What is a Slip and Fall?
A slip and fall claim can happen anytime someone is injured on someone else’s property. If you are injured on another’s property, then you may have a slip and fall claim. Property owners have numerous responsibilities.
An important responsibility placed on the property owner is a legal term known as the “duty of care.” Property owners have a duty of care to make sure visitors of their property are safe.
Washington law requires property owners to ensure their property is safe for visitors. The level of care that a property owner is required to give visitors depends on what type of visitor you are. In Washington, there are three main types of visitors under slip and fall law, they are:
Invitees: Invitees are visitors who are invited onto a property. A common example of an invitee would be someone going somewhere to conduct business. If you go to the supermarket to shop for groceries, then you would be an invitee under Washington law.
When the supermarket opened its doors that day for business, it “invited” everyone to enter and conduct business there. A property owner is required to take reasonable care to ensure the safety of the premises for invitees.
Licensees: Licensees are visitors who enter a property with the owner’s implied consent. Implied consent is unsaid permission to enter for a specific type of visitor. A common example of a licensee would be a utility company entering a property to check a power line.
A licensee does not get the same level of protection under the duty of care as an invitee in the first example above. A property owner is required to inform a licensee of any known dangerous conditions on the property. This is usually done with adequate warning signs.
Trespassers: Trespassers are visitors who enter a property without any legal consent. A common example of a trespasser would be an individual jumping a fence that surrounds a property. The fence in this case is meant to keep people out, and since the individual entered anyway, the individual would be considered a trespasser.
A trespasser gets the least amount of protection from a property owner. In Washington, trespassers are not owed any legal duties of care from a property owner.
If you have been hurt on another’s property and are owed a legal duty of care as one of the three types of visitors discussed above, then you could have a case to win a money judgment. You may be able to make a personal injury claim if you are an injured person. If you were injured because of a hazardous condition, then you might need specific legal advice.
There are different types of accidents that can result in a successful personal injury lawsuit. Your lawsuit can be directed at a property owner and their insurance carrier. Insurance companies will often be the main target after slip-and-fall injuries. If you have specific questions about your potential slip and fall case, then it is important to speak to an experienced slip and fall attorney who can help guide you.
The Attractive Nuisance Doctrine Explained
Under Washington law, there is an exception to the rule about trespassers when the trespasser is a child. Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, a property owner is required to reasonably ensure the safety of a child who might be attracted to something on the property that is inherently dangerous for a child to play with on their own.
An attractive nuisance is defined as something that exists on a property that:
- Is potentially dangerous,
- Is attractive to children,
- Is unlikely to be understood to be dangerous by a child,
- Will likely attract children to the property, and
- Injuries are foreseeable
A common example of an attractive nuisance is a swimming pool.
What Types of Slip and Fall Cases are There?
There are many types of slip and fall cases in Washington. You can file a slip and fall claim for several types of cases that happen in many locations and for different types of injuries. You may be entitled to money for:
- General premises liability
- Construction site injuries
- Grocery store injuries
- Hotel injuries
- Parking lot injuries
- School property injuries
- Bar injuries
- Restaurant injuries
- Sidewalk injuries
- Private property injuries
You may also be able to file a negligence claim against a property owner if they don’t keep their property safe for visitors.
You may be entitled to money if you were hurt because of:
- Icy ground
- Wet floor
- Broken sidewalk
- Violation of building code
- Accident on stairs
If you are hurt in a slip and fall, you can suffer many types of injuries, including:
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Arm injuries
- Hand injuries
- Leg injuries
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injury
- Bone fracture
- Hip injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Minor injuries
If you have suffered an injury of any kind on someone else’s property, then make sure you get in contact with an experienced slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible. Our office handles all types of slip and fall cases, and our experienced attorneys are ready to help you get a fair settlement or push the case to a jury trial if necessary.
What Kind of Damages can be Awarded in a Slip and Fall Case?
If you are injured in a slip and fall or another type of injury on someone else’s property, then you may have a case to win money. The types of compensation that you can receive in a slip and fall claim under Washington law include:
Economic damages:
This includes economic costs for things like medical expenses for medical treatment, lost wages, and property damage.
Non-economic damages:
This includes costs for things that cannot be easily calculated such as pain and suffering, trauma, and long-term effects.
If you are curious about what type of money damages you may be eligible for in your slip and fall case, then give us a call at the Law Office of Sofia Miguel so we can help.
Sofia’s No Fee Guarantee
Attorney Sofia Miguel guarantees that you will never write a check to our office under Sofia’s “no fee guarantee.” Consultations are free and if your case is selected, then Sofia will also cover all of your court costs that are incurred during your slip and fall case.
Sofia only gets paid what you do. Her services will cost you nothing out of pocket; simple as that. Let Sofia’s nearly twenty years of experience in helping people recover from their injuries get to work for you now.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury from a slip and fall near Seattle, Puyallup, or Tacoma, WA, then contact attorney Sofia Miguel as she is ready to help you fight to get the money you deserve. Call us at 253-200-4471, come visit our office right here in Puyallup at 702 S. Hill Park Dr. #207, or contact us online anytime. We are here for you.
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