4 Things You Didn’t Know About Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Slip-and-fall accidents happen when an individual slips unexpectedly, causing an accident to occur. Each year, many people are injured in this manner. These can occur because of improper maintenance on driveways, sidewalks, and stairsteps. If you slip and fall on someone else’s property, you may need a personal injury attorney to assist you in your slip-and-fall claim.
Four Things Many Don’t Know
There are some things that individuals who have slipped do not take into consideration. Even if they have become injured, they may not think about it. These are:
- Property owner’s obligations – A property owner has a legal obligation to maintain their property at all times. This includes fixing any issues that could cause any injury. Even if the property owner is in the process of fixing the property, they still have the obligation to notify other individuals about any potential danger. This could be easily done by using signs or roping an area off.
- What you must prove – If you have been involved in a slip-and-fall, there are a few key pieces of information that you must prove. These include:
- The property owner had knowledge of the issue.
- The property owner failed to take immediate action in order to fix the issue.
- The slip-and-fall accident resulted in injuries and damages (it could be effective to show many medical treatments provided due to this injury, and it is helpful to supply lost wages or damage done).
- Statute of limitations – This refers to the amount of time that a person has to file a lawsuit. This is done from the date that you first learned about your injuries. In New York, you have three years to file a lawsuit against the property owner for a slip and fall accident.
- Providing a recorded statement – Never provide a statement after you have been the victim of a slip-and-fall accident without first contacting your personal injury attorney. Many times, those that are asking for these statements will want you to admit fault. Never, under any circumstances, admit an accident was
your fault. Insurance companies and claim adjusters will want this personal statement, in most cases, to use it against you. However, you are under no legal obligation to give them one. You have the right to say no.
Syracuse Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one have sustained personal injuries in a slip and fall accident, you will need legal representation to assist you. Gatusso & Ciotoli are personal injury attorneys that serve Central New York. Our firm has 50 years of collective experience and we pride ourselves on offering one on one personalized service that is hands-on. We do everything in our power to minimize the hassle of our clients while maximizing the settlement. Our law firm provides a free consultation, providing services for those that have been injured in a slip-and-fall or car accident. We also provide service for those who have claims pertaining to defective products, nursing home abuse, employment law, education law, and medical malpractice. Call us today at (315) 314-8000.