When someone slips and falls on another person’s property, a personal injury lawsuit may result. The owner of a property and anyone else responsible for its upkeep could be held liable for damages.
An example would be a clogged drain causing water to drip onto a parking lot or sidewalk where it then freezes. If an individual slipped on the icy surface, there may be grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. However, that would only be true if the surface was a sidewalk used exclusively for customers entering or exiting the store. Sidewalks that are maintained by a local or state government are not the responsibility of a property owner.
In the event that poor lighting causes someone to trip over a curb or crack in pavement, that property owner may be negligent if they knew that it could cause a hazard on the premises. Uneven parking lot surfaces could also result in trips, slips or falls that a property owner or possessor may be liable for. If there are changes in elevation in a parking lot, they are supposed to be gradual in order to reduce the likelihood of an accident.
Individuals who have been hurt in what could have been a preventable accident may wish to speak with a lawyer. Slip-and-fall victims may be entitled to compensation for medical bills or lost earnings if it can be proven that negligence led to the accident. Negligence may be established by taking photos of a cracked sidewalk or gathering witness testimony from someone who advised a property owner of an issue that was never addressed.