Rhode Island Slip & Fall Attorney
A slip and fall may not sound like a big deal, but if you’ve experienced one, you know how serious they can be. Slip and fall accidents may result in muscle tears and sprains, injuries to the neck or back, facial lacerations, and broken bones, especially fractures in difficult-to-heal areas such as ankles, wrists and hips. For the elderly especially, a broken hip or other serious fall injury can be the onset of a decline in health that the victim simply cannot recover from. At Robert E. Craven & Associates, our Rhode Island slip and fall accident attorneys help accident victims deal with these needless tragedies as best they can.
One thing accident victims can do is file a negligence claim or lawsuit against the property owner who allowed a dangerous condition to exist on the premises which led to the fall. Insurance claims and litigation can force negligent property owners to repair their premises and maintain them more faithfully in the future while providing the accident victim with much-needed compensation to deal with medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering and the countless other damages which accompany a slip and fall. Our Rhode Island slip & fall attorneys have the skills, resources and dedication needed to hold responsible property owners fully accountable for their negligence. If you’ve been the victim of a slip and fall injury in Rhode Island, Robert E. Craven & Associates is here to help.
What is “premises liability”?
Premises liability is a body of law which places a duty on property owners to exercise reasonable care for the safety of persons who are reasonably expected to be on the premises. These persons could include customers, guests, delivery persons, salespeople, mail carriers, utility workers, or simply members of the general public. Property owners are liable when people are injured on the property due to a dangerous condition that the property owner or manager either knew about or should have known about yet either failed to correct the hazard or put up a warning about it within a reasonable period of time.
What types of hazards are property owners responsible for?
Property owners have a duty to fix any type of danger on their property that could cause a slip and fall, trip and fall or other personal injury. Some of the most common accidents occur for the following reasons:
- Food or drink spill in a grocery store or restaurant
- Snow, ice or rain tracked in from outside
- Puddles and condensation from refrigerators or air conditioners
- Freshly mopped or waxed floors
- Torn carpets
- Misplaced or missing doormats
- Broken steps
- Broken or missing handrails
- Broken curbs or sidewalks
- Burnt-out light bulbs or inadequate lighting
- Unmarked steps
- Malfunctioning elevators or escalators
- Objects or merchandise in the aisles
- Objects falling from shelves
Why do I need a lawyer to represent me after a slip and fall?
The property owner may try to get you to sign a statement or release of liability, or they may offer you cash or merchandise in exchange for agreeing not to sue. Whatever the property owner or their insurance company offers is unlikely to fully compensate you for all your damages. If you try to pursue a claim on your own, the insurance company is likely to try and avoid fault by claiming you are not really seriously injured, their insured did not have enough notice and time to fix the condition before you slipped, or that you weren’t watching where you were going and the accident is actually your own fault. You need a lawyer to represent you to help you build a strong case backed by evidence showing the accident is the store owner’s fault and not yours, and that you truly were injured in the fall. At Robert E. Craven & Associates, our experienced slip and fall accident attorneys understand the right steps to take to prepare and present a case for full compensation of all your legal damages.
What should I do after a slip and fall?
Report the accident to the store manager or property manager. Take pictures and make notes about the condition that caused you to slip and fall. Get the names of any witnesses who saw the accident. See a doctor and explain what happened. Call a dedicated and experienced Rhode Island slip and fall accident attorney at Robert E. Craven & Associates.
Personal Injury Attorneys Here for You after a Rhode Island Slip & Fall Accident
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in Rhode Island, call Robert E. Craven & Associates at 401-453-2700 for a free consultation with an experienced and successful Rhode Island slip & fall attorney.
