Slip and Fall Injury

The most important aspect in deciding whether or not to pursue a slip and fall lawsuit is determining whether the accident resulted from your own negligence or someone else’s. Before you conclude that your fall was not your fault, consider the following questions:

• Did you have a legitimate reason for being in the area where you slipped and fell?
• Was it possible for a person to easily notice the dangerous area and walk so as not to slip and fall?
• Were there any verbal or posted warnings that the area might be dangerous?
• Were you behaving in a way that increased your chances of slipping and falling?
• If after considering these questions you feel that your injury is another party’s fault, consider whether the following questions help establish the other party’s culpability:
• Had the dangerous area been there long enough that it should have been tended to?
• Does the other party have proof that the area where you slipped and fell is regularly maintained for safety?
• If you fell due to an object that was placed on the ground, was there a proper reason for the object to be there?
• If the object was placed legitimately, could it have been placed in a safer manner?
• Was a warning sign posted that alerted people to the possibility of slipping and falling?
• Did poor lighting contribute to your fall?

In deciding whether or not to contact an attorney and purse legal action, always remember that a slip and fall injury need not be “tragic” to yield a settlement or a court award. If your fall causes you to receive medical treatment or causes you unusual pain and discomfort, contacting an attorney as soon as possible is essential to the life of your case.