a slippery surface caused by weather or a spill, or a persons impaired physical or mental condition. If the latter is the case or if the injured party in the slip and fall incident should have been aware of the dangerous surface and avoided it, the fault lies solely on victim. In other cases, however, liability can be questioned.
Because deciding one’s responsibility is often a subjective task, slip and fall lawsuits are tricky to handle and decided by common sense. Additionally, because there are frequently several people involved in representing a property-such as the property owner, tenant or business, landlord or manager- the responsible party is not always obvious. An attorney from Nunley Wheelock, P.C., familiar with slip and fall cases, can help you determine who is at fault for your incident. Insurance companies more often than not attempt to characterize your injuries from a slip and fall in a dismissive manner.
Do You Have a Case?
In Michigan, premises liability claims are made for injuries sustained as the result of someone else’s negligence. Hidden hazards on property or extremely dangerous conditions that property owners negligently fail to remedy cause injury to thousands of innocent people every year.
Valid Premises Liability claims have traditionally been made for dangerous and hazardous conditions that include:
- Standing puddles of water
- Uncleared snow
- Black ice (clear ice not noticeable on payment)
- Inadequate lighting
- Defective flooring
- Stairways and steps
- Hidden drop offs
- Concealed holes
This area of personal injury law in Michigan has undergone more change than the any other area of Premises Liability law. Unfortunately, the Michigan Supreme Court decisions in Michigan have placed restrictions on the ability of an injured party to bring a claim. Therefore, you should immediately consult with an attorney at Nunley Wheelock, P.C., who has experience in this constantly changing area of law. Our office is proud to always offer a free consultation to anyone who has suffered injury as the result of someone’s negligence.