There is a disturbing movement in the United States to view victims who sue the companies responsible for their injuries as opportunistic. Viewing their lawyers as ambulances chasing sharks. Make no mistake about it: this view has been propagated and reinforced by the very companies that want to avoid being held liable for civil negligence. There are very few ways the little man can deal with a corporation, but the courts, as they stand today, are still one of the best. If he was injured as a result of an accident, a slip and fall attorney can help you punish the company responsible and get you the compensation you deserve.

premises liability
Anyone who owns a business has a certain degree of premises liability under the law. No, this does not mean that a business owner is responsible for every customer who is injured on the property, as reductionist laymen sometimes think. What it means is something much more reasonable and just. Simply put, the landlord has a duty to keep the property safe and to correct any conditions that may be dangerous. If you fail on either count and someone is injured as a result, a slip and fall attorney will be able to help the victim collect damages.

Causes
While no one can expect a business owner to prepare for every eventuality, that scope of coverage is not required by law. What is required is some degree of care and thought must be given to keeping the area safe. When torn carpet, poorly maintained steps or escalators, spills, or items left on the floor cause injuries, a jury can find that the condition was unsafe and that the landlord failed in his or her duty to provide a safe environment. Are there those who would take advantage of these “get rich quick” laws? Sure, but the phenomenon is far less common than corporate America would like you to believe.

Damages
A slip and fall attorney will work on behalf of a client to prove that the property owner was negligent in a way that caused injury to the victim. If this can be proven, a jury can decide that the landlord is responsible for paying for the victim’s medical treatment, cover any lost wages that might have increased, and can also find that punitive damages are in order. These are becoming rarer, but may be appropriate in circumstances where gross negligence is involved. Does a business owner deserve to be financially punished for failing to change a light bulb, somehow leading to an accident? Maybe not. Do they deserve it for leaving an obvious and clear hazard on your property because removing it would be prohibitively expensive? Many jurors have said yes.