Slip and Fall Lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina
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. Contact Stewart Law Offices for a free initial case review with a slip and fall attorney to learn how our firm can help you seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
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. A Columbia personal injury attorney from 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 for 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
An experienced attorney can review your slip and fall case and determine whether someone else is responsible for your injuries.
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.
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.
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.
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 slip and fall accident 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.
Contact Our Personal Injury 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.