Trip and fall accidents are not just briefly embarrassing mishaps that don’t cause lasting damage to anything but your ego. Anyone who’s ever lost their footing because of a hazard they didn’t see knows how painful and physically debilitating this type of accident can be, especially if it leads to you falling from a high height or onto a hard surface.
Like any other accident stemming mainly from someone else’s misconduct, you can file suit with a personal injury attorney’s help over injuries you suffered from falling on another person’s poorly maintained property. If you want to make sure your case ends as positively for you as possible, you should strongly consider working with a Mt Laurel slip and fall lawyer from our team. Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers has years of experience fighting—and winning—cases like this on behalf of people just like you.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Despite the nickname, winters in the Garden State can be harsh and cold, and that means untreated and unmarked ice patches cause plenty of accidental falls around here. However, that’s just one of the many indoor and outdoor hazards that could lead to this type of incident, with others including:
- Unmarked spills, particularly on tile floors and other surfaces that are already slick
- Loose or cracked tiles, floorboards, and sidewalk slabs
- Frayed or torn carpeting
- Broken, uneven, or otherwise poorly constructed steps
- Lack of handrails on ramps and staircases
- Lack of sufficient lighting for walking paths
- Debris and trash in walking paths, including things like unsecured electrical cords
Not every potential slipping or tripping hazard is automatically grounds for a lawsuit, but if you can prove a landowner should’ve done more to fix a particular hazard or warn you about it ahead of time, you may be able to sue over any injury you suffered from that hazard. A Mt Laurel slip and fall attorney can discuss your recovery options in more detail during a private initial meeting.
Fighting Allegations of Comparative Fault in a Tripping Accident Claim
You, too, have a responsibility to be careful and aware while on someone else’s property, just like the property owner has a duty to warn you about hazards and to fix those hazards as soon as possible after learning of them. If a court finds that you directly contributed to causing your own slip and fall by acting irresponsibly, you may miss out on civil compensation because of comparative fault.
Under New Jersey law, anyone who’s found to hold 51% or more of the total fault for an accident is prohibited from getting any civil compensation for injuries caused by that accident, even if someone else was also partly at fault. If you’re assigned a percentage of fault that’s less than 51% but more than 0%, the court will reduce the value of your final damage award by that same percentage. Our skilled lawyers can help fight to prevent comparative fault accusations during your Mt Laurel slip and fall case.
Speak with a Mt Laurel Slip and Fall Attorney Today
Even if it seems obvious to you that a landowner didn’t do enough to prevent you from tripping and falling on their property, your word alone won’t be enough to convince a civil court—let alone an insurance company—to side with you. You need lots of evidence to support your claim and enough legal experience to make good use of that information. Both of those things can be very hard to come by if you try to file suit alone.
You have much better chances of getting the money you need without running into any legal roadblocks along the way if you hire and work closely with a Mt Laurel slip and fall lawyer. Call today to learn more.
