Our Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers represent people injured in falls on public or private property.
Owners and others responsible for property conditions can be liable for injuries due to falls on their premises.
Parties that may be responsible for these injuries include:
- nursing homeowners
- maintenance companies hired by businesses or private individuals
- private homeowners
- grocery store owners, managers
- parking lot owners
- construction companies and / or their contractors
- retail business owners
- hospital owners, operators
- anyone responsible for the condition of other public or private premises
Slip and fall injuries resulting in liability can occur under a wide variety of circumstances.
Some of the numerous conditions that can lead to compensable injuries include failure to:
- keep hallways, rooms, and other accessible areas free of obstructions, slippery conditions, and other falling hazards
- adequately light rooms, hallways, staircases, lobbies, outdoor walkways, grounds, parking lots, and stairs in nursing homes, apartment buildings, and other business premises
- remove ice and snow from walkways, steps, parking lots
- clean spills from floors
- warn of slippery surfaces due to recent cleaning, polishing, or waxing
- repair uneven surfaces, holes, cracks in sidewalks and other outdoor surfaces
- erect and maintain adequate railings on staircases
- design and maintain construction/work sites to avoid falling dangers
- warn of or remove dangerous conditions on private property
- construct ramps and stairways in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other state and federal laws
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, reach out to one of our experienced Philadelphia slip and fall attorneys today. We can schedule you a free case evaluation.
Premises Liability Law
Premises liability law governs a large percentage of fall injury cases handled by a Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyer.
The liability of a company or individual responsible for the condition of land or other premises depends upon whether the injured person was:
- an invitee
- a licensee
- an adult trespasser, or
- a child trespasser
Invitees
Despite their designation as “invitees,” invitees, as defined in premises liability law, are generally not people formally invited onto another’s property.
Business customers, who may not even be acquainted with a business owner or operator, are the most common example of “invitees.”
Premises owners and operators owe the highest duty of care to this category of visitors.
They can be liable for fall injuries sustained by an invitee while on the premises if they failed:
- to conduct adequate and reasonably regular inspections to identify dangerous conditions on-premises
- make reasonable efforts to remedy any identified dangers, or
Provide conspicuous warnings regarding any unaddressed hazards.
Licensees
Licensees include people formally invited onto someone’s premises as well as others with implied or stated permission. Invitees may include:
- invited guests
- uninvited neighbors who stop by for a visit
- UPS, mail, food takeout, and other delivery workers
- landscapers, roofers, plumbers, and others hired to work on premises
- people who enter outdoor or indoor premises to check meters
Companies and people responsible for the condition of premises can be liable to invitees who suffer fall or other injuries on premises only if:
- they failed to warn the invitee of a known falling hazard or other dangerous condition, or
- failed to warn of a hazard they should have discovered if they had exercised reasonable care
Adult Trespassers
With the exception of child trespassers (see below), trespassers are entitled to the lowest duty of care regarding dangerous conditions.
The duty owed to an adult trespasser depends upon whether the landowner or other responsible party knows that the trespasser has been visiting the premises.
If the owner is unaware of a trespasser’s visits, the owner has no duty to protect the trespasser from dangerous conditions.
If the landowner is aware of past trespassing by an adult, the owner can be liable for the trespasser’s fall or other injuries only if:
- the owner fails to warn the trespasser of known falling hazards or other dangers, and
- the hazards are the sort the trespasser would be unlikely to discover on his or her own
Child Trespassers
Child trespassers are owed a higher duty of care than are adult trespassers. Those responsible for the condition of premises can be liable for a trespassing child’s fall or other injuries if:
- the premises contain dangerous conditions attractive to children
- the owner or other responsible party fails to take reasonable measures to prevent children from gaining access to the dangerous condition or premises
Contact a Philadelphia Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
You may be entitled to compensation if you were injured in a fall on someone else’s premises.
Contact our Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyer, today, for a cost-free evaluation of your case.
Let out slip and fall accident attorneys get the compensation you deserve.