Fight for Your Rights: Slip and Fall Lawyers in Knoxville, TN at Your Service
Slapstick comedy colors it as a mockery. But it’s anything but. Slip and fall accidents carry risks of serious personal injury — and are more prevalent than one might think. These accidents can happen just about anywhere: at the store, the park, a sidewalk, or on another person’s private property.
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and fall accidents account for a majority share of emergency room visits, with approximately 8 million each year. Slick, wet, messy, and uneven floors make up the usual culprits of these kinds of accidents. Slip and fall accidents primary fall into the legal purview of premises liability.
Suffering a slip and fall accident could leave you with broken bones, or worse. Your health is one of the most valuable resources you have. Negligence upending that asset cannot be left unaddressed. If you suffered a slip and fall injury that could be credited to property owner negligence, you may have a property or premises liability case. Chart a course for swift action; enlist a Tennessee slip and fall lawyer at Wettermark Keith. We carry the breadth of experience, and depth of devotion, to help ferry your case from injury to recovery. Contact us for a completely free consultation in Knoxville, TN.
Instances Where Slip and Fall Happen
Falling under the legal block of premises liability, slip and fall accidents place liability on a property owner. Essentially, premises liability charges property owners to keep their property in a reasonably safe manner for visitors or patrons of the property. Depending on the circumstances, liability may not fall to the owner — but someone else. Unsafe conditions can include:
- Slick, wet, and unmarked floors;
- Uneven floors;
- Floors filled with debris;
- Sloped or jagged sidewalks;
- Rickety stairs;
- Loose carpeting;
- Defective handrails;
- Exposed wires or hoses;
- And more.
When a property owner fails to correct or remedy unsafe property conditions, that owner may be held liable for damages resulting from an undue injury.
Finding Fault
In a slip and fall case, the onus of proof primarily falls on the victim. The victim has to prove certain things to be true about the property owner and the circumstances surrounding the accident. Property owner liability hinges on one of these things being deemed true:
- A hazardous surface, such as a busted sidewalk, ripped carpet, or wet floor, caused your accident and it owed its existence to property owner negligence
- A property owner fails to implement safeguards against accidents and injury, such as safety inspection and upkeep
- An object or rubbish that caused your fall shouldn’t have been where it was
- Hazard indicators or other signs were absent
- Poor lighting caused or contributed to your fall
Premises liability cases are usually presided over by a judge and jury, grounded by common sense guidelines. That’s because liability can prove to be a bit gray, rather than straight black and white. Judge and jury deliberate if the owner had prior knowledge of the hazard and cause to address it — before accident or injury took place.
This being said, a victim’s own inattention may factor into the deliberation, whether when reaching a settlement or in the courtroom. Tennessee operates on “comparative negligence” lawsuits, which means that blame may be split between land owner and injury victim if circumstances permit.
Once someone files a claim for premises liability, an insurance adjuster will pepper a victim with questions to judge fault. These can include:
- Was there a legitimate reason as to why you were where the hazardous conditions were?
- If you had been more careful or cautious, could those conditions have been avoided?
- Were warning signs posted somewhere in view?
- Did something you were doing distract you from noticing the dangerous conditions or impair your judgement in the moment?
Land owners, and the insurance adjusters that prop up their insurance policies, will seek to find fault with you, the victim. If they can split fault, they can drastically reduce compensation. That’s where a personal injury attorney at Wettermark Keith benefits you. We can provide sound legal counsel — and handle the owner and insurance adjuster as we pursue fair compensation.
Premises Liability Damages
Slip and fall damages can be quite comprehensive. Besides up-front expenses like emergency room visits and outpatient procedures, damages can also cover other losses as well. Missed time from work, and the wages lost, due to doctor’s visits or from injury also constitute damages. Physical rehabilitation visits also fall under the damages umbrella.
Damages rest outside medical and loss of income costs as well. Tennessee personal injury law allows for pain and suffering to be sought as damages, and carries provisions for miscellaneous costs too. These could be any out-of-pocket expenses. As one can see, premises liability damages cast a wide net when it comes to compensation. Enlisting a qualified slip and fall accident lawyer helps ensure your case receives all the damages you deserve.
Contact the Accident Lawyers at Wettermark Keith
Contrary to how comedy routines flavor them, slip and fall accidents are no laughing matter. They can cause, or largely contribute to, serious injury and bodily harm. Their prevalence adds to the seriousness of their nature.
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident on another’s property, legal options do lie in front of you. We’ll explore them together at Wettermark Keith. Our experience in personal injury law spans decades, which could pay dividends for you and your case. Plus, our personal touch ensures your case receives the full attention it needs.
Contact us for an absolutely free consultation of your slip and fall accident or injury in Knoxville, Tennessee. We aim to hold others accountable for their inaction; negligence breeds calamity — physically, mentally, and financially. Let us help find the compensation and recovery you need.
