Columbia Slip and Fall Lawyer
Legally Reviewed by Brent Stewart: June 09, 2026
After slipping and falling on someone else’s property, you might have the right to pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries and losses if your accident was due to someone else’s negligence.
During this time, having the right legal guidance can make a meaningful difference in how confident and supported you feel. Your case will be handled with care and close attention by an attorney who understands both the legal process and the local community.
Brent Stewart, a licensed lawyer and member of the South Carolina Bar, brings more than 3 decades of experience representing injury victims in Columbia and throughout Richland County. You will feel comfortable and at home knowing your concerns are taken seriously, and you can speak directly with your lawyer whenever questions arise as your claim moves forward.
Contact Stewart Law Offices for a free initial case review with a Columbia Slip and Fall Lawyer to learn how our firm can help you seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The Escalating Crisis of Fall‑Related Injuries and Deaths
Falls are one of the leading causes of serious injury and death in the United States, and the numbers continue to worsen every year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the age-adjusted fall death rate among adults 65 and older increased 21 percent from 64.7 per 100,000 in 2018 to 78.4 per 100,000 in 2024, a dramatic and ongoing rise in fall mortality.
In 2023, the unintentional fall death rate for adults age 65 and older was 69.9 per 100,000 population, higher for men (74.2) than for women (66.3). For adults aged 85 and older, the fall death rate reached 373.3 per 100,000 for men and 319 per 100,000 for women. Each year, falls produce approximately 3 million emergency department visits among older adults and about 1 million fall-related hospitalizations.
How Stewart Law Offices Can Help After a Slip and Fall Accident
When you’ve had a slip-and-fall accident because of someone else’s negligence, you deserve to make a complete physical, emotional, and financial recovery. Our law firm provides quality service and legal representation to take the stress of the legal process off your shoulders. Our Columbia legal team at Stewart Law Offices can help with your slip and fall accident case by:
- Responding to your inquiry promptly and visiting you at home or in the hospital if more convenient for you
- Thoroughly examining your case to evaluate your rights to recover financial compensation and identify the party or parties who may bear liability for your harm and loss
- Documenting your injuries and losses, including estimating anticipated future expenses, to pursue the compensation you rightfully deserve
- Helping you navigate the insurance claims process, including dealing with insurance adjusters, business representatives, and defense attorneys, to help you avoid the tactics that insurers and corporations sometimes use to avoid liability for slip and fall injury victims’ losses
- Keeping you updated on the progress of your personal injury case so you never feel in the dark and know what to expect at each stage
- Aggressively pursuing compensation through every legal avenue to obtain the best possible results
Learn more about how our slip-and-fall lawyers can help when you contact us for a free case review.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
A slip and fall accident can occur due to a dangerous property condition that causes a person to lose their footing and fall. Some of the most frequent causes of slip or trip and fall accidents in Columbia include:
- Spills or leaks of food or liquids
- Wires or cords across walkways
- Uneven or damaged flooring/pavement
- Trash, debris, or other items that pose a tripping hazard
- Improperly cleaned or waxed floors
- Rainwater, snow, ice, mud, or plant debris tracked indoors
- Loose or broken steps or railings
- Inadequate lighting
- Broken or missing handrails on stairways
- Potholes and cracked pavement in parking lots and on sidewalks
- Construction zone hazards
- Wet or slippery surfaces in parking garages without adequate drainage or signage
An experienced attorney can review your slip and fall case and determine whether someone else is responsible for your injuries.
Types of Premises Liability Claims Beyond Traditional Slip and Falls
While slipping and tripping on wet or uneven surfaces are the most common forms of premises liability, property owners can also be held accountable for other dangerous conditions on their premises:
- Negligent Security — When inadequate security measures, such as broken lighting, nonfunctioning surveillance cameras, or insufficient security personnel, allow criminal acts (robbery, assault, or other violence) to injure visitors on commercial or residential property, a negligent security claim may be available against the property owner. Columbia venues, parking areas, and apartment complexes with documented security failures have been the subject of these claims.
- Elevator and Escalator Accidents — Property owners and maintenance companies may be liable when poorly maintained or defective elevators and escalators cause injury to users in Columbia office buildings, shopping centers, and transit facilities.
- Swimming Pool Accidents — Apartment complexes, hotels, and public facilities with pools owe a duty to maintain safe pool decks, functioning drains, adequate fencing, and proper warning signage. Slip-and-fall injuries near pool areas are a consistent source of premises liability claims throughout Richland County.
- Construction Site Hazards — Members of the public who are injured by hazardous conditions on or adjacent to construction sites may have premises liability claims against the property owner, general contractor, or subcontractors responsible for site safety.
Compensation You Can Recover Through a Slip and Fall Claim
Pursuing slip and fall cases may allow you to recover compensation for the financial harm you suffered from injuries you sustained in a fall on another’s premises.
