Trusted Augusta Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers Serving Injured Victims
Maximizing Financial Compensation in Slip and Fall Cases for Victims Injured in Augusta and throughout Georgia – call our Augusta slip and fall lawyers for a free consultation.
Slip and fall is a term of art and one type of premises liability case that refers to various common injuries that people suffer on public, private, residential, and commercial property. Specifically, it is a tort-based on a claim by a Plaintiff that the property owner was negligent in allowing some dangerous condition to exist that caused the fall and the injury to the Plaintiff.
The classic slip and fall case looks something like this:
George visits his local grocery store. While shopping, he slips on a puddle of shampoo that had leaked from an open bottle on the shelf. The slip causes George to fall. He hits his head, suffering a mild concussion, tissue damage in his neck, and a fractured bone in his arm.
Can George sue the store owner for his injuries? In most cases, yes.
In fact, the store will likely be responsible for paying for all of George’s damages, which might include:
- Hospital bills
- Surgery expenses
- Medication expenses
- Lost income due to time away from work
- Compensation for his pain, suffering, and emotional distress
- Any other out-of-pocket medical costs or other such losses
Why is the grocery store held responsible? Georgia expects every property owner in this state to maintain safe premises. However, the grocer is not always responsible as other factors are considered besides George’s fall.
In other words, most property owners have a duty to keep you safe while you’re on their premises. This duty falls within an area of personal injury law called premises liability.
T. Madden & Associates, P.C. is an experienced and aggressive personal injury law firm. We’ve helped many Georgians deal with premises liability issues over the years, and we’d like to help you, too. There’s a lot to know about slip and fall litigation. This page will address some of the most common issues. Please don’t make any assumptions about your rights, though, without talking to our Augusta slip and fall attorneys first. We’ve been successful in recovering substantial monetary compensation for numerous accident victims living all throughout Georgia. If you or someone you know was injured while on someone else’s property, our Augusta slip and fall lawyers can help.
What Other Injuries Does Georgia Premises Liability Law Cover?
In addition to literal “slips” and “falls,” our Georgia slip and fall lawyers can help with a wide range of common property-related injuries, including:
- Tripping hazards
- Loose wires
- Shopping cart injuries
- Negligent security
- Inadequate lighting
- Electrocution
- Falling objects
- Unsecured store shelves
- Fires
- Break-ins or assaults in a hotel or residential complex
- Swimming pool injuries
- Animal attacks
- Most other injuries are caused by dangerous conditions on someone else’s property
Will the Property Owner Cooperate?
Most property owners carry insurance policies to help them pay for premises liability lawsuits. Unfortunately, those insurance companies will likely try very hard to avoid their financial obligations – and they’re quite good at dodging those responsibilities.
Fortunately, we are quite good at holding them accountable and making them pay – and we’re available to fight on your side.
The defendant and its insurance company are likely to argue that:
- Your injuries weren’t caused by the dangerous property condition.
- Your injuries didn’t cost as much as you claim.
- You created the dangerous condition yourself.
- You did not use reasonable care to protect yourself
- The dangerous condition wasn’t foreseeable or had existed for only a short period of time (before the owner had a reasonable opportunity to address it).
- The property owner did not have a legal duty to prevent your harm.
- The insurance policy doesn’t apply to the injuries in your case.
Don’t make the mistake of challenging an insurance company by yourself. Likewise, don’t agree to their settlement terms without talking to an attorney first. Call our Georgia slip and fall attorneys as soon as possible.
What Kinds of Property Are Subject to Georgia Premises Liability Law?
In the example above, we described a grocery store slip and fall. While those are common, the truth is that slip and fall accidents happen everywhere. Most types of property – including public, private, commercial, and residential – are subject to certain premises liability restrictions.
Our Georgia slip and fall lawyers can assist with injuries that occur at or on:
- Shopping malls
- Retail stores
- Grocery stores
- Public parks
- Public roads
- Movie theaters
- Restaurants
- Bars / Nightclubs
- Amusement parks
- Private property (e.g., a neighbor’s house)
- Hotels
- Motels
- Parking decks, lots, and garages
- Factories
- Machine shops
- Workplaces
- And more
How Do Georgia Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
Most slip and fall hazards can be prevented or cured through the owner’s exercise of ordinary prudence and care. Still, to guard yourself when out in public or visiting someone else’s property, it’s helpful to understand how these accidents tend to happen.
Some of the most common slip and fall hazards include:
- Spills (resulting in slippery or sticky floors)
- Recently mopped floors without adequate “wet floor” warnings
- Melting ice or snow
- Uneven transitions in flooring
- Potholes
- Busted-up concrete in sidewalks, curbs, etc.
- Staircases that were poorly built or are poorly maintained
- Broken handrails
- An unexpected step up or down without adequate “watch your step” warnings
- Loose wiring, cables, ropes, hoses (such as water hoses), etc.
- Pipes that obstruct walking paths
- Items that have fallen from store shelves
- Debris after a storm
- Foreign objects in a sidewalk, aisle, or walkway
These are only examples. Virtually any property condition that causes you to slip, trip, or fall could support an injury claim, provided the owner knew about it or should have known about it.
Sometimes, property owners can be liable for slip and fall even if they were trying to keep the premises clean. For example, if a retail employee uses the wrong cleaning chemicals on a sales floor, it could create a dangerously slippery surface long after the product has dried. Retailers and other property owners have a duty to maintain their premises properly and to train their employees to respond to safety issues the right way.
If you aren’t sure whether your accident might support a slip and fall accident claim, give us a call and tell us your story. Our highly experienced Augusta slip and fall lawyers will tell you if we think we can help.
Do Slip and Fall Cases Usually Go to Court in Georgia? Can I Afford a Lawyer?
The experienced Augusta slip and fall accident attorneys at T. Madden & Associates, P.C. have helped injured Georgians with a wide range of slip and fall claims.
In the majority of those cases, we have been able to reach a settlement without going to court.
Settlements are often in everyone’s best interest because they allow the victim to recover the robust compensation they need while sparing all parties the time, hassle, and expense of a trial.
But some cases require us to pursue a formal lawsuit to produce a fair and just result for our clients. Our legal team is always prepared to take a claim to court if that’s what it takes. We wouldn’t accept your case if we didn’t think it was strong enough to take to trial.
That said, we will do everything we can to get you the money you deserve without going to court. If, after attempting a settlement and talking with our team, you do decide you want to go to trial, you can feel confident in our extensive trial experience and record of success.
We don’t charge a fee for our services unless we are able to recover compensation for your claim. And if your case goes to court, we will advance the costs of litigation. You won’t have to pay anything upfront, and if you don’t recover the money, you won’t have to pay anything at all. There’s nothing to lose.
Some of Our Other Personal Injury Practice Areas
At T. Madden & Associates, P.C., we serve clients with all sorts of personal injury complaints, including:
- Auto Accidents
- DUI Accidents
- Dog Attacks
- Medical Malpractice
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Negligent Security
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Trucking Accidents
- Wrongful Death
Contact Our Augusta Slip and Fall Lawyers
At T. Madden & Associates, P.C., you don’t pay us unless we get you money. Let us fight for you and the people you love. Contact our Augusta slip and fall attorneys to request a completely free consultation right away.
If you live somewhere else in Georgia (or were injured while visiting here), please feel free to call us at either number. You can also visit our offices or contact us online. We’re here when you need us.