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. An almost invisible crack or a small amount of soapy water can leave a victim in a wheelchair or with a permanent traumatic brain injury.

There are four general types of slip and fall accidents:

• Trip-and-fall accidents, where there is a foreign object in the walking path.
• Stump-and-fall accidents, where there is an impediment in the walking surface.
• Step-and-fall accidents, where there is an unexpected failure or hole in the walking surface.
• Slip-and-fall accidents, in which the interface of the shoe and the floor fails.

Both the property owner as well as the injured person can be held to varying degrees of responsibility for an injury. The property owner has a responsibility to keep property safe. Each person has a duty to watch where they are going, as well as realize that there are things that fall or spill onto walking surfaces. Jim Leach, an experienced slip and fall attorney will advise you regarding if you were at fault or not and if so, will your responsibility in the fall hurt your chances of winning a slip and fall lawsuit.

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 a report is not completed at the business location or was not observed by others, compile a record of what happened yourself. Include information such as a description of the circumstances, who was present, the comments made by those who saw or helped after the fall, and, if possible, take photos of the area. If you were physically hurt, have your injury checked out immediately to help substantiate your slip and fall injury lawsuit claim.

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 slip and fall lawyer Jim Leach today to schedule your initial consultation. Mr. Leach serves clients in West Virginia and Ohio, including Parkersburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Huntington, Vienna, Ripley and Charleston, WV and Marietta, Ohio.