Slip and Fall Injuries on a Business Property
Slipping and falling on a poorly maintained commercial property is not only exceptionally dangerous but is also all too common. If an owner or manager’s negligence leaves you with slip and fall injuries on a business property, you should consider seeking the professional legal counsel of an experienced Atlanta slip and fall accident attorney at Hall & Lampros, LLP, at 404-876-8100.
Premises Liability Claims in Georgia
In the State of Georgia, slip and fall injuries on a business property are governed by a premises liability statute. Georgia holds property owners and managers to a significant duty of care. This duty boils down to them being required by law to maintain their premises in the reasonably safe condition necessary to allow for the safe passage of guests like you. When property owners and managers know about – or reasonably should know about – slipping hazards on their premises but fail to timely address such matters, it can lead to dangerous slip and fall accidents and to serious slip and fall injuries. The standard for premises liability claims is employing the same level of care that other reasonable property owners and managers use in similar situations.
The Elements of Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim
In order to bring a successful slip and fall accident claim in Georgia, there are specific elements that must be present, including:
• The property owner or manager owed you a legal duty of care to begin with. When you shop at a store, eat in a restaurant, go to a doctor appointment, or engage in nearly any other kind of business transaction, you are an invited guest on the premises, and you are owed a duty of care.
• The property owner or manager failed to live up to his or her responsibility to your safety. Failing to address a slipping hazard, for example, amounts to a failure of this nature.
• The breached responsibility on the part of the property owner or manager was the direct cause of your slip and fall accident.
• Your slip and fall injuries on a business property led to losses that are addressed by the law.
Witnesses, Photos, and Video are Important Evidence
If you suffer a slip and fall, the most important thing to do is seek medical attention. If your medical condition is stable, it is important that you (or other people in the area) document the unsafe property condition by photographs or video. You or others should look for security video cameras in the area for possible video footage of the accident. You also should get the names and contact information of all witnesses (and other persons who may have had prior knowledge of the unsafe condition). You should quickly contact a lawyer so that the lawyer can send an investigator to the location to document the unsafe condition. Your lawyer also should immediately send an “evidence spoliation letter,” which is a letter to the property owner and surrounding property owners to preserve all video and evidence showing the incident location.
Your Physical, Financial, and Emotional Losses
The losses (called legal damages) that you experience as a result of a slip and fall accident on a business property can be immense, and they are categorized in the following classifications:
• Your medical bills, which will need to address both current expenses and any associated healthcare needs that are ongoing
• Your lost wages, which may need to address losses related to your future earning capacity
• Your physical and psychological pain and suffering, which can be one of the most challenging obstacles you face on your journey toward recovery
A critical aspect of your slip and fall accident claim is ensuring that it carefully addresses your damages in their entirety, and this is a task that is best left in the very capable hands of the dedicated slip and fall accident attorneys at Hall & Lampros, LLP.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
While no two slip and fall accident claims are ever identical, many are caused by similarly negligent practices, including:
• Poorly maintained parking ramps, parking lots, sidewalks, and outdoor walkways
• Failure to address ice and snow on parking ramps, parking lots, sidewalks, and outdoor walkways
• Inadequate lighting (both indoors and outdoors)
• Poorly designed, crafted, and/or maintained staircases
• Overly polished or otherwise slippery floors
• Torn, bunched, frayed, ripped, or otherwise worn floor coverings
• Tripping hazards – such as cords, displays, and/or debris – that encroach on areas where customers walk
• Failure to clean up tracked-in moisture, ice, snow, and/or debris
• Failure to clean up spills
The Statistics
The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) shares both the following telling statistics:
• Falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits, and slip and fall accidents make up 12 percent of these total falls (accounting for more than 1 million visits each year).
• Floors and floor coverings play a direct role in over 2 million falls every year.
Consult with an Experienced Atlanta Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
If you have suffered slip and fall injuries on a business property, the practiced Atlanta slip and fall accident attorneys at Hall & Lampros, LLP, are standing by to help. Slip and fall accidents are closely associated with serious consequences, and your rightful compensation matters. To learn more, please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 404-876-8100 today.
Chris has successfully represented numerous clients in catastrophic personal injury, employment law matters, class action, consumer protection, business tort, and legislative matters involving multi-million-dollar damages.