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Slip & Fall Injury Lawyers

slip and fall lawyer meeting with injured client

When someone slips or trips and is injured due to a property owner’s negligence, they have the right to file a premises liability lawsuit. Slip (or trip) and fall lawyers represent victims who are injured after falling down due to another’s negligence. Slip and fall attorneys aim to win the largest settlement amounts possible from the negligent parties that cover damages related to the fall accident including lost wages, medical expenses, pain, and suffering.

Those in New York, New Jersey and Chicago, IL who are interested in pursuing legal action can speak with a slip and fall attorney in a free consultation by calling 855-468-7626, or by scheduling an appointment online.

Property Owner Negligence in a Slip & Fall Accident

Property owners are required by law to maintain their premises and remove all hazards that might lead to injury. Failure to do so makes the owners of the following types of properties liable for negligence in a court of law:

  • Stores
  • Hotels
  • Gas Stations
  • Airports
  • Offices
  • Warehouses
  • Apartments
  • Residential houses 

Whether someone suffers a fall injury inside or outside of a public or private building, if the injury occurred while on the premises, victims are eligible to file a lawsuit against the property owner.

Types of Negligence in Slip & Fall Lawsuits

The following acts of negligence can hold a property owner liable for any damages from slip or trip and fall accident on their premises:

  • Ice and snow not being cleared from sidewalks or parking lots
  • Slippery floors that do not have signs warning pedestrians to avoid the hazardous area
  • Stairwells littered with obstacles, wet steps, or a lack of safety measures such as banisters to keep people from falling 
  • Products that fall off shelves, creating obstacles that customers may not see
  • Uneven surfaces, including cracks in the pavement
  • Holes in flooring or parking lots that have not been filled 
  • Uneven flooring in apartments
  • Inadequate lighting on a walkway
  • Falls due to ongoing construction

Essentially, if a property owner fails to adequately and diligently remove hazards from their property that can lead to injury, they are liable for negligence. This is especially true if the property owner was previously warned about the hazards that caused a fall but did not act.

The Difference Between ‘Trip’ and ‘Slip’ and Fall Accidents

Both slip and trip and fall accidents are incidents in which a victim is injured in a fall due to a property owner’s negligence. However, there are a few distinct differences between these two types of accidents:

Slip and Fall Accidents occur when one or both of a victim’s front feet slips out in front of them, causing them to fall and land either on their back, or on their side. 

These most commonly occur due to slippery patches on floors, sidewalks, and parking lots. Due to the nature of these types of falls, injuries to the back, neck, skull and hips are most common.

Trip and Fall Accidents occur when someone’s foot is caught on an obstacle in front of them. This sudden stop of momentum causes their upper body to shift forward, while their legs remain in place, causing them to trip forward. 

Trips are most likely to occur when products fall off shelves, creating unseen obstacles,  as well as stepping in holes in flooring, sidewalks and parking lots. When a person trips, they instinctively hold their hands out to catch their fall, which can result in broken wrists and strained or torn ligaments in the arms. Injuries to the head are also common, as people who trip are likely to hit their face against the ground.

Benefits of Hiring a Premises Liability Attorney

Premises liability lawyers specialize in proving that fall-related injuries occurred due to a property owner’s negligence. Most fall injury cases, especially those that occur on commercial premises, are quickly and easily disputed by the property owners, who typically have much more knowledge and experience with premises liability laws than their victims.

Contact a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

If you or someone you know was injured in a fall-related accident, contact the premises liability attorneys at Sobo & Sobo online for a free consultation, or call 855-GOT-SOBO. At Sobo & Sobo we have over 50 years of experience helping injured victims win settlements for injuries caused by negligence across New York, New Jersey and Chicago, IL..

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New York State Slip and Fall Statistics 

The following statistics are averages based on studies from the New York Department of Health (NYDOH):

  • 52,600 hospitalizations for fall-related injuries occur each year
  • Fall-related injuries are the leading cause of hospitalizations among children aged 0 to 14, as well as adults 25 years and older
  • Falling is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for those 45 years and older
  • Most injuries caused by falling are found to be preventable, and therefore caused by negligence.