Huntington
Slip and Fall
ATTORNEY

DELVENTHAL LAW

HOLD LANDOWNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR INJURIES

Anyone who owns or controls property owes visitors certain duties to keep the property safe from hazards. Unfortunately, too many owners are negligent, which leads to injured men, women, and children.

Slip and fall accidents can cause a variety of injuries. We have met with clients struggling to recover from fractures, concussions, and back injuries. Some people can get up and go on with their day, while others must be rushed to the hospital.

If you were hurt, you are probably curious about whether you have a legal claim. Slip and fall accidents are a category of “premises liability” law, and we encourage you to meet with a Huntington slip and fall lawyer today to discuss. Insurers are not eager to offer fair compensation, so legal representation is essential.

A LANDOWNER’S DUTIES

Generally, property owners must take reasonable steps to keep their property safe. The steps they take will depend on why you were on the property. Indiana recognizes three categories of visitors:

• Invitees have been invited onto the property, though no formal invitation is required. A business customer is an invitee, and Indiana’s Supreme Court has said social guests qualify as well.
• Licensees are those permitted to stay on the property for their own reasons, though they were not invited by the owner. Someone allowed to tailgate in a parking lot is a licensee.
• Trespassers are those who enter or stay on property without permission.

An owner owes the highest duty of care to invitees and lesser duties to licensees. They owe no duty to trespassers other than to refrain from willfully injuring them, unless the trespasser is a child.

COMMON SLIP OR TRIP HAZARDS

At Delventhal Law Office, our Huntington slip and fall lawyer has investigated many accident scenes. We are familiar with the most common hazards that cause a person to slip or trip and fall, such as:

• Loose or missing steps
• Missing stairway banisters
• Poor lighting
• Uneven floorboards
• Litter or debris
• Power cords crossing doorways
• Spilled liquid
• Condensation
• Snow or ice
• Potholes

HOW DEFENDANTS FIGHT AGAINST THESE CLAIMS

A slip and fall case is not easy to bring. Most businesses have insurance policies, and their insurers aggressively fight off claims. If you were hurt in someone’s home, they also might have renters or homeowners insurance.

Some property owners will defend against a claim by alleging:

• The victim was not paying attention and therefore is to blame for falling
• The hazard was open and obvious, which the visitor should have avoided
• The property owner took reasonable precautions to warn visitors or steer them away from dangerous area

A property owner is not automatically responsible if you fall and hurt yourself. At most, the law requires “reasonable care” to be taken. So some property owners will claim they acted reasonably even if you fell and hurt yourself.

CONTACT OUR HUNTINGTON SLIP AND FALL LAWYER TODAY

Our firm has successfully brought many claims against a variety of landowners. We can represent injured adults or children who were hurt in a business, in public buildings, or on private property. Please call us at (260) 484-6655 to learn more about what steps you should take to secure the compensation you deserve.