What Does It Mean to Be Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident?

Here at Darrell Castle & Associates, I’ve met with hundreds of people who’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident. We also call these premises liability cases.

Slip and fall injuries can be far more serious than some people imagine. They can require surgery and long hospital stays. But what does it take to prove a slip and fall actually occurred and that you deserve compensation?

Simply put, in premises liability cases, there has to be negligence that caused the injury, and you have to be able to prove that negligence.

If you’re in a commercial building and slip and fall, causing an injury, you need to be able to prove either:

  • what you slipped on was left there by an employee, and/or
  • the store management didn’t clean it up in a reasonable time

You don’t have to prove the person intended to cause harm. In fact, the vast majority of slip and fall accidents are exactly that — accidents. But someone has to pay for the damages, and this is how the law determines which insurance policy is responsible.

Slip and Fall Case Example

We had a case a while back in which a woman slipped and fell in a restaurant.  She was there around lunch time and the trash can had overflowed in the lobby area.  There was soda in one of the cups in the trash can and the syrup had leaked out. The woman slipped and fell on the mess and had a pretty serious injury. When the woman came to us, we took the case.

The restaurant originally denied all allegations.  They claimed they had nothing to do with the garbage overflowing. They said it happened during their busy lunch rush and customers were throwing things away left and right, causing the overflow. So we checked into their maintenance records.

By their own standard of procedure, they are supposed to empty their trash cans every hour. But they hadn’t followed through on that requirement at the time our client slipped and fell.  After proving that, we won the case and our client received the compensation she deserved.

Memphis Slip and Fall Attorney

We’ve had many other cases such as these in grocery stores, casinos, and retail centers. We know that some people make a lot of assumptions about slip and fall cases, but in reality these accidents can cause serious injury and debt.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a slip and fall accident, we want to go to bat for you. We take every case seriously and we show our clients respect and compassion while fighting hard on your behalf.

To discuss your case for free, contact us online today or call us at (901) 327-1212.