Watch out! Slick surfaces, wet floors, defective stairs, and damaged walkways – all can cause serious injuries if you’re not careful. However, there are times when these conditions are due to the negligence of the property owner. When your injuries are the fault of another, then you might be eligible for a personal injury claim. Slip and falls are one of the most common types of personal injury accidents, but liability can sometimes be difficult to prove. The personal injury attorneys Wichita, KS of Lee Gurney have seen firsthand how these injuries affect lives of victims.
Our Personal Injury Attorneys Wichita, KS Want to Protect Victims of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and falls should not be taken lightly. They can result in broken wrists, arms, ankles, hip fractures, head injuries, and brain damage. Each year, over 2.8 million older people are injured from falling. Over 800,000 of these victims are treated for head injuries and/or hip fractures (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Liability
“For slip and fall claims, it must be proven that your injury was directly caused by the property owner’s actions or negligence,” says Larry Gurney, personal injury attorney. “Owners have a responsibility to keep their grounds safe, and take necessary actions to prevent potential dangers.”
A property owner is responsible for your slip and fall injury in a number of situations:
- The dangerous surface was caused by the owner or an employee.
- The owner knew about the hazardous surface, but did nothing to fix it or warn visitors.
- The owner “should have” known about the dangerous surface, because a “reasonable” person would have fixed it.
Proving what a “reasonable” person would do can sometimes be tricky. However there are several factors that can help determine liability. Does the owner regularly maintain their property? How long was the hazard there before the accident? Did the owner have time to notice and fix it? Was a warning sign clearly posted?
Carelessness
“The injured person’s own carelessness or inability to avoid a dangerous situation also comes into play,” says Chuck Hess, personal injury attorney Wichita, KS. “In these instances you may not have a claim. Did you miss a clearly marked sign? Did you have reason to be on the property? Were you distracted or being careless in your own actions?”
If you believe you have been the victim of a slip and fall injury, please contact the office of Lee Gurney for a free consultation. Our personal injury attorneys Wichita, KS will go over your options and determine if you have a claim. We are honored to serve your case!