Slip and Fall Law


Slip and Fall Law


Slip and Fall law refers to the area of law governing personal injury claims which involve specific types of accidents wherein the party’s injury is the result of a fall. This area is a subset of Tort law and overlaps with Litigation law. Specifically, slip and fall cases fall under premises liability law.

There are generally four different types of personal injury slip and fall accidents: 1) The individual may lose traction, slip on the walking surface and fall, which is a typical “Slip and Fall”; 2) The individual may stumble over an obstruction on the walkway or surface and fall, referred to as a “Stump and Fall”; 3) The individual may lose his/her balance and fall due to a hole in the walkway or surface, or some type of unexpected defect, called a “Step and Fall”; or 4) An individual may trip over a foreign object and fall, known as a “Trip and Fall”.

Regardless of the type of slip and fall accident sustained, the goal of the injured party and his/her attorney, as in other personal injury cases, is to demonstrate that the owner of the property is liable for the accident. To establish liability, they must demonstrate that the property owner did not exercise reasonable care, acted negligently or had constructive notice of the unsafe condition that caused the accident. Constructive notice refers to the legal theory that even if the owner was not actually aware of the hazard, he/she plausibly should have had knowledge of it.

In defending a slip and fall claim, the defense attorney may deny that there was any negligence or claim that the injured party is actually the one at fault because if he/she had shown reasonable care for his/her safety, the hazard would have been seen and avoided. Visit Us at Google+ Copyright HG.org

Slip and Fall Law - US

  • Liability for Slip and Fall Accidents - United States

    Information and regulations regarding slip and fall accidents, liability and regulations provided by the Library of Congress.

  • Settlement Guide - Slip and Fall Accident Cases

    A slip and fall accident is a particular type of tort case (aka personal injury or liability). If someone trips and falls and is injured on someone else's property, there is a chance that a lawsuit will be filed and damages awarded. These types of cases are built on premises liability, as they're carried out against the owner of a property. Conditions that are deemed contributory to a slip and fall accident include torn carpeting, poor lighting, a wet floor that isn't properly marked, stairs without a hand railing, or a handicapped-accessible walkway that has inadequate handrails. Even a 3" unexpected drop in an elevator can trigger a slip and fall lawsuit.

  • Slip and Fall - Definition

    Slip and fall, in United States tort law, is a claim or case based on a person slipping (or tripping) and falling. It is a tort, and based on a claim that the property owner was negligent in allowing some dangerous condition to exist that caused the slip or trip.

  • Slip and Fall Accident Information

    We have all experienced the sometimes painful effects of gravity by tripping or falling. While we are often able to get up and brush ourselves off after a momentary loss of equilibrium, some of these accidents can result in severe personal injury. When your injury is the result of the negligence of someone else—someone who had the knowledge and ability to remove the dangers in your path or better alert you to the hazardous surface condition—you may have a personal injury lawsuit (see Understanding Personal Injury Lawsuits).

  • Slip and Fall Injuries

    A slip and fall can happen in all kinds of places - on public sidewalks, private property, in retail establishments or on the job. Many people simply pick themselves up and dust themselves off after such an incident. However, serious injuries can unfold days, even weeks, after the fact. That is why a slip and fall should never be taken lightly.

  • Slip and Fall Injuries - Property Owner Liability

    Property owners are responsible for any slip and fall injuries that occur on their property due to hazardous or dangerous conditions that the owner knows about or should know about. These conditions could be permanent such as broken concrete on the walkway or temporary such as a milk spill in the aisle of a supermarket.

  • Slip And Fall Settlements

    Here we hope to explain about compensation for slip and fall victims, who can claim it and how you go about seeking a settlement if you feel you are entitled to it. When a person falls badly on somebody’s property and an injury is caused by this unwanted occurrence, then it is called a slip and fall accident, for which the victim may be entitled to a slip and fall settlement

Publications Related to Slip and Fall Law

  • Slip and Fall Injury Verdicts

    Commonly known as "slip and fall" cases within the legal system, these cases involve the everyday accidents that occur when someone trips on the stairs, slips on ice that hasn't been cleared away in a business establishment's parking lot or on something spilled on the floor of the grocery store, or catches a heel on broken concrete on a sidewalk that's badly in disrepair.

  • Slip Trip or Fall Accident Claims

    Slip trip and fall accidents are one of the most common types of accidents people have. A simple slip can cause very serious injuries such as back injuries, paralysis, broken bones and head injuries. Many slips and trip accidents happen in the working environment due to poor health and safety regulations.

Articles on HG.org Related to Slip and Fall Law

  • Slips, Trips, and Falls in Wholesale and Retail Trade Establishments
    Spills on walking surfaces may cause slippery surfaces.
  • Increased Risk of Falls Due to Snow and Ice
    Business owners have a duty to inspect their premises for slip and fall hazards and fix any hazards they find or provide proper warning. In general, homeowners and others who possess property are liable for the slips and falls of their guests.
  • Why Slip and Fall Cases Often Settle
    Retail giant Target has settled a slip and fall claim that was filed in 2012 and based on an injury sustained in 2010. The injury was allegedly caused by a soda spill in the aisle of one of Target’s stores. The claim also named several “John Does” who may have been to blame in creating the hazard.
  • Alabama Premises Liability Claims: Claims Not Requiring Prima Facie Proof of Notice
    This article discusses Alabama premises liability law, and explains that Alabama distinguishes between various premises liability cases. Specifically, this article discusses how plaintiffs bringing claims alleging a defective premises or a hazardous premises created by an employee are not required to make a prima facie showing of a premises owner's knowledge of the defect.
  • Premises Liability Law and Personal Injuries
    There are several dynamic elements to pay attention to when it comes to personal injury law. Lawsuits involving injuries require the attorney to pay close attention to the location of where the injuries occurred. Whoever the owner is of the premises where an individual sustains a personal injury is liable for any financial damages associated with that injury.
  • Higher Risk of Slip and Fall Accidents During Winter
    It doesn't take a scientist to know that the risks of slip and fall accidents increase as the winter comes. Streets and sidewalks become covered with snow and ice, and make even the shortest trip to get the mail, a potential disaster. Read these tips to help keep yourself save during the upcoming winter weather.
  • Bedrail Entrapment in Nursing Homes
    Nursing home neglect can lead to bedrail entrapment, serious injury, and death to nursing home residents that are confined to a bed.
  • Oregon Public School Liability for Student Injuries
    Schools are supposed to be safe for our children, but it's true that children are prone to getting injured. When they do, who should be held responsible for the medical expenses? Who is liable? And how does one go about showing that a school was negligent in care of a child?
  • New Port, RI Cliff Walk Decision
    Last year’s Newport, Rhode Island personal injury Cliff Walk decision was a major case for Rhode Island slip and fall injury lawyers involving the Recreational Use statute.
  • What to Do After an Oregon Slip and Fall
    Slip and fall accidents are among the hardest to prove of all the types of personal injury cases. A lot of people think that if they fall, and they are injured, they should be compensated - but this isn't the way the law works. To get compensation in a slip and fall accident, you will need to prove liability. This means you will need to prove that someone else's negligence caused the accident. There are several factors.
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