Slip and Fall Accidents

Frequently, people suffer injuries that are caused by slip and fall accidents on someone else’s property. This may happen when they are shopping in a store, eating at a restaurant, or vacationing at a hotel, among other examples. In some cases, the resulting injuries are serious, possibly involving broken bones, lacerations, or even head or spinal cord injuries. When a slip and fall accident happens because of a dangerous property condition, the property owner may be held liable under the legal theory of premises liability. These cases are often complex, so it is important to discuss your situation with an injury attorney who is experienced in this area of the law. Bergen County slip and fall lawyer Howard B. Leopold can assist you in bringing a claim after an accident in New York City or Northern New Jersey.

To establish liability for a slip and fall, the plaintiff generally must have been an invitee or a licensee. An invitee is someone who is on the premises at the defendant’s express or implied invitation, such as a customer, a tenant, or a client or vendor. A licensee is there because of the owner’s permission, such as someone who is a guest at a house party.

The plaintiff must have been hurt due to a property condition that posed an unreasonable risk of harm. Also, the owner or proprietor must have known about the dangerous condition or have been expected to know about it in the exercise of reasonable care. For example, if a store failed to clean up a spill in an aisle for several hours after it occurred, the store probably would have been expected to have discovered it. A slip and fall attorney can advise Bergen County residents on whether notice is likely to have been present.

The defendant must not have taken reasonable steps to either adequately warn visitors of the danger or fix the dangerous condition, and this must have been the cause of the injury suffered by the plaintiff. If these elements are satisfied, a landowner or proprietor may be liable to the plaintiff for all of the damages that they incurred, including medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other costs and losses.

This area of the law is very fact-intensive, and an investigation of the accident is important in determining whether a victim has a valid claim and developing a strategy for how to proceed. It is useful to review photographs, surveillance video, and other documentation that may be available of the area where the accident occurred.

If you have been hurt in a serious accident that occurred on someone else’s property, you should consult an experienced attorney to find out if you have a valid premises liability claim. For over two decades, Bergen County slip and fall attorney Howard B. Leopold has advised and represented accident victims, helping them pursue the compensation to which they are legally entitled. For a free, no-obligation consultation, contact us online or by calling (201) 345-5907. Howard B. Leopold also assists people who need a car accident lawyer or representation in other personal injury cases throughout Bergen, Essex, Passaic, and Hudson Counties, including in Hackensack, Englewood, Bergenfield, Cliffside Park, Dumont, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hasbrouck Heights, Hillsdale, Little Ferry, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Mahwah, New Milford, North Arlington, Oakland, Palisades Park, Paramus, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Teaneck, Tenafly, Wallington, Westwood, Wyckoff, Jersey City, Paterson, and Newark.