Imagine that you are walking through an apartment building and the lighting in the hallway is very dim. You persist on, though, so that you can reach your friend’s place. As you continue walking down the hallway, you aren’t able to see some shoddy carpeting. It tore in multiple places, causing some uneven footing for anyone who would walk on it — and sadly, you planted your foot right there.
You fall down as a result of poor conditions in the hallway, and your ankle is severely injured. You also injure your knee and your back, and once you are done at the hospital, you work towards filing a slip-and-fall claim against the owner of the apartment.
Here’s the question: how do you prove that the owner was negligent and, thus, responsible for your injuries?
The answer, unfortunately, is that there is no specific answer. Every case is different, and each case will depend on certain factors, the severity of those factors, and how those factors played into the overall slip-and-fall incident.
For example, did the property owner take steps to correct these problems before you fell? Did you proceed with the utmost caution when you walked down that hallway? Did the dimly lit hallway and the poor carpeting constitute a “dangerous condition” in the eyes of premises liability law?
Proving that last question is crucial in a slip-and-fall accident, and it isn’t always as easy as it may sound. You need to consult with an attorney to discuss the specifics of your case before moving forward with a civil lawsuit.
Source: FindLaw, “Slip and Fall Accidents Overview,” Accessed July 30, 2014