If you fell while you were out in public because you slipped on something or tripped over something that was in your path, you may assume your accident was your fault. While you may blame what happened to you on your own clumsiness or inattentiveness, it’s possible you are actually the victim of circumstances beyond your control.
Slip-and-fall accidents often happen as a result of negligence on the part of the Pennsylvania property owner or manager. These accidents can result in serious physical injury that can impact your life for weeks or months. As a victim, it is in your interests to learn more about your legal options to determine if you have the right to pursue a civil claim for monetary damages.
Is the property owner to blame?
Property owners are responsible for maintaining premises that are safe for visitors. This means knowing about potential hazards, fixing them as soon as possible, and warning visitors if it is not easily removable or repairable. Determining liability is not always easy in premises liability cases. Property owners and their insurance companies will work to limit their responsibility and potential financial loss. Proving one of the following is important for a premises liability claim:
- The owner of the property or employees should have known there were dangerous conditions that posed a threat to a visitor and should have addressed them in a reasonable amount of time.
- The property owner or employees did know about the potential hazard, but they did not react promptly to address it or remove it.
- Employees or the owner of the property actually did know about the hazard because they caused it.
If you have evidence that the property owner is liable for what happened to you, the next step is to determine what types of damages you should seek from your legal claim. This should account for your medical bills, long-term health care needs, emotional duress and mental anguish.
Fighting for recovery
You have the right to fight for a full and fair recovery after a slip-and-fall accident. If the property owner is to blame for what happened to you, you may want to seek legal guidance regarding the best way to secure appropriate compensation for your losses. An assessment of your case with an experienced personal injury attorney is a practical place to start this process.