Helping Those Injured from Falls for More Than  30 Years

Every year, thousands of people end up in an ambulance on their way to the hospital, or emergency room, due to injuries as a result of a slip and fall accident. As you’re walking in a commercial property, such as a store, a mall, or an office building, you expect the flooring to be well-kept and maintained – even, smooth, and predictable; there should not be wet, rough, or uneven spots that come out of nowhere – and if there are, they should be properly signed with warnings.

Business owners have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of their flooring for clients, guests, and patrons to avoid any injury. Some would think that only a slight bruise, or quickly fading bump and pain, would result from a slip or trip, but the damage can often be far worse and longer-lasting. Fractures, slipped discs, and concussions are just a few of the possible outcomes from something as simple as slipping and falling.

If you’ve been injured due in a slip and fall to the negligence of a property owner, you should contact an expert attorney at the Klibaner Law Firm to discuss the details of your accident and the next steps you can take to receive fair and deserved financial compensation for your injuries – and to save any other potential future victims from harm.

At the time of a slip and fall accident, assessing your injuries is paramount; if you hit your head and lost consciousness, even for only a second, during your fall, it is imperative that you call an ambulance to take you to the hospital as you likely have a concussion. Untreated concussions can lead to much greater damage to the brain and central nervous system resulting in headaches, loss of coordination, or developing more detrimental brain injuries. Additionally, after your fall, make sure to take photos of the area and why you have fallen.

If, for example, you were in a mall and there was a leak from a pipe in the ceiling dripping onto tile flooring that wasn’t properly signed and you slipped, take a photo of both the pipe and the flooring to show cause and effect. In this instance, the property owner should have known about the leak and warned patrons to avoid the area as it is being fixed.

Having a witness, or multiple witnesses, strengthens your claim and case as they have first-hand experience to corroborate your story. Anyone walking nearby, or behind you, that can confirm the conditions were unsafe and proper warnings were not posted are valuable assets when seeking damages. Additionally, look for any video cameras in the area for visual evidence of the accident. Speak to store employees, get their names and phone numbers, and ask for a copy of any reports you filled out and signed. Having this information to call upon later reinforces your initial claim.

Before filing for damages, both on your own and with a lawyer, you should determine if you have any responsibility in your slip and fall accident. Some questions to ask yourself and to discuss with an attorney at the Kilbaner Law Firm are:

• Were you careful or careless? If you were walking around staring at the ceiling, or immersed in your phone checking emails, social media, or sending a text, you likely were not paying enough attention to your surroundings and can be to blame for your own injuries.
• Were you walking, or were you having a bit of fun? Running, jumping, and sliding about increases your risk of a fall and under normal circumstances, you likely wouldn’t slip.
• Was the area noticeably dangerous / were there any warning signs? As mentioned previously with the mall scenario, if a pipe leaked subtly onto a tile floor and no one was aware of it and you slipped and fell, you wouldn’t have known the area was dangerous. If water gushed from the pipe onto the floor and you continued through anyway without searching for a detour, you ignored clear warning signs that the footing was not safe.
• What were you doing there? Walking along a normal path of the business is one thing, but if you wound your way into a restricted area that you should not be in, your slip and fall case can suffer.

Assuming that you were careful and cognizant of your surroundings and are not responsible for your slip and fall, there are some requisites to check off to determine the liability of the business owner:

• The spill, rough patch, or unsafe walking conditions were caused by the business, the owner, or an employee. You cannot create a spill and blame the business owner for your fall.
• The business owner or property manager knew about hazardous walking conditions and ignored them at the time. This is a clear cut violation of safety protocols and can result in slip and fall accidents.
• The business owner, or employee, should have known about the spill because it should seem obvious. To bring up our leaking pipe scenario, a business owner should be aware of faulty piping and dangerous conditions in their establishment to guarantee the safety of guests. Regular security checks should be done by business owners and property managers.

Denver Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers

If you, or a loved one, have had a slip and fall accident, follow our steps above to gain witness testimony, video evidence, and photographs of the cause and effect of the fall. Next, visit your primary care physician to treat the injuries you sustained as a result of your accident, including: fractures, concussion, slipped discs, or spinal injury

 After your health is assured by your doctor, contact our knowledgeable attorneys at The Kilbaner Law Firm to discuss the details of your case. We understand the pain and suffering incurring an injury at the negligence of another person as well as the burden it can put on you. We work diligently to help you receive fair financial compensation for your accident to alleviate stress and to achieve financial security while you recover. Contact us through our online form or give us a call at 303-863-1445 to learn more.