Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip-and-falls are a leading cause of injuries. In fact, the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) estimates that slip-and-fall accidents account for more than 1 million emergency room visits every year.
Slip & Fall accidents often occur because a property owner allowed an unsafe condition to exist on his or her premises.
If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, Georgia law allows you to bring a premises liability claim against the negligent property owner, including individuals and businesses, for:
- Failure to maintain or repair dangerous conditions on their property, or
- Failure to adequately warn visitors of the danger.
To be successful, a premises liability claim would have to demonstrate:
- The property owner knew of the danger or should have known, and
- Had an opportunity to resolve the problem or warn visitors about it but did not do so.
To learn more about your legal rights and options if you have been the victim of a slip and fall, call the Mann Law Firm today or contact us online. We help injury victims throughout Macon and Middle Georgia. We can provide a free initial consultation about your case.
A Slip-and-Fall Accident Can Happen Anywhere
As we have seen at Mann Law Firm, the negligence that typically leads to a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injury is the property owner’s failure to clean up a spill or some other hazard or the failure to perform basic, reasonable repairs that would have eliminated the danger.
Some examples of property owner negligence include:
- Water tracked into the lobby of an office building or store that is not mopped up
- Merchandise stacked where it blocks a portion of a grocery store aisle
- Broken steps or handrails in the stairwell of an apartment complex that are ignored
- Potholes in a parking lot that are left open with no warning of their existence
- Loose and broken paving stones at a local park
- Insufficient lighting in a hallway or common area
- Cracked sidewalk pavement outside a mall
- Uneven curbs on a city street.
Slip-and-fall accidents also happen to employees at work. The NFSI says slips and falls are the nation’s leading cause of workers’ compensation claims and the top cause of lost days from work.
Because slip-and-fall accidents can cause serious injuries like broken bones, hip fractures (especially among the elderly), traumatic brain injury (TBI), back injuries and torn ligaments, it is important to seek compensation for the losses you suffer.
In most cases, this compensation can be provided by turning to the individual’s homeowner’s insurance or the commercial property owner’s insurance.
Pursuing Your Slip-and-Fall Accident Claim
At Mann Law Firm, we would thoroughly investigate your slip-and-fall accident, including:
- Examining the accident scene
- Taking and collecting photos of the accident scene and injuries you suffered
- Interviewing witnesses and those with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding your fall
- Gathering records showing the maintenance of the area of the fall (or a lack thereof).
A lawyer from our firm would also review your medical records, employment records and other documentation that would indicate the extent of your injuries and the impact on your life. A client can assist in this effort by keeping track of these records and, in some cases, keeping a journal that tracks his or her medical treatment and therapy.
We can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to seek a settlement of your claim. Attorney David Mann once served as counsel for a major insurance company. He can use his background to help the insurance company understand your case for compensation and to counter common tactics.
For instance, insurance companies often invoke the “open and obvious doctrine” in slip-and-fall cases. They may contend that the victim failed to pay attention to where he or she was walking. It is helpful to have an attorney representing you who will focus on whether you acted just as any other reasonable person would have acted.
If no settlement is reached, we will be prepared to take the strongest case possible to court.
Get Legal Help from a Macon Slip-and-Fall Attorney Today
If you or a family member has been injured in a slip-and-fall accident anywhere in the Middle Georgia area, an experienced attorney from the Mann Law Firm can help you to seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses.
To get started on your case, call us today or use our online form and receive a free review of your case.