When we visit any business or private residence, it is reasonable to expect the property owner to keep their grounds maintained in a way that would limit the likelihood of slips, falls, and other accidents.
The Las Vegas slip-and-fall accident attorneys at Steve Dixon Law believe that those who fail to do so should be held fully accountable when their disregard for public safety results in an injury. A Las Vegas slip-and-fall attorney from our law firm will fight on your behalf for justice when you have been injured due to a property owner’s negligence. Slip-and-fall accidents are the most common source of personal injury and in most cases are entirely preventable.
The Responsibility of Property Owners to Maintain Safe Premises
If you have been injured due to a slip, trip, or fall accident on another person’s property, you may be entitled to compensation for the cost of your medical treatment. To succeed on this claim, you must prove that the property owner did not take reasonable steps to provide a safe environment.
Examples of negligence leading to trip-and-fall accidents include the following: No effort was made to maintain the premises and ensure that they were safe. Examples of this negligence include not making a reasonable effort to remove snow and ice and not repairing uneven surfaces that could contribute to a slip or fall accident.
Visitors were unaware of potential hazards due to inadequate warnings. For example, a building owner should post signs near wet floors or near trip or fall hazards.
The property owner was aware of unsafe conditions and made no effort to warn others of the hazards, make reasonable repairs, or take appropriate action.
Protecting Your Rights Following a Trip-and-Fall Injury
Our Las Vegas slip-and-fall lawyers handle many cases where the conditions leading to the injury were temporary or the property owner made attempts to cover up the scene of the accident to avoid responsibility. For this reason, we advise all of our clients to take the following steps to protect their rights and establish their damages by filing a lawsuit to cover the cost of expenses.
- Take pictures of the property immediately so that the owner is unable to tamper with the evidence found at the scene or make expedited repairs. Include photos of the exact location where you suffered harm and the property damage or hazard that caused your accident.
- Seek emergency medical treatment. It is a legal mistake to leave the scene appearing unharmed and seek treatment after the fact. By calling emergency services, you will establish a record of the incident with the authorities and the hospital where you received treatment.
- Obtain contact information of any witnesses present when you were injured. It is vital to get in touch with anyone who can provide testimony to support your case.
- Report the accident to the property owner. You do not need to have a long conversation with the owner about your injuries or answer specific questions. However, it is essential that you inform the owner that you have been injured on their property. It is your right to refrain from any in-depth discussion about the accident until you’ve spoken with a lawyer.