Falls are a common cause of injuries for New Yorkers. While many of the trips and slips that individuals suffer are self-inflicted, others result when property owners fail to maintain their premises and individuals who come upon their land are hurt. When individuals are harmed on other people’s property, they may have rights to sue for the recovery of their damages.
Slip and fall accidents are generally covered by premises liability law, a subset of personal injury law. When a property owner has notice that others will be on their land or allows others to be on their land, they become responsible for maintaining it in a reasonably safe way. If a property owner does not want individuals to come on their land and does not wish to maintain it in a safe manner, they may be required to post notices to keep trespassers away.
Injuries from slip and fall accidents can occur indoors or outdoors. Indoor accidents can happen when carpets come loose, steps are uneven, lighting is low or obstructions block walkways. Outdoors, slippery sidewalks, cracked parking lot pavement, unmarked tree roots and a host of other dangers can inadvertently cause individuals to lose their balance, fall and suffer injuries.
Losses from a slip and fall accident can be extensive and the recovery time that a victim must endure to get back to their normal health may be long. To help aid in the payment of slip and fall related medical bills and to support a victim’s recovery, litigation may be a useful tool for a victim to implement. Damages from personal injury claims may get a victim back on their feet after suffering losses in a slip and fall accident.