Slip and fall accidents occur every day in Pennsylvania. While many do not result in any injuries, unfortunately, some result in catastrophic injuries. In fact, falls are often more devastating than many other types of personal injury accidents such as motor vehicle crashes, trucking wrecks, or medical malpractice. According to statistics, falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries and the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States. Even slip and falls causing broken bones, nerve injuries (brachial plexus), joint injuries, and other damages can result in significant pain and suffering, high medical bills, and prolonged lost wages.
Many people do not realize the heavy costs associated with a slip and fall accident until they or a loved one have been injured and wonder how they can afford all of these unexpected bills while losing so many paychecks. Some victims even blame themselves for a fall at a store, office, restaurant, park, government building, friend’s house, or their apartment building. But here at Silver & Silver, a skilled slip and fall lawyer in Media and Ardmore knows oftentimes it is not a victim’s fault but the negligence of another.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a fall on the property of another person, business, or government agency, you may have a “premises liability” claim under Pennsylvania law. This means that you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. Let Silver & Silver evaluate your claim during a FREE consultation with our slip and fall attorneys in Ardmore, PA.
Landowners and Tenants Must Protect Guests
Under Pennsylvania law, any landowner, tenant, possessor, maintainer, or another party in control of property must exercise reasonable care under the circumstances to prevent foreseeable harm to foreseeable guests on the property. Guests are also known as “entrants” onto land. The level of care owed is called the “duty of care” and it depends on the type of entrant on the property.
- Business Invitees – the highest level of care must be given to business invitees who are guests on a property to buy goods or services. Property owners or tenants must perform regular inspections of the premises and repair or make safe all hazardous conditions. Until a repair is made, owners must warn guests and/or protect them from the hazard. Some examples would be at a grocery store, doctor’s office, or mall.
- Social Invitees or Licensees– a high level of care is owed to guests who are invited onto the property for non-business reasons. Hazards must be repaired or made safe, and social invitees warned about other potential hazards. Examples include guests to a house for a party, dinner, or other events.
- Trespassers – the lowest duty of care is owed to a trespasser which is to avoid causing intentional or grossly negligent harm. Digging a hole where trespassers run through the property would be an example of how there could be liable.
If you were any type of entrant at a store, business, house, or on the property of another, ask a Silver & Silver’s slip and fall attorney in Ardmore to evaluate your case for compensation under Pennsylvania law. We can work with your treating physicians to establish your damages claim while hiring some of the leading experts to prove liability against the defendant.
Common Causes of Fall Accidents
Most causes of falls are due to the negligence of a landowner or tenant. This means that most personal injuries are avoidable and preventable if Pennsylvania law was followed. Some of the most common causes of incidents our slip and fall attorneys in Ardmore could handle for you include the following:
- Wet floors from tracked-in rain, melted snow, or leaks
- Muddy floors
- Food spills or debris on the floor (broken jars, product spills, crushed food on the floor in the produce department of a grocery store)
- Excessive use of floor soap or wax
- Uneven walking surfaces
- Damages stairs
- Broken floor tiles
- Wires or cords draped across walking surfaces
- Broken curbs
- Debris or garbage on the floor
- Holes or depressions on the ground
- Bunched up carpets
- Icy or snow-covered walkways
- Uneven stairs
- Excessive rock salt on the ground
- Rotted decks or floorboards
- Poorly lit walkways, and
- Any other causes that Silver & Silver can investigate and establish liability against a defendant for you.
Partial Fault for a Fall Does Not Bar a Claim
Even if you believe that you may have caused your slip and fall accident, you may still be entitled to compensation. Pennsylvania is a modified comparative fault state, which means that the proportional fault of a personal injury victim proportionally reduces his or her compensation. If you are awarded $100,000 at trial but found to be 20% at fault, the court may reduce your award to $80,000.
This means that victims will still recover compensation if they may have partially caused their injuries. However, if a court or jury finds that a victim is 51% or more at fault, the entire claim may be barred.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall, don’t wait around. Pennsylvania law gives you just two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss that deadline, and your right to recover damages disappears—no matter how strong your case is.
That time goes fast, especially when you’re dealing with medical treatment, missed work, and trying to get your life back on track. A lawyer can help you gather the evidence you need and make sure everything is filed correctly and on time.
There are a few exceptions that might extend or shorten your deadline, such as if the injured person is a minor or if the fall happened on government property. But don’t assume you have more time—talk to a slip and fall lawyer who knows the rules and how they apply to your specific situation in Ardmore, PA, or nearby.
Silver & Silver Can Help You Today After a Slip and Fall Accident
You can’t just hire any personal injury or wrongful death attorney in Philadelphia and beyond. Injuries from a slip and fall accident could be life-changing and even life-threatening. You need to rely on the knowledge, skill, and experience of the slip and fall lawyers in Ardmore, PA at Silver & Silver. Our team has over 40 years of experience winning cases for clients injured due to another person or business’ negligence. Learn how we can help you during a FREE consultation by dialing 610-638-7255 or email us through our easy-to-use “contact us” box available here.