Slip and Fall Lawyer

According to the National Floor Safety Institute, accidents resulting from falls are responsible for more than eight million visits to the emergency room every year. That’s roughly 21.3% of all visits to the emergency room, with slip and fall specific personal injuries accounting for 12% of those accidents. Victims of slip and falls are often inclined to downplay their injuries due to embarrassment, however, these are serious accidents that can result in significant injuries and financial compensation to cover resulting medical bills should be sought. Let’s take a look at who is at fault for slip and falls on public property.

Public Sidewalks

Negligence is a big contributing factor to slip and fall accidents. Falling as a result of broken or poorly-laid cement is often the result of negligence on the part of either the property owner or the individual who laid the sidewalks. Victims of this kind of slip and fall accidents should move quickly to assess their case and file a claim if they hope to receive compensation.

Government-Owned Property

Some property that is widely considered “public use” is actually land owned by the government at a local, state, or federal level. Falling on this kind of property has different implications than falling on a public sidewalk. Regardless of who owns the property, the same general rules that govern slip and fall personal injury cases should apply. Government-owned land that is open for use by the public must be carefully maintained in order to present visitors with a reasonably safe environment. With that said, the rules for suing the government are different from the rules that govern other public slip and fall cases.

Notice and Time Deadlines for Government-Owned Property

As mentioned above, there are different rules to keep in mind when an individual is injured on government-owned property. The amount of time victims have to file a notice and legal claim, for example, is often much shorter than it would be if the defendant was another entity or a private citizen. More specifically, victims are often required to file an official notice of injury. This usually needs to be done within 30 days from the date of the accident. It is only after this notice has been received by the government entity in question and is either formally denied or no action is taken, that a victim can file a lawsuit.

Personal injury cases on public property is a bit more complicated than personal injury cases that occur on privately-owned property. It’s important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side to ensure you have the best chance possible at recovering compensation.