Villa Rica Slip and Fall Lawyer
A puddle in a store or patch of ice in a parking lot may not seem like a big deal, but even minor hazards can cause significant injuries if they cause someone to fall unexpectedly. More importantly, failure to fix or clean up small hazards like these may constitute legal negligence on the part of a property owner or manager. As a result, this may allow someone injured in a slip and fall accident to file suit for compensation.
Before taking any steps to pursue legal action yourself, you should first talk to a Villa Rica slip and fall lawyer about your case. Once retained, a skilled personal injury attorney could work with you to maximize your total compensation.
Legal Liability for Slips, Trips, and Falls
In a general sense, anyone who owns or oversees property that other people may visit has a responsibility to ensure those visitors are kept reasonably safe from foreseeable and preventable harm. However, the specific amount of responsibility they have varies depending on why each particular visitor is on their property.
For example, a customer in a retail store is known in legal terms as an invitee, because they are “invited” onto the store owner’s property to benefit that owner. Under Official Code of Georgia Annotated §51-3-1, property owners and managers must exercise “ordinary care” to keep invitees safe. This essentially means that proprietors must take reasonable action to either warn invitees of these dangerous conditions or fix any hazards they know about or should be aware of.
Alternatively, landowners only owe visitors who are on their property for their own personal benefit—known as licensees—protection from “willful or wanton injury” according to O.C.G.A. §51-3-2. In other words, they are not responsible for any hazards a licensee should have noticed, but they could be liable for any harm they caused this visitor to suffer through their recklessness or intent.
O.C.G.A. §51-3-3 establishes the same level of property owner liability for trespassers, except in cases involving “attractive nuisances”. A Villa Rica attorney could offer further clarification about how these categories may impact potential recovery in a slip and fall case.
Recoverable Damages in Villa Rica
State law allows civil plaintiffs injured in a slip and fall accident to request compensation for both economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages cover losses that have an objective monetary value that can be confirmed with an invoice or receipt. These include but are not limited to:
- Medical bills
- Repair or replacement costs for items damaged in a fall
- Lost wages, if an injury kept the plaintiff from working
- Loss of future wages, if a long-term injury prevents the plaintiff from ever returning to their old occupation
Additionally, noneconomic damages account for losses that do not have a specific value. These damages cannot justify a lawsuit by themselves, but they can be added on to a lawsuit based on a provable injury that led to documented economic losses. Noneconomic damages that a trip and fall lawyer in Villa Rica could help a plaintiff recover for may include:
- Long-term disfigurement
- Lifelong disability stemming from the incident
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of ability to enjoy personal activities and hobbies
- Loss of relationship with family and friends
Get in Touch with a Villa Rica Slip and Fall Attorney Today
Though it may feel embarrassing to suffer a hard spill in a public place, you should not let those feelings prevent you from seeking fair compensation if you are seriously injured. A Villa Rica slip and fall lawyer could help you take stock of all your losses and construct a comprehensive settlement demand that accounts for their full value. Call today to schedule an initial consultation.
