Holding Property Owners Accountable For Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Your slip-and-fall accident injury may have happened in a restaurant, grocery store, rented apartment or a private home.
Wherever it occurred, our accomplished legal team will pursue the financial compensation you need to cover ongoing medical bills and lost wages, and reflect your pain and suffering, and emotional trauma.
It can take weeks, months and sometimes years to fully recover from head and back injuries caused by a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident injury. Our lawyers hold negligent property owners, managers, landlords and their insurers accountable if a serious injury happens to you.
Where Did Your Slip-and-Fall Accident Occur?
We handle all types of accident injury claims. The following pages provide more information about slip-and-fall injuries:
- Retail store accidents: Store owners have a legal duty to provide a safe environment for shoppers.
- Sidewalk accidents: It is not always clear who is responsible for sidewalk maintenance. It might be a homeowner, business or the municipality.
- Parking lot accidents: Parking lot slip-and-falls are most frequent in winter, but our lawyers investigate these cases the year round.
- Stairway accidents: If you were injured going up or down stairs or outdoor steps, you may have the right to compensation.
- Injury claims against homeowners: Claims against homeowners are usually covered by homeowners insurance.
- What is premises liability? If you slipped on an icy sidewalk and injured your back, you might describe it as a slip-and-fall accident. To a lawyer, it is a premises liability case.
You may not feel slip-and-fall injuries until far into the future. If your injury has worsened, report it immediately to the attorneys of Smith Magram Michaud Colonna P.C. law firm.
Premises liability lawsuits are most commonly filed after visitors suffer injuries in slip-and-fall accidents. Business hoping to avoid this type of litigation should inspect their facilities regularly and address any safety concerns promptly. They should also encourage their workers to report unsafe conditions, and the reporting procedures they follow should be streamlined, straightforward and direct. Business owners in northern states like New Jersey should be particularly vigilant in the winter months when conditions can rapidly become treacherous due to accumulations of snow or ice.
Proving A Burlington Slip-And-Fall Accident Case Isn’t Always Easy
Unfortunately, human beings aren’t meant to fall on hard surfaces — especially aging individuals. It seems like children can take a fall and bounce right back up again as if nothing happened in most cases, but when it comes to adults — and older adults in particular — bones are more brittle and fragile and a simple slip-and-fall accident can result in catastrophic injuries, even death.
This is why New Jersey property owners must take precautions to keep their premises free of tripping hazards. This isn’t only a good idea for moral reasons, it’s also the law.
Property owners who fail to take reasonable action to keep their premises safe and free of slip-and-fall dangers may be liable in court for injuries that happen as a result of their negligence.
Proving a slip-and-fall accident claim
When pursuing a claim for slip-and-fall accident injuries, plaintiffs will need to prove the fact that the property owner was liable. To prove liability, New Jersey plaintiffs will usually have to show that:
- The property owner, property manager or employee should have realized that the dangerous condition was present because a reasonable person would have immediate recognized the issue as dangerous and corrected it;
- The property owner, property manager or employee was aware of the dangerous problem and failed to correct it; or
- The property owner, property manager or employee directly caused the dangerous situation.
The first scenario listed above is the most common one that plaintiffs attempt to prove. Nevertheless, it is not always easy and straightforward to prove that someone “should have known” that a dangerous condition was present.
Allies For Injured Delivery Drivers
Delivery workers face a high risk of injury on the job. Between dangerous road conditions, improperly maintained sidewalks and slippery ground, you can face numerous slip-and-fall hazards every time you leave your truck.
We represent delivery drivers working for a broad spectrum of companies, including:
- Online retailers such as Amazon
- Grocery delivery services such as Instacart
- Food delivery services such as Bite Squad, DoorDash and Grubhub
Many people are quick to place the blame for an accident on the driver, even if you had nothing to do with it. Our lawyers know how to level the playing field so the insurance companies, law enforcement officers, court officials and your employer understand your side of the story. We carefully gather evidence and explain your rights so you know about all your legal options.
About Our Firm
Smith Magram Michaud Colonna P.C. is one of New Jersey’s premier personal injury law firms. Our law offices have served the people of Burlington County and statewide since 1965.
We are local lawyers solving local problems, offering large law firm experience and the attentive personal service of a small firm.
Our team of five attorneys and multiple support staff bring more than 100 years of experience to serve our clients’ legal needs. Our contingency fee basis for our work means you owe no attorney fee unless we win your case.
Contact Our Slip And Fall Attorneys
When you contact us for a free initial consultation, we can discuss the details of what happened in your slip-and-fall accident. We offer home and hospital visits. Our toll-free number is 609-589-0649.