Your financial recovery may include money for your:
- Medical expenses, such as ER visits, surgeries, hospitalization, ongoing medical treatment, physical/occupational therapy, and pain management care
- Lost income from missed work or lost earning capacity due to disabilities that prevent you from returning to your job
- Pain and suffering, including physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment or quality of life from disabilities, disfigurement, or scarring
Our premises liability lawyers can thoroughly review your case and explain what a fair settlement looks like.
Steps to Take After a Slip and Fall Accident in Columbia
The actions you take in the hours immediately following a fall on someone else’s property directly affect both your health and your ability to pursue compensation:
- Report the accident immediately. Tell the property owner, store manager, or on-site supervisor before leaving the premises. Ask them to complete a written incident report and get a copy. If they refuse, note the name and title of the person you spoke with.
- Photograph everything before conditions change. Use your phone to document the exact hazard, the wet floor, broken step, cracked pavement, missing handrail, or poor lighting. Photograph from multiple angles and distances. Dangerous conditions are often corrected within hours after a fall incident.
- Identify witnesses. Get the names and contact information of anyone who saw your fall before they leave the scene.
- Seek prompt medical attention. Go to the emergency room or your doctor, even if you feel relatively fine. Many serious injuries, including concussions, spinal damage, and internal bleeding, do not produce obvious symptoms immediately. Your medical records connect your injuries to the fall, which is essential for your claim.
- Preserve your clothing and footwear. Store the shoes and clothing you were wearing at the time of the fall without cleaning or discarding them. They may be relevant evidence.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the property owner’s insurance company before consulting a Columbia slip and fall attorney. Adjusters are trained to elicit answers that minimize or deny claims.
- Contact Stewart Law Offices as soon as possible. Surveillance footage is routinely overwritten within 24 to 72 hours. Maintenance and inspection records must be requested promptly. The sooner your attorney begins investigating, the stronger your case will be.
What NOT to Do After a Columbia Slip and Fall Accident
Just as important as what you should do is what you should avoid:
- Do not minimize your injuries to the property owner, their staff, or their insurer. What seems minor at the scene can develop into a serious condition. Any statement that “you are fine” can be used against you.
- Do not post about your fall on social media. Insurance adjusters routinely monitor claimants’ social media for photos or posts that can be used to argue you are not as injured as claimed.
- Do not accept any early settlement offer without attorney review. Initial offers are almost always far below the true value of your claim. Once you sign a release, your right to additional compensation is permanently extinguished.
Do not delay medical treatment. Gaps in medical care give insurers grounds to argue your injuries are not serious or are not related to the fall.
What Are South Carolina’s Premises Liability Laws?
South Carolina law holds negligent property owners accountable when lawful visitors get hurt due to hazardous conditions on an owner’s property under our state’s premises liability laws. The law requires property owners or occupiers to exercise care in maintaining their premises.
A property owner may bear liability for a visitor’s injuries from a slip and fall accident caused by a dangerous property condition if:
- The property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition through reasonable inspection.
- The property owner failed to fix the dangerous condition or warn visitors about it despite having sufficient opportunity.
- The dangerous condition caused the visitor’s injuries.
South Carolina premises liability laws generally do not impose liability upon property owners for injuries suffered by trespassers on their property, but there are some exceptions.
Premises liability claims in South Carolina also require establishing what type of visitor you were at the time of the accident, as this determines the level of duty the property owner owed to you:
- Invitees — Customers in stores, diners in restaurants, and guests in commercial establishments are invitees. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care — including an obligation to inspect for hidden hazards and to correct or warn of any discovered dangers.
- Licensees — Social guests at a private home are licensees. Property owners must warn licensees of known hidden dangers.
- Trespassers — Property owners generally owe no duty of care to trespassers, with some exceptions, including children under the attractive nuisance doctrine.
The applicable South Carolina premises liability principles are governed by common law and reflected in S.C. Pattern Jury Instructions
Claims Against Government Property in Columbia
If your slip and fall occurred on property owned or maintained by a government entity, such as a city sidewalk, county facility, state building, or public campus, your claim is governed by the South Carolina Tort Claims Act.
The Act imposes stricter rules than those governing claims against private property owners, including a shorter one‑year filing deadline, capped damages, and preserved immunity for certain government functions. Missing these requirements can permanently bar your claim, so prompt legal action is critical.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur in Columbia?
Often, slip and fall accidents occur in public places or establishments open to the public, such as:
- Bars and restaurants
- Grocery stores and supermarkets
- Shopping malls
- Concert venues and theaters
- Stadiums and arenas
- Gyms and fitness facilities
- Government buildings, such as courthouses or public libraries
- Parks and recreational facilities
These accidents can also occur in private homes, including apartment and condominium buildings or townhouse complexes.
