If you slipped, fell and injured yourself because of a property owner’s negligence, it is time to speak with a Monroe slip and fall lawyer. A serious injury related to a slip and fall accident means expensive medical bills and lost time from work, among other hassles and inconveniences. Working with an attorney like George W. Ganim, Jr. could mean recovering monetary compensation for your financial losses.
Since recovering from an injury takes time and effort, you should not have to deal with the legal aspects yourself. Work with a dedicated personal injury attorney who can handle everything related to your legal case so you can focus on getting better.
What Are the Responsibilities of the Landowner?
It is the responsibility of any property owner to maintain safe premises, such as those free of broken stairs, snow and ice and defects to the walkways. Property hazards that have not been fixed require signs and or caution tape to warn of danger. Individuals who enter private properties are divided into three distinct categories, two of which are automatically owed what is known as duty of care:
- Invitees: Friends, family members and all others specifically invited to a person’s property are owed safe passage while on the premises.
- Licensees: Service persons such as plumbers, HVAC technicians, salespeople, mail carriers, electricians and general contractors are considered licensees. While they do not enter private properties for social reasons, they are still on premise lawfully and deserve duty of care.
- Trespassers: Vandals, burglars and any other individuals who walk onto a property without landowner permission are trespassers. Property owners in Connecticut owe these people duty of care only in that they cannot purposely try to injure the trespasser. However, landowners do not have to warn trespassers of unsafe conditions because they are not on the property legally. This law does not apply to children, however.
A local slip and fall lawyer can represent someone who sustained injuries due to icy walkways, wet flooring, broken handrails, snow or ice-covered stairs and poor lighting.
How is Negligence Proven in a Slip and Fall Case?
To prove negligence in a slip and fall injury case, a Monroe trip and fall attorney must show that duty of care was owed but not provided. They must also show that the lack of care directly resulted in a person being injured. For example, an electrician might enter a property to perform wiring work and fall because of ice on the walkway leading to the house. The property owner’s responsibility was to remove the ice to ensure the walkway was safe, or section the walkway off and put up a sign indicating which way to go. If the electrician sustained head trauma, back injuries or other severe physical harm because of slipping and falling, the property owner is liable for damages.
Slip and fall accidents can also occur due to intentional actions. If a property owner poured ice over all stairs and walkways in order to deter a vandal, it might result in a slipping accident. While the person may have been on premise illegally, it is unlawful for a landowner to set traps with the intention of hurting another person. A person who was injured while on a property illegally should also speak with Attorney Ganim to determine if a lawsuit is possible.
Reach Out to a Monroe Slip and Fall Attorney About Your Accident
Instead of dealing with the financial setbacks of your accident, contact a Monroe slip and fall lawyer for help. Attorney George W. Ganim, Jr. can help anyone affected by unsafe premises and provide dedicated counsel and representation. Do not go another day worrying about how to pay your medical expenses. You can secure financial relief through the legal process.