Slip and Fall Lawyer: Getting What's Owed

May 5
18:52

2012

Andrew Stratton

Andrew Stratton

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For most young people, the most common reaction to someone falling is to laugh. But in many cases, it is no laughing matter. If you've been hurt due to falling on someone else's property, you may need to contact a slip and fall lawyer.

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For most young people,Slip and Fall Lawyer: Getting What's Owed Articles the most common reaction to someone falling is to laugh. But in many cases, it is no laughing matter. A significant number of injuries to seniors occur because of falling accidents, and no shortage of younger individuals have had their lives changed by an injury suffered due to the same thing. When you trip and hurt yourself in your living room, you may have no one to blame but yourself. But if you do so on someone else's property because of their negligence, you may need to contact a slip and fall lawyer. Filing a lawsuit isn't about getting rich off your own misfortune; it's about correcting a wrong.

A slip and fall lawyer works in a field of law governed by premises liability. In general terms, this concept means that a property owner is responsible for keeping their property in a certain condition. If they are going to have guests (or customers), it is up to them to ensure that they provide a safe environment for those people. When they fail to live up to this responsibility, tragedy can happen. If there is a freshly waxed floor in the grocery store without clear warning signs, it could lead to an accident. The same is true of creaky boards in an old home or a set of stairs without a proper railing system. The accident that occurs could hurt no more than the victim's pride. In other cases, it could lead to serious injury or even death.

If you've been the victim in such a situation, you should understand that having suffered an accident that resulted in injury may entitle you to compensation in your own mind, but not necessarily in the eyes of a jury. Any slip and fall lawyer will tell you that many such cases are very difficult to win. You have to prove clear negligence on the part of the property owner and that isn't always easy to do. If you want to begin taking steps towards a settlement, however, you should contact an attorney and get a professional opinion on your prospects. It may not even hurt to get several.

To get the compensation you feel you're entitled to, a slip and fall lawyer will need to prove one of three things in court. One, they will need to show proof that the dangerous condition was caused by the owner of the property. Two, they will need to prove that the owner knew about the condition of the surface and chose to do nothing about it. Otherwise, he will need to prove they should have known about it and would have if they were not negligent in their duties. A combination of these factors can make your case more successful.