If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, then you might be entitled to compensation under Alabama law––even if a wet floor sign was present. In Alabama, premises liability law gives injured persons the right to sue and recover damages in cases where they have been exposed to a property hazard, and were harmed. 

Most people see a wet floor sign as a liability; they think that because there was a wet floor sign present, it doesn’t matter how dangerous the floor is. How does a warning sign influence your chances of having a successful claim for damages or injuries sustained on someone else’s property?

Premises Liability

Property owners are responsible for maintaining safe premises for entrants. If a property owner fails to inspect the property, or fails to correct dangerous or defective conditions they discover, then they can be held liable under premise liability. 

In light of this, property owners are given other options under Alabama law. For instance, rather than correct the dangerous situation, they can put up a warning sign to let entrants know of the hazard. This way, entrants know to avoid this area, or exercise extreme caution when traversing the property. 

Determining Liability

During a premises liability dispute, observation is an important issue. If the plaintiff knew about the dangerous condition, then they cannot bring a successful action for damages. The presence of the warning sign serves as a way to notify others that there is a dangerous condition present. 

As a plaintiff, a wet floor sign can really put you in a bind in litigation. However, there are a few ways you can overcome this. If you can prove that the wet floor sign was not visible, or was not legible, you may have a case. 

If the condition was so dangerous that you believe it was unavoidable, you can argue that you had no choice but to engage with the hazard.

Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time. Typically, the burden of proof falls on the victim in a slip and fall accident case. If you were injured on someone else's property due to the negligence of the owner, you may have a case. Contact our law office as soon as possible to start the process of filing your claim.