Common Premises Liability Accidents That Happen Outside of Stores
You were recently going to a store when you slipped and fell right outside of it.
Now you’re dealing with an injury and you don’t know how you’re going to pay for treatment. You also aren’t sure if you have any legal recourse. If you had slipped inside the store, you know you could have contacted a manager and possibly pursued a claim, but what about outside of a store? Is there anything you can do?
Depending on the situation, you may be able to file a claim and get compensation for your injuries. What matters is where you fell, how you fell, what you were doing when the injury occurred, and the evidence we can present for your case. If you consult with a personal injury lawyer, such as Heiting & Irwin, the attorneys may be able to initiate a claim for what’s called a premises liability accident.
What Are Premises Liability Accidents?
Premises liability accidents simply are those that occur on a premises, like a store, a sidewalk outside of a store, or a store’s parking lot, or anywhere else the defendant’s negligent actions result in injury to another party due to the condition of the property.
For instance, a store may have cracked sidewalks outside of it that cause customers to trip all the time. It may have uneven stairways or a parking lot that is filled with potholes. After a heavy snowfall, the outside of store may be covered with snow and the sidewalks could be icy, causing customers to slip and be hurt.
These are just a few scenarios that are common; there are many more potential premises liability accidents that could occur. Other dangerous conditions may include: overflowing water, mud, too much wax on floors, hidden hazards, trip or slip hazards.
Treatment for a Premises Liability Accident
If you are in a premises liability accident, you could experience a wide range of injuries. You may:
- Hurt your back, hands, wrists, knees, hips or other body parts
- Hit your head and get a concussion or a fractured skull
- Get bruises or even broken bones
- Badly injure a limb
- Injure your brain by bleeding or impact
- Have internal bleeding or other internal injuries
Depending on the type of injury experienced, as well as how serious it is, you may need to get treatment like:
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Acupuncture
- Therapeutic massage
- Or other medical care
Additionally, you might have to purchase special medical equipment, hire a nurse to help you part-time or full-time, and take medications. Your injury and treatment may interfere with your ability to function like you used to and perform tasks like working, driving, bathing, and taking care of your family.
The medical costs could range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars for a traumatic brain injury or other lifelong injury. We also look at your loss of income and other damages you may have incurred. For instance you may suffer emotional damages; and the physical and emotional limitations may cause challenges in your marriage and other relationships.
It may not be clear right away how much this injury will affect your life, and you’ll have to consult with doctors, healthcare professionals, and a personal injury lawyer to determine what the road ahead could look like.
What May Not Count As a Premises Liability Accident
The key to your premises liability accident is that one needs to be able to prove that the defendant was negligent, and that led to being injured.
The defendant’s notice or knowledge of the defective condition is important; and there must be a reasonable opportunity to correct it. For instance, if a customer threw a cardboard box on the sidewalk and you stumbled on it and fell 30 seconds later, it would probably not be reasonable to say that the store or property owner was liable for that as there was such a short period of time between the box being thrown on the ground and the fall.
Still, it’s always best to have a professional look into your case no matter what the circumstances were. You should explore whether the owner could be considered negligent. You should call a lawyer and tell them the situation before writing it off.
Who Is Responsible for a Premises Liability Accident?
In some cases you may need to pursue legal action against the local government that failed to provide a safe area to walk. All the circumstances need to be explored.
You’ll need to contact a personal injury lawyer to go over the details of your case and determine who is actually responsible and if you have a potential case.
What to Do If You Are in a Premises Liability Accident
If you are in a premises liability accident, the first thing you should do, if you are able, is take notes on what happened and snap pictures of the surrounding area. Note if there are any security cameras where you could get footage of the incident. Ask nearby witnesses about what they saw and get their information in case you need to contact them later on.
You can ask the store manager for their information and/or the property owner’s information as well. If you get a call from the manager, property owner, or insurance company for either party, do not discuss the details of the case or take a settlement. You don’t want to say anything that could hurt your case or risk getting a low-ball offer that fails even to cover your past and potential medical expenses.
Right after your accident, immediately get medical attention to check and see that you don’t have serious injuries. You’ll need to get a full examination and possibly have X-rays and films like CTs or MRIs done to check for internal injury.
After you’ve been checked out, find a personal injury lawyer who has worked on premises liability accident cases in the past. Give them all your notes, pictures, contact information for witnesses, managers, and property owners, and your medical records to ensure they have all the facts in front of them and the best chance of getting you a proper settlement for your case.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you’re ready to look into a personal injury claim, then call the personal injury attorneys at Heiting & Irwin at 951-682-6400, or contact our office online at www.hilegalgroup.com to schedule a free consultation as soon as possible. We can get you the compensation you deserve in your premises liability accident case.
