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Baton Rouge Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
Slip and fall accidents are a common type of premises liability claim. People who slip and fall often suffer major injuries and sometimes even permanent disability. This can lead to thousands of dollars of debt in combined medical bills and lost income. The good news is you can recover damages in a slip and fall case, and a slip and fall accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Ossie Brown can help you do so.
If you have suffered major slip and fall injuries due to a property owner’s negligence, you have legal options available. The legal team at our personal injury law firm has decades of combined experience in helping injured clients recover fair compensation all while protecting their legal rights. Call 225-343-1111 to schedule a free consultation with a Baton Rouge slip and fall accident lawyer today.
What is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is a specific type of tort that falls under general personal injury law. Premises liability allows injured people to sue property owners if they suffer a major injury on their premises.
In order to have a successful case, the injured client must prove that the property owner’s failure to fix a dangerous condition on their premises directly caused the accident or injury. Clients can also claim that a property owner failed to warn visitors of a specific safety hazard on the premises. In order to build a strong premises liability case and recover fair compensation, it’s crucial to hire an experienced lawyer.
Common Types of Premises Liability Violations
There are many different types of premises liability violations. Below, we break down the most common ones.
- Slip and Fall Accidents are possibly one of the most common types of premises liability cases out there. Usually, a slip and fall accident occurs due to wet or slippery floors, icy or snowy sidewalks, poor lighting, broken handrails, broken stairs, loose carpeting, debris, etc.
- Dog Bites: Another common type of premises liability case involves dog bites and attacks. Dog bites often occur on private property. Victims can sue if the property owner knew (or should have known) that their dog was dangerous, the property owner failed to warn the victim that the dog was dangerous (through word of mouth or a sign on the fence), the property owner failed to restrain the dog, and/or the victim didn’t provoke the dog.
- Swimming Pool Accidents and Drownings: When public pools fail to employ enough attentive lifeguards with CPR training, fatal drowning accidents can occur. Additionally, if life guards fail to instruct swimmers to stop running around the slippery edges of the pool, a major slip and fall injury could occur.
- Negligent Security: Major accidents, injuries, and even deaths can occur if a building owner fails to have enough security measures in place. Proper security measures can include doors with working locks, security guards, security cameras, gates and/or fences, alarm systems, adequate lighting, etc. If an accident occurred due to lack of security measures, then the property owner can be held liable.
- Amusement Park Accidents: Despite all the rules and regulations that amusement parks must abide by, major accidents still happen on roller coasters and even water slides. Amusement parks are supposed to inspect their rides regularly for mechanical malfunctions and safety hazards. If they fail to do this and quickly fix the ride, and someone gets hurt as a result, they can be held liable for damages through a personal injury claim. Additionally, some amusement park rides can worsen certain medical conditions, such as cardiopulmonary conditions. If the amusement park doesn’t provide warning signs on certain rides, a park patron could suffer something as serious as a heart attack. Situations like this can also warrant premises liability lawsuits.
Common Types of Slip and Fall Injuries
A slip and fall incident can result in the following serious injuries:
- Head injuries such as concussions, subdural hematomas, and other traumatic brain injuries
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Nerve damage
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Skull and facial fractures
- Broken bones
- Joint dislocations
- Muscular sprains and strains
- Major scarring, bruising, and/or lacerations
If you have suffered one or more of the aforementioned injuries after slipping and falling, you may have grounds to file a slip and fall claim.
Possible Liable Parties for Slip and Fall Cases
The type of liable party naturally depends on where the slip and fall injury occurred. A slip and fall accident can happen at an apartment building, a hotel, a public park, a government building, a school, a doctor’s office, etc. So possible liable parties can be a general property owner, a government entity, a groundskeeper, a cleaning company, or even a landowner.
It can be difficult to determine who exactly is responsible for a slip and fall injury without legal counsel. Baton Rouge slip and fall accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Ossie Brown can analyze the details of your case and help you pursue compensation from the correct at-fault party.
What To Do After a Slip and Fall Accident
It is crucial to gather sufficient evidence after slip and fall accidents, especially if you’re considering your legal options.
Firstly, go to the ER or urgent care so that someone can tend to your injuries. Not only will you receive necessary medical care, but you’ll also create a record that you needed medical care, just in case you decide to pursue legal action.
Next, file an incident report with the building or company that may be responsible for your accident. If you can’t file a report, just be sure to document important details such as:
- Date, time, and location of the accident
- Names of anyone involved in the accident
- Names of possible witnesses
- Events that led up to the accident
- Environmental conditions, if applicable (for example: was it snowy, icy, or rainy?)
- Any injuries that you suffered
Be sure to keep a copy of this incident report.
Next, gather picture and video evidence. Take a picture or video of the safety hazard that caused your accident along with any other important details. Take plenty of pictures of your injuries as well.
Lastly, contact Baton Rouge slip and fall lawyers at the Law Offices of Ossie Brown. We can take a look at your situation and all the evidence you’ve gathered and help you determine if you should take legal action.
Can You Sue for a Slip and Fall Accident?
Yes, you can sue for a slip and fall accident, especially if someone else’s negligence caused you to do so. For example, maybe a negligent property owner failed to put out a wet floor sign or they failed to fix their broken staircase. In situations like this, the property owner can be held liable for your injuries and other damages.
Proving Negligence in a Slip and Fall Accident Claim
Just like most other personal injury claims, it’s crucial to prove that negligence occurred in a slip and fall case in order to recover damages. A Baton Rouge slip and fall attorney can help you prove the four elements of negligence listed below.
- Duty of Care: Property owners owe their visitors a certain amount of care. This means that they should frequently monitor and fix any dangerous conditions in order to keep visitors safe.
- Breached Duty of Care: The property owner breached this duty of care by not making their premises as safe as possible for visitors.
- Causation: Someone suffered a severe slip and fall injury due to a dangerous condition on the premises.
- Damages: The person injured deserves fair compensation for their damages.
Our experienced slip and fall attorneys can listen to your story, interview witnesses, request surveillance video, analyze medical records, and carefully investigate the dangerous premises in order to prove these elements of negligence.
Damages for a Slip and Fall Accident
Our slip and fall attorneys can help injured clients seek compensation for the following types of damages:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future rehabilitative bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity if the slip and fall injuries prevent you from completing your normal job duties
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent scarring, disability, and/or disfigurement
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Louisiana Statute of Limitations for a Slip and Fall Accident
Premises liability claims fall under the legal umbrella of personal injury. In Louisiana, injured people have 1 year from the date of their accident to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Civil lawsuits can take a while to get going, so it’s important to contact a Baton Rouge slip and fall accident lawyer as soon as possible. We can help you recover damages before it’s too late.
Call a Baton Rouge Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer at the Law Offices of Ossie Brown Today
If you have suffered a major slip and fall injury, you have grounds to take legal action. We believe that all negligent property owners deserve to be held responsible for the physical, emotional, and financial suffering they cause to their visitors. An experienced slip and fall lawyer can listen to your story, help you gather evidence, negotiate with a property owner’s insurance company, and fight for the justice you deserve. Call 225-343-1111 to schedule a free consultation with our Baton Rouge legal team today.
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