Slip and Fall Lawyers in Ohio

Ohio Slip and Fall Lawyer

The thought of a slip-and-fall accident while visiting a store, restaurant, hotel, or someone’s home typically does not cross our minds. Most people think a slip and fall leaves someone with minor bumps and bruises. However, these accidents can leave people with severe, long-lasting, and even permanent injuries and disabilities.

When a slip and fall results from a hazardous or dangerous condition created by the premises owner or occupier, or when a property or business owner neglects to fix or remove a hazardous condition, the owner may be held liable for the injured person’s damages.

Contact Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, today by calling now to schedule a free initial case evaluation with one of our slip and fall lawyers in Ohio. We can walk you through the process of pursuing a slip and fall claim. We can also explain how we will seek maximum compensation in your case.

What Do You Have to Prove in an Ohio Slip and Fall Claim?

You have suffered a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property and have injuries. However, that does not automatically mean that the property or business owner must compensate you for your injuries and damages. A property or business owner is only liable for your slip and fall accident if your accident arose from the property owner’s negligence.

To prove negligence in a slip-and-fall case, you must prove four elements:

1. Duty of care. The duty of care a property or business owner owes to a visitor depends on the visitor’s status as an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser.

• • The visitor is an invitee. An invitee comes onto the owner’s property for the benefit of the owner. An example of an invitee might be a store or restaurant customer. An owner owes an invitee the highest duty of care. The owner must make a reasonable effort to keep the property free of dangerous conditions and warn an invitee of any hazards.
  • The visitor is a licensee. A licensee includes someone who comes onto the property for their benefit. One example of a licensee is a social guest. An owner owes a licensee a duty to warn of dangerous conditions that are not open and obvious.
  • The trespasser. A trespasser includes a person who does not have permission to be on the property. An owner must refrain from intentionally or wantonly inflicting harm to the trespasser. An owner might harm a trespasser by setting hidden traps.

1. Breach of the Duty of Care. A violation is arguably the most critical element of any slip-and-fall case. You must show that the owner’s actions or omissions breached a duty owed to you as a visitor. Many liability disputes in slip and fall cases involve this question: did the property or business owner have a reasonable opportunity to discover and clean up or repair the slip and fall hazard? An owner might say a slip-and-fall accident victim is partly responsible for the accident. The owner may argue the person negligently stepped on an open or obvious hazard. For example, the owner might say the slip and fall victim fell on an easily noticeable patch of ice when an alternative path was available.
2. Causation. You must show that the owner’s breach of the duty of care directly and proximately caused the accident and injuries.
3. Damages. Finally, you must show that you have incurred compensable damages because of your injuries, like medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering.

How Can a Slip and Fall Attorney in Ohio Help?

When you’ve suffered a slip and fall accident, you may not know where to turn or how to pursue compensation for your injuries and damages. At Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, our Ohio slip and fall lawyers can help you obtain the financial recovery you need and deserve. When you hire us to represent you in your case, we will:

• Investigate your accident. We will recover evidence we can use in your claims, such as an accident or incident report prepared by the property or business owner. Other evidence may include surveillance video that captured your accident, accident scene photos, and the medical records of your treatment.
• Work with engineering experts to build a compelling and persuasive case. We will show why the property or business owner should be held liable for your accident and injuries.
• Identify all potentially liable parties. Those parties might be property owners, tenants, or third-party maintenance companies. We will explore whether insurance coverages are available to compensate you for your damages.
• Aggressively negotiate with the insurance companies and defense lawyers for a fair settlement on your behalf.
• Prepare your case to go to court if it becomes necessary. We want the other parties to clearly understand that we have a strong chance and are serious about getting total compensation for you.

Our Ohio personal injury lawyer will keep you informed of every development in your case. We will make sure you understand your options so that you can make informed decisions about your claim. We will handle the burden and hard work of your legal case. Our efforts will allow you to focus on a full recovery from your slip and fall injuries.

