Slip and Fall Lawyer

Serving West Virginia and Ohio

A slip and fall accident typically occurs as a result of tripping or slipping on a dangerous surface. Uneven, wet, slippery, snow-covered, icy or in some other way hazardous surfaces injure thousands of people each year in the United States.

Many serious injuries can result from slip and fall accidents including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, severe cuts and back/spine injuries. It is very important that you seek medical attention immediately following a slip and fall accident as not all injuries will be obvious. Even apparently minor things such as a tiny crack or a puddle of soapy water can put a person in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.

In a slip and fall accident, the walker’s shoe does not connect safely with the floor. There are also three other kinds of slip and fall accidents:

• Stump and fall accidents – where something obstructs a walking area

• Trip and fall accidents -- where a foreign object clutters a pathway

• Step and fall accidents – where there is a defect in the walking surface such as a hole or loose substructure

Both the property owner and the injured person may be found liable to some extent for the slip and fall accident. The property owner is responsible for keeping the property safe, and each individual is responsible for watching where they are going. They should be aware that sometimes things spill or fall on a floor or other walking surface, and they should therefore pay adequate attention.

Why do I Need a Lawyer if I Fall?
There are many layers to premises liability, which is the area of law that handles slip and fall injuries. It can become very complicated when trying to determine fault and to determine whether conditions were indeed hazardous. Slip and fall accidents fall under the legal category of premises liability because the person or agency who owns the land on which you fell may be held responsible for the injuries and financial damages you incurred because of the fall. The slip and fall attorney who handles your case will have knowledge of premises liability laws for your particular state, and he will know if the landowner can be held responsible for your financial losses.

What Should I do After a Slip and Fall?
If you are involved in a slip and fall accident, an accident report should be completed at the time of the incident noting specifically what happened, where, who witnessed it, and what the conditions were surrounding the fall location (weather, lighting, surface debris, etc.). Filing a report is usually more of a policy than a law; stores and other retail places will certainly have these forms on hand as they are used to slip and fall accidents happening.

If you are involved in a slip and fall accident, you need to complete an accident report at the time it occurs. The report should describe:

• What happened

• Where it happened

• Who saw it happen, if anyone did

• The ambient conditions such as surface debris, lighting or weather

This report is not legally required, but any retail place will have such forms on hand, as they are accustomed to slip and fall accidents happening.

If the accident happened on private property rather than in a store or business building, or if it was not seen by anyone, a slip and fall lawyer will ask you to write an account of the incident yourself. It should include a description of what happened, who was at the location, and any remarks made by those people. If you can, take photographs of the accident site. If you were injured, it is important to seek medical care as soon as possible. This will provide support for your slip and fall legal claim later on.

Slip and Fall FAQs

Having served his West Virginia and Ohio clients so successfully in the past, Jim Leach is well prepared to look at the particulars of your case. His focus is first on listening to you, as a potential new client, and evaluating your legal situation. No two cases are alike, as he well knows. After years of dealing with insurance companies, he’s familiar with how they operate and how they determine the settlement and trial value of your individual case. Using his  case management system, he and his associates can effectively gather and organize all the important information necessary in making your claim. You can depend on him to win you a fair and full award or judgment.

If you or a loved one was injured in a slip and fall, please contact premises liability lawyer Jim Leach today to schedule your initial consultation. Mr. Leach serves clients in West Virginia and Ohio, including Parkersburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Huntington, and Charleston, WV and Belpre, Ohio.