When you step foot into a government building, business, or private residence, you do so with the expectation that you will avoid suffering a serious injury. However, unexpected property hazards too often lead to serious slip and fall accidents.
If your fall occurs through no fault of your own, you might have a viable legal claim against the owner or occupier of the property and should acquire legal assistance. Let an Augusta County slip and fall lawyer review your case and prepare you for your personal injury claim.
Any building or property could be home to a slip and fall hazard. Some dangers occur as a result of natural conditions, like accumulated snow or ice. Other hazards involve accidental or deliberate actions of other visitors, like a spilled drink. Disrepair can also cause serious slip and fall hazards. Other dangerous conditions include:
Each of these factors has the potential to lead to a claim. An attorney in Augusta County could investigate a trip and fall accident and determine whether the property owner was responsible for the accident.
Any property owner or occupier who invites another person onto his or her land owes the guest a legal duty. This is true in cases of direct or implied invitations. Property owners must take all reasonable steps to protect visitors from any hazards or defects that might cause them to slip, trip, and fall.
Typically, this duty requires the property owner or occupier to repair and remove a dangerous hazard in a reasonable amount of time. Examples could include repairing a broken handrail or cleaning up a spilled drink. However, not all hazards can be removed. In these cases, the property owner must make a reasonable effort to warn visitors of the hazard.
Whether or not a property owner’s effort to address a hazard was reasonable could be central to an injury claim. For example, the courts could find it unreasonable to hold a property owner accountable for a fall when the hazard was only present only a short time before the accident. This might not be the case when the hazard is present for days prior to the fall.
While the duty of the property owner generally applies to all invited guests, trespassers do not enjoy the same legal protections. However, uninvited guests could potentially pursue a claim for any injuries that occur as the result of intentional acts.
Identifying the duty of the property owner is one of the primary roles of a slip and fall attorney in Augusta County. With the right legal counsel, an injury victim could recover monetary damages to cover his or her losses.
If you sustained injuries in a fall accident, you may be entitled to pursue a claim for monetary damages. While success in these cases is never guaranteed, your attorney could help you avoid pitfalls.
Do not risk your recovery by taking on an injury claim on your own. Contact an Augusta County slip and fall lawyer at The Warren Firm for legal guidance during every step of your case.