What Kinds of Injuries Do Slips and Falls Cause?
Depending on how a person falls in a slip and fall accident, they can suffer various injuries far more severe than scrapes and bruises. Serious injuries can occur when a person falls from a height or hits their head on the ground. Common examples of slip and fall injuries that can occur in an accident include:
- Bone fractures
- Ligament sprains or muscle/tendon strains, especially in the ankles, knees, and wrists
- Dislocated elbow, shoulder, or kneecap
- Abrasions (rug burn or pavement rash) or severe lacerations
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Spinal injuries, including herniated spinal discs or spinal cord trauma
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head injuries
If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, you should immediately seek medical attention to get checked for possible injuries. These accidents can lead to severe injuries, and prompt medical attention is critical to protecting your health.
Statute of Limitations for Columbia Slip and Fall Claims
Under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, you generally have three years from the date of your slip and fall accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in South Carolina. Missing this deadline permanently eliminates your right to seek compensation — regardless of how strong your case might be.
Important exceptions:
- Wrongful death — The three-year period runs from the date of death, not the date of the accident.
- Minors — If the injured person was under 18 at the time of the fall, the limitations period is generally tolled until the minor turns 18.
Three years may seem like ample time, but critical evidence, surveillance footage, maintenance records, and witnesses, begins to disappear almost immediately after a fall. Contact Stewart Law Offices as soon as possible after your Columbia slip and fall accident.
How to Prove Fault in a Slip and Fall Accident
A slip and fall accident attorney from Stewart Law Offices can thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident to recover the evidence needed to prove a property or business owner’s liability for your injuries and losses. Examples of evidence our firm may use to prove fault for an accident include:
- Accident or incident reports written immediately after the slip and fall
- Surveillance footage of the fall and the area surrounding the accident
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Eyewitness statements
- Medical records of your injuries and treatment
- Staffing records
- Maintenance and repair records
- Accident reconstruction or engineering expert reports and testimony
Hiring an experienced Columbia personal injury attorney can help you hold the at-fault property or business owner accountable for your injuries. An attorney will know what evidence you require to have a compelling premises liability case and how to recover that evidence, including by sending preservation requests to prevent the loss of critical evidence like surveillance footage.
Visit Our Slip and Fall Attorneys in Columbia, SC
Contact Our Slip and Fall Attorneys for a Free Consultation
When you’ve suffered a slip and fall accident on another party’s premises because of the property owner’s negligence, you deserve to seek financial recovery for your injuries and losses. Contact Stewart Law Offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a slip-and-fall accident lawyer to discuss your legal options.
FAQs About Columbia Slip and Fall Claims
South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence rule under S.C. Code § 15-38-15 allows you to recover compensation even if you were partially responsible for your fall, as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50 percent. Your total recovery is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. This is fundamentally different from states that use pure contributory negligence (like North Carolina), where even one percent of fault completely bars recovery. Insurance companies for property owners will still try to inflate your share of blame, but South Carolina’s system preserves your right to meaningful compensation even when some degree of fault is found on your part.
Notice is the legal requirement that the property owner either actually knew about the hazardous condition, such as an employee who witnessed a spill, or should have discovered it through reasonable inspection, known as constructive notice. Constructive notice is typically established by showing how long the hazard existed before your fall, whether the condition was recurring or had been reported previously, and whether the property owner had a regular inspection and maintenance schedule that would have revealed the danger. An attorney subpoenas maintenance logs, employee training records, incident complaint files, and surveillance footage to establish constructive notice even when direct evidence is unavailable.
Do not accept this at face value. Many commercial properties have more cameras than management staff are immediately aware of, including cameras from adjacent businesses, traffic cameras maintained by the city, or dashcam footage from vehicles parked in the area. Second, if a preservation demand was sent after the incident and footage was subsequently deleted, the destruction of evidence may constitute spoliation, for which South Carolina courts can impose sanctions, including instructing the jury to assume the deleted footage contained information harmful to the defendant. An attorney who acts immediately can often recover footage that property owners initially claim does not exist.
The presence of a wet floor sign does not automatically eliminate the property owner’s liability, it is a factor that a jury will weigh against all other circumstances. Courts examine whether the warning sign was adequately visible, positioned to provide meaningful notice before a patron could encounter the hazard, and whether placing a sign was sufficient in the circumstances or whether the hazard should have been cleaned up entirely. A sign placed behind a display, off to the side, or in a location where approaching customers could not reasonably see it before stepping into the wet area may not constitute adequate warning. The specific facts, sign placement, lighting, store traffic patterns, and the nature of the spill, all matter, and an attorney’s investigation can reveal whether the sign provided a genuine warning or was a post-incident litigation measure.