There are few sensations more jarring than feeling your foot slide out from under you after stepping on what you assumed to be safe, dry ground. Unfortunately, the result of an unexpected slip and fall on a wet surface is often a lot more than jarring, as injuries and subsequent losses from this type of accident can sometimes persist for months, years, or even decades afterwards.
However, you may be able to demand civil restitution from the owner of the land where your accident occurred if you can prove their negligent property management was the main and direct cause of your injury. If you want to explore your options for filing suit over wet floor accidents in Merrillville, it is a good idea to contact an experienced slip and fall attorney from The Law Offices of David W. Holub as soon as possible.
Wet Floors and a Landowner’s Duties of Care
To summarize premises liability law in a sentence, property owners have a legal duty of care to protect property visitors from preventable injuries, and the precise nature of that duty changes depending on each visitor’s purpose for visiting. For example, Merrillville landowners are generally not liable for injuries sustained by unlawful trespassers, so trespassers cannot sue over a wet floor accident unless the defendant landowner intentionally did something to endanger that trespasser.
Conversely, if a lawful visitor to someone else’s property slips on a wet floor the landowner had direct knowledge of but failed to address or warn them about, the visitor likely has grounds to sue over any injuries they suffered from that fall. Furthermore, if an injured person’s accident occurred in a retail store or some other property where their presence financially benefited the landowner, that person may have grounds to sue over hazards the landowner should have known about through regular inspection of their land.
What Evidence Is Important in a Wet Floor Accident Claim?
When constructing a lawsuit over a Merrillville wet floor accident, an injured person’s primary goal should be proving that the hazard that caused their accident existed and the landowner they are suing knew or should have known about it, but failed to fix it or warn them. They may also need to show that they were not acting irresponsibly at the time, or they could receive reduced compensation due to their comparative fault.
Important evidence an injured person might use to establish both these things can include:
- Photos and videos of the accident scene right after the slip and fall happened
- Eyewitness testimony
- Security or surveillance camera footage
- Preserved clothing and shoes they were wearing at the time of the fall
- Employee logs and other evidence detailing who should have seen, cordoned off, or cleaned up a wet spot prior to the accident
Our team could help an injured person gather, preserve, and make effective use of all available information in pursuit of the financial recovery they deserve.
Contact a Merrillville Attorney About a Wet Floor Accident
Wet floor accidents in Merrillville can be harder to file suit over than you might expect. Even though an unmarked spill is the archetypal example of a dangerous slipping hazard, civil courts, let alone insurance companies, will not just assume you are blameless in a situation like this, or that the landowner you are trying to sue is fully at fault for your injuries.
Fortunately, assistance from a knowledgeable legal professional may help increase your chances of success with your case. Call The Law Offices of David W. Holub today for a consultation.