Compensation Available After a Slip and Fall Accident in Ohio

After you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be entitled to compensation for the damages you have suffered due to your injuries. Your payment for damages can include the following:

• Past, ongoing, and future medical expenses include surgeries and procedures, hospital stays, doctor’s appointments, prescription medication, mobility or medical equipment, and personal or home health care. Damages may even include alterations to your home to accommodate disabilities caused by your injuries.
• Lost wages and income for the time you miss from work as you recover from injuries.
• Lost earning capacity or potential if your injuries left you unable to return to your old job or perform other gainful employment.
• Pain and suffering.
• Loss of quality of life due to disabilities, disfigurements, or the inability to perform daily tasks or participate in activities you once enjoyed.
• Loss of consortium is compensation for your spouse when your injuries cause a loss of your companionship and society.

In addition, you might also be entitled to seek compensation for property damage caused by your slip and fall accident. For example, you might be compensated for the pair of glasses that broke when you fell.

Common Causes of Ohio Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents often result from dangerous conditions created by the property or business owner or made by someone else and left on the property because of the owner’s carelessness or recklessness.

Frequent causes of Ohio slip and fall accidents include:

• Water, snow or ice
• Mud, dirt or other debris tracked in from the outside
• Spilled oil or other slippery substances
• Recently mopped or waxed floors
• Broken hardwood flooring or tile
• Broken or uneven pavement or potholes
• Missing or broken stairs or handrails
• Uneven flooring level, such as half-steps between rooms
• Loose and torn rugs or carpeting
• Trash or debris on the floor
• Loose cords or wiring across walkways
• Open cabinet drawers or doors

Common Places Where Ohio Slip and Fall Accidents Occur

A slip and fall accident can occur on any residential or commercial property. These are common locations for slip and fall accidents in Ohio:

No matter where your slip and fall accident occurred, our skilled Ohio slip and fall accident attorneys can help you hold the negligent property or business owner accountable for your personal injury. Our goal is to provide you with the full and fair compensation you deserve.

What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt in a Slip and Fall Accident in Ohio

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, these steps can help protect your legal rights and options when you seek compensation for your injuries and damages:

1. Report your accident. Report your slip and fall accident to the property or business owner as soon as possible. The business might prepare an accident or incident report if your accident occurred on a commercial property such as a store or restaurant. Ask for a copy of this report. It will serve as evidence that your accident occurred. If you wait to report your accident, the property or business owner may point to the delay as proof that your accident did not happen. A delay may also cause you to lose critical evidence. For example, surveillance video might be deleted unless a property or business owner has reason to preserve it.
2. Get the contact information for the property or business owner. That information will let you and your attorney know who to contact if you file a claim for your injuries and damages from the accident.
3. Photograph the accident scene. Take photographs or videos of the accident scene with the camera on your cell phone. Record pictures of whatever you believe caused your slip and fall, such as a puddle of liquid on the floor. Also, photograph any warning signs or safety equipment that is nearby. If anything obstructed your view of the hazard that caused your fall, photograph that. Take a picture of the lighting and, if applicable, the weather conditions. Any visible injuries you have should also be documented and photographed.
4. Follow up with your doctor or other health care provider. Even if you do not think you were seriously injured in your accident, you should still get examined by your doctor or another medical provider. A doctor might identify injuries that do not yet cause pain or symptoms. Promptly identifying and diagnosing your injuries will strengthen your argument that those injuries resulted from your slip and fall accident. Knowing what injuries could lead you to a faster and less painful recovery.
5. Talk to a slip-and-fall accident attorney. A slip-and-fall lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and options. An attorney can walk you through the process of a claim for compensation for your injuries and damages from the accident.

Following your accident, you may end up being contacted by insurance adjusters or defense attorneys about your case. If you state your accident, do not apologize, embellish the details or blame the property or business owner for your injuries. Doing so will hurt your credibility. It will also give the other side reason to deny your claim. Refrain from talking about your accident on social media or posting photos or videos of your activities – especially when you claim that you still suffer from injuries caused by your slip and fall accident.

Talk to an Ohio Slip and Fall Lawyer Now

Do not wait another day to begin seeking the financial compensation you deserve for injuries and harm from your slip and fall accident. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a slip and fall accident in Ohio, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an Ohio slip and fall lawyer. Call Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, today.

Learn more about your legal rights and options and how we can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Our firm is prepared to assist you and your family from any of our six convenient office locations in Akron, Cincinnati, Independence (Cleveland), Columbus, Beavercreek, and Canfield.