Providence Slip & Fall Lawyer
A slip and fall can cause serious and catastrophic injury to the fall victim, including a broken hip or other fracture, a TBI or concussion, or a spinal cord injury. Accidental falls even account for up to 20,000 deaths each year. Not all accidents can be prevented, but property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe manner, and they can and should be held liable for the damages caused when their negligence is responsible for a serious slip and fall injury. Providence slip & fall lawyer Michael Kiselica helps Rhode Island slip and fall accident victims recover compensation from property owners who are liable to them for causing the accident.
When are property owners liable for slip and fall accidents in Rhode Island?
Property owners have a duty toward their customers, guests and others who will lawfully enter their property to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition. Property owners can be liable when there is a dangerous condition on their property that they know about or that they should know about, but they fail to fix it or provide an adequate warning about the hazard before an accident occurs. In addition to property owners, other parties such as property managers and cleaning or repair and maintenance crews can be liable for slip and fall accidents caused by their negligence as well.
Common causes of Rhode Island slip and fall accidents include:
- Wet floors due to food or drink spills
- Slippery floors from mopping or waxing
- Plumbing leaks or condensation puddles from refrigeration or air conditioning equipment
- Snow and ice tracked into entrances
- Missing floor mats
- Torn or misplaced floor mats
- Dangerously smooth floors or dangerously rough or uneven floors
- Burnt-out light bulbs or inadequate lighting
- Faulty repairs or maintenance
- Malfunctioning elevators and escalators
- Broken steps or stairs
- Objects blocking aisles or falling from shelves
- Unmarked steps or inclines
How do property owners avoid their liability for slip and fall accidents?
Property owners and their insurance companies may take many different tacks in trying to avoid liability for a slip and fall accident. For instance, they may claim that the hazardous condition was open and obvious, so the accident victim must not have been paying attention or looking where he or she was going. On the other hand, property owners may claim the danger was hidden and they couldn’t reasonably have known about it, so they didn’t have a duty to fix it or warn of the danger. If the hazardous condition is transitory or temporary in nature, such as a drink spill or snow tracked in from outside, they may claim there wasn’t enough time between the spill and the slip and fall for store personnel to know about the hazard and clean it up.
How can you prove a slip and fall case?
An experienced personal injury attorney will know many different ways to go about proving a difficult slip and fall case, such as one involving a spilled liquid where the owner claims the accident happened before they had a reasonable opportunity to clean it up. At the Kiselica Law Firm, we’ll talk to the accident victim, store personnel and any witnesses or other patrons at the store. We’ll review security camera footage and enlist the help of industry experts who can review records to determine whether the premises were being reasonably supervised in accordance with industry custom. We’re knowledgeable about and dedicated to building a strong case that proves the property owner’s liability to you.
What should I do after a slip and fall accident?
It’s important to notify the store or property management as soon as possible and have them write up an incident report. It’s also important to follow up with a doctor as soon as you can, even if you didn’t need emergency medical treatment. If you fell hard or hit your head, you may have a serious injury that requires the appropriate testing and early diagnosis and treatment to help you recover to the fullest extent possible. Also, talk to an attorney as soon as you can. The property owner’s insurance company may be calling you soon to get a recorded statement from you or offer you a settlement, and you’ll want to have an attorney on your side to protect your rights and keep you from making a mistake that could harm your right to receive compensation.
Call the Kiselica Law Firm after a Rhode Island Slip & Fall Accident
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in Rhode Island, call the Kiselica Law Firm at 401-421-0300 for a no-cost, confidential consultation with a skilled and knowledgeable Providence slip & fall lawyer.
