Who Gets Held Liable For Slip And Fall Incident?

A slip and fall incident belong on a list of the most common accidents. Who would be liable, if you were to trip or slip at some location, and then fall down?

Where did the incident take place?

Did it happen at a store or business? If so, then the victim might be able to hold the store or business owner liable for any injuries. First, however, the victim would need to find out if the store/business had known about the existence of the hazard that caused the fall.

If a business of store knows about the existence of a hazard, but takes no steps to do away with the same hazard, then it can be held liable, in the event that the same hazard causes an injury-making accident. If, however, the store/business had no way of learning about the hazard’s existence, then the injured victim would not have a strong case.

Who would be the target of any possible lawsuit?

Most businesses and some stores lease the space that gets used for dealing with customers. So, if you slipped in a store or business, you would have to decide on whether to sue the owner or the landlord.

What was the nature of the hazard that caused the fall? Did you reach for a railing on a staircase, only to find that it could not support your weight? In that case, a structural issue gave rise to the hazard. That would mean that you should sue the landlord.

On the other hand, it could be that you slipped on a wet floor. Did the store fail to place a warning on a floor’s wet spot? If that were the case, then you would need to sue the owner of the store or business.

Help for the victim that is pursuing a case, after suffering an injury in a slip and fall incident

Know what made you slip. Had some customers dropped some food on the floor? Had some liquid leaked from a container, causing formation of a wet spot?

If you tripped, learn why you tripped. If you were walking on a sidewalk, discover what aspect of the sidewalk’s structure caused you to trip. That information should prove especially valuable, if you need to sue a government body. If possible, learn how long the substance that made you slip had been on the floor. The staff in a store or a business cannot be everywhere at the same time. Once a hazard has formed, it could take time to have it discovered. Know whether or not there was a warning posted at the hazardous location. Someone that has ignored a warning has no grounds for a personal injury claim as per personal injury lawyer in Sarnia.