Henry County Slip and Fall Lawyer
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you may be entitled to compensation for the damages you suffered. The right to receive compensation because of a slip and fall accident generally depends on your relationship to the person or business entity that owns the property, as well as that person or entity’s actions leading up to the injury.
An experienced Henry County slip and fall lawyer could help you understand what your relationship was at the time of the accident and help you file a claim for compensation. Oftentimes, the property owner’s insurance company does not want to pay out for a claimant’s injuries, so a compassionate attorney could potentially help you negotiate the settlement you deserve.
Status of Visitors in Fall Accidents
Under Georgia law, the owner of a property on which a slip and fall accident occurred is liable under certain circumstances. Official Code of Georgia Annotated §51-3-1 requires property owners to exercise a duty of ordinary care in keeping the property and surrounding areas safe for visitors classified as invitees.
Invitees are those who are lawfully invited onto a property for business purposes such as a store patron. On the other hand, the Official Code of Georgia Annotated §51-3-3 does not require property owners to exercise care for trespassers. They are only required to refrain from wanton and willful injury to a trespasser. For more information about how the status of the visitor impacts the case, consult with a well-established personal injury lawyer.
Proving Liability in Henry County
The plaintiff in a slip and fall case must prove the property owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous environment that caused the accident, such as slippery floors, poorly maintained shelving, or an uneven ground surface.
A Henry County slip and fall lawyer could potentially take steps to prove the property owner had constructive knowledge through several methods. These include locating others who have complained of the conditions in the past or by showing that the conditions existed for such a long period of time that the property owner should have known of the danger.
The property owner will likely attempt to prove the injured party was at least partly responsible for the fall. This is because Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which means the plaintiff’s recovery will be reduced in the proportion that they are deemed responsible for the accident. If the plaintiff is determined to be 50 percent or more responsible for the accident, they could be barred from recovery.
Post-Accident Action Steps
It is important to document the accident scene carefully and as soon as possible after the accident occurs because the environment can be changed to cover up a property manager’s fault. A Henry County slip and fall lawyer could help to:
- Obtain photographs of the area where the accident occurred
- Gather witness testimonies
- Obtain any reports of the accident
- Determine whether any prior accidents were caused by the conditions
- Document the extent and severity of the injuries sustained
Experienced Henry County Slip and Fall Attorneys Could Help
If you were injured in a slip and fall incident on someone else’s property because of a hazard, you may need to contact a Henry County slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.
Doing so will allow attorneys to quickly gather evidence and negotiate with the property owner or insurance company in a personal injury lawsuit. Skilled attorneys could help you recover from this incident by pursuing fair compensation on your behalf.
