Slip and Falls at Commercial Businesses: Who Pays for My Injuries?
Who is Responsible?
“If you fall at a business and hurt yourself, the business is responsible for the injuries you sustained on their property. That is the law!“
Incorrect!
I had a potential client tell me this not long ago. Luckily for business owners, this is not true (at all). Just because you slipped and fell on property owned by a business, this does not automatically make them responsible. In order to make a store, business or restaraunt responsible for your damages, you must prove your fall was due, in part, from the business owner’s negligence. This is true of negligent security cases against commercial properties as well.
Proving Negligence in Fall Cases
Proving negligence (who is at fault) in a store, business or restaurant slip and fall can be tough. If the case involves a transitory substance like water, being left on the floor, we must prove that the owner knew or should have known that the wet spot was there. If the fall involves a trip over uneven surface, we must prove that the dip in the floor was unreasonably dangerous. This can be done by gathering witness statements and hiring experts to analyze the subject area.
Things to Remember in Making Your Slip, Trip or Fall Case Against a Business
There is no such legal concept as ‘automatic liability’ for any harm that occurs on a business property. You will always be required to prove your case in order to win at trial. So following an injury on a commercial property, be sure to:
- Photograph the fall area
- Get witness names and phone numbers
- Request in-store video recordings
- Treat (document) your injuries immediately
More About SJLF
We are Boynton Beach personal injury lawyers who regularly handle slip and fall cases in Boynton Beach. If you were hurt on the property of a business, store, restaurant or mall, do not make the same mistakes we encounter in most premises liability cases. Call our law firm early on so we can gather the evidence and help you build the most compelling fall case possible. After all, contrary to my potential client’s lecture, you do not automatically get paid for your injuries if they occur on a commercial business property!
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