No one expects to visit a store or the residence of another person and be injured as a result of the way in which the property is maintained. Despite this, all too often people are hurt in situations such as these. These injuries may be the result of many situations including slip and fall accidents. These incidents can result in a wide variety of injuries to the person involved, including cuts, bruises, bumps and broken bones. In more serious cases, the person involved might be hurt more severely and suffer something such as a head injury.
When someone is hurt in a slip and fall accident, he or she may file a lawsuit against the person or entity responsible for maintaining the property. To recover in a case of this nature, it must be shown that the owner or possessor of the property was aware that a dangerous condition existed and that the condition presented an unreasonable risk to a visitor. In addition, the injured person should not have expected that such a condition existed.
Slip-and-fall accidents can happen both inside and outside of a structure, as a result of many different situations including:
- Torn carpeting
- Changes in the floor or sidewalk
- Poor lighting
- Narrow stairs
- Wet floor
- A pothole
- A sidewalk that is not cleared off
Cases of this nature are fact specific. Accordingly, evidence of the condition needs to be collected in a timely manner. Because of this, the sooner an injured party contacts a personal injury lawyer for assistance, the better.