Slip-and-Fall: Hazardous Condition Cases

When a property owner's negligence causes you to slip, fall, and suffer an injury, you have a right to seek compensation for your damages. Property owners have a responsibility to maintain their premises to safe conditions, and this includes attending to any slip-and-fall hazards that might be present.

This applies to virtually any property owner or manager—sometimes it even applies to tenants. This includes your next-door neighbor, your employer, and even the owner of the supermarket down the road.

What Is a Hazardous Condition?

A hazardous condition is defined as a condition that creates the strong likelihood of injury. Broken stairs, slippery floors, and damaged sidewalks could all qualify.

In most cases, the property owner bears a large burden of responsibility for preventing such conditions, and therefore could bear most, if not all, of the liability for any injuries that occur as a result.

Temporary vs. Permanent Hazardous Conditions

While hazardous conditions can be permanent, such as in the case of a stairwell in disrepair, they can also be temporary, such as an icy sidewalk or wet floor.

Permanent hazard slip-and-fall cases are easier to win, because your attorney can argue that the property owner had plenty of time to recognize the danger and fix the problem.

Temporary hazard slip-and-fall cases are less clear-cut. The court will want to know whether the property owner had time to become aware of and deal with the hazardous conditions. If it's found that the temporary hazard hadn't existed long enough for the property owner to recognize it, his or her liability might be minimal.

Boston Slip-and-Fall Attorneys

Slip-and-fall accidents can result in serious injuries that affect you for the rest of your life. It's important that you have an experienced legal team on your side to help you throughout the legal process.

Let the attorneys of Joel H. Schwartz, PC help you get the compensation you deserve. Call for a free consultation at 1-800-660-2270 or complete the form on our website today.