Greenville Slip and Fall Lawyer
Slip and fall injuries are more common than most people realize. While these incidents may seem like just an accident, often the actions or inactions of the owner of the property where the injury occurred contribute to the cause of the injury.
When that is the case, that property owner can be held accountable for the unpleasant results of the fall such as medical bills and time lost from work due to injury.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall incident, consult a Greenville slip and fall lawyer to find out whether you might be entitled to compensation to enable you to put the episode behind you and move forward.
Types of Slip and Fall Cases
Generally, a slip and fall case in which the injured party files a lawsuit to seek compensation is a situation where an individual is hurt while on someone else’s property and the injury could have been prevented if the property owner had acted in a responsible manner.
The laws covering such cases are referred to a premises liability laws, and they are a type of personal injury law. Some examples of slip and fall cases include:
- Tripping on a piece of loose flooring in a public building
- Leaning on a loose railing which collapses causing a fall
- Stumbling and falling in an unlighted hazardous staircase
- Getting cut by a piece of sharp metal on playground equipment
- Slipping on a wet floor in a grocery store
- Touching a surface with a caustic chemical that causes burns
- Being hit by merchandise that has been stacked improperly
Proving Liability
In most cases where an injured party recovers compensation for harm suffered in a slip and fall incident, it is because they have proven that the property owner has been negligent in some way. To win a lawsuit, an injured individual, with the help of a Greenville slip and fall attorney, must usually show that:
- The property owner owed the individual a duty of care
- The owner or someone under control of the owner did not fulfill that duty
- The failure to fulfill the duty of care caused the injury
- The injury resulted in damages
Potential Compensation
One important thing to understand about premises liability in North Carolina is that the state has adopted a contributory negligence statute which means that where injured parties’ own negligence has contributed to their injuries, the amount of their fault reduces the amount of damages that may be recovered. Another important aspect of the law is the statute of limitations.
Another important aspect of the law is the statute of limitations. A lawsuit must be filed within three years of the incident that caused the injury or the opportunity to seek recovery expires. Contacting a slip and fall lawyer in Greenville soon after an accident can ensure that the suit will be filed in time.
The types of damages that may be sought in a slip and fall case include:
- Medical expenses (past, current, and those estimated for the future)
- Work time lost
- Loss of future earning ability
- Compensation for any disability or disfigurement
- Anxiety, depression or other emotional distress suffered due to the incident
Contact an Attorney Today
Every day, people suffer serious harm from incidents that could have been prevented if property owners lived up to their duty to those they invite onto their premises, such as store customers.
When individuals who have been injured exercise their legal right to seek compensation, they help ensure that the property owner keeps the premises in a safe condition in the future.
If you have been injured in a situation like those discussed above, contact a Greenville slip and fall lawyer today to explore your legal options for recovery.
