Even if you drive for work, school, and errands, at some point, you will need to do some walking, even if it is only from your car to the door. Unfortunately, parking lots may be the scenes of many accidents—not only car crashes but also slip and fall accidents. If you have been injured in a fall in a parking lot caused by a hazardous condition, you may need a premises liability attorney to advocate for you. Bergen County slip and fall lawyer Howard B. Leopold can determine if you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. He represents victims in New York City and throughout Northern New Jersey.
Holding a Property Owner Accountable for a Parking Lot AccidentOther than watching out for cars, it might seem as though parking lots present few dangers. They are usually large, open, flat areas. But parking lots are sites of many slip and fall accidents for reasons such as:
Potholes and cracks;
Inadequate lighting at night or in hallways or stairwells of garages;
During winter, accumulations of snow or ice that have not been properly cleared;
Poorly designed drainage slopes;
Ill-fitting, unstable, or misplaced drainage grates; or
Inadequately marked or uneven transitions, such as from asphalt pavement to concrete platforms or sidewalks, or from handicap ramps.
In parking lot slip and fall accidents that involve these types of conditions, which are situations that present safety hazards, the owner or proprietor that is responsible for maintaining the safety of the parking lot may be held responsible under the legal theory of premises liability.
The basic idea behind premises liability is that an owner or proprietor of property that is held open to the public has a duty to the people who are invited onto the property to keep it free from dangerous conditions that present a foreseeable risk of harm. If they fail to meet this duty by acting in a reasonable and prudent manner, they may be held liable for any injuries that result from an accident caused by the defective or hazardous condition.
This responsibility is significant. While some of the injuries caused by these hazards may be minor, slip and falls also may cause serious harm, including fractures, sprains, torn tendons or ligaments, concussions, brain trauma, severe lacerations, or spinal cord injuries.
Even a minor bone fracture may require a victim to take time off from work, incur significant medical bills, and endure considerable pain and suffering. More serious injuries may cause a permanent condition or a disability, and even injuries that heal may make a victim more susceptible to future injuries. Under premises liability law, a property owner or proprietor that has been negligent may be liable for the costs of all of these damages.
Consult an Experienced Slip and Fall Lawyer in Bergen CountyTo make sure that you are able to obtain all of the damages to which you may be legally entitled, you need to retain an injury lawyer who is experienced in handling claims arising from parking lot slip and fall accidents. For a free consultation with Bergen County slip and fall attorney Howard B. Leopold, call us at (201) 345-5907 or contact us online. Attorney Leopold can assist people 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, Paterson, Newark, and Jersey City, among other cities in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Hudson Counties.