Zanes Law is a personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle, WA and Tucson & Phoenix, AZ. As Seattle slip and fall attorneys we see people injured in falls on a daily basis. A slip and fall accident is considered a type of premises liability accident. It is when a person falls and receives an injury due to a dangerous condition on someone else’s property. The laws of negligence govern slip and fall cases. Some of the causes of slip and fall accidents seen by our Seattle premises liability lawyers include cracked sidewalks. Other cases involve spilled food or liquids. Finally, we see many cases involving ice and snow, objects on stairs, uneven steps, broken floor tiles, potholes, and dim lighting.
A slip and fall incident will require you to show negligence, meaning that you have to prove the defendant did not act reasonably in the given circumstances. For example, if an employee fails to put out a warning sign near a recently mopped area and a customer slips and is seriously injured, then the customer can hold the employee liable. When you hire the Seattle slip and fall attorneys at Zanes Law, we will get this done.
Our premises liability lawyers in Seattle determine negligence based on what the defendant knew about the dangerous condition. The process of finding out how much the defendant knew is called discovery. During discovery, our slip and fall lawyers in Seattle will make the defendant hand over all repair logs and maintenance records. We will also obtain surveillance footage and any other relevant information. Finally, the plaintiff can gather information through depositions, which are interviews conducted under oath.
To show negligence, our slip and fall attorneys in Seattle will prove the following conditions:
When proving the liability of a property owner in a slip and fall incident, you need to show the one important thing. The extent of the reasonableness of the owner’s actions. Your goal is to show that he or she acted unreasonably.
To demonstrate that the property owner acted unreasonably, you need to ask yourself:
Many states follow the concept of comparative negligence when determining liability in slip and fall accidents. If you contributed to your own accident, your damage award is lessened by the percentage that you were at fault. For example, if the court awards you damages worth $200,000, and you were 30% at fault for the accident, you will receive $140,000 in damages.
The Zanes Law Seattle slip and fall attorneys will ask these questions in order to determine your level of negligence in a slip and fall incident:
How is a premises liability claim different from a slip and fall claim? This is an important distinction. In actuality, a slip and fall claim is one of the many types on premises liability claims. Therefore, a lawsuit for a premises liability accident holds a property owner responsible for any injuries on their property that arise from the owner’s negligence. Legally, the owner must maintain a safe environment for his guests. A failure to do this is what creates the owners “premises liability.” A visitor injured in one of the following ways can lead to the property owner being held responsible under the state’s premises liability laws.
Our Seattle premises liability lawyers will tell you the answer to this questions is “no.” A property owner is not merely responsible because the injuries happened on his property. For example, a trespasser typically can’t recover on a premises liability claim because he should not have been on the premises. The injured party needs to be an invitee to recover. An invitee is someone invited to the property or business for a commercial purpose. Also, a licensee or social guest is on the property at the owner’s invitation and can recover on a premises liability claim. Under both circumstances, the owner implies that the property will be safe and free from hazards.
The law requires an owner to inspect their property and to look for dangerous conditions. They must then either fix these hazardous conditions or, at the very least, put up warning signs so that their visitors are not injured. Any owner who fails in this regard is responsible for any injuries under a premises liability claim.
It is usually hard to prove that the defendant is at fault in a slip and fall accident. Also, insurers rarely acknowledge the liability of unrepresented persons. Therefore, the first job of the Seattle slip and fall attorneys at Zanes Law is to catch the attention of the insurance company and the defendant.
Often, the victims of slip and fall accidents are short on the resources they need to prove liability. They have no solid ground for claiming damages. Your Seattle slip and fall attorneys at Zanes Law have the resources needed to carry out an investigation. We will obtain proof of the defendant’s liability. By utilizing medical records and our knowledge of the law, our lawyers will be able to provide a strong basis for you to receive damages. Some of the damages your lawyers are likely to secure for you include compensation for medical expenses, lost income, temporary disability, and pain and suffering.
If you are in a slip and fall accident, hire the Zanes Law Seattle slip and fall attorneys to help you. When proving fault, you will need to show the negligence of the defendant. If you are partly to blame for the accident, we will fight for you. We will fight to minimize your share of blame in the accident. To improve your chance of getting a better result for your slip and fall lawsuit, let the Seattle premises liability lawyers at Zanes Law take on your case.
1100 Dexter Avenue North, Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 207-2000
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, or worse... we are here to help. Please don't hesitate to reach out.