An Introduction to Filing Slip and Fall (Premises Liability) Lawsuits

People trip, slip, and fall down all of the time. Just watching your average ten-year-old child becomes a good illustration of the many ways human beings tumble. The problem is that not all slip and fall incidents are funny or without injury, and if someone is harmed during such an occurrence the property owner might be at legal and financial risk.

While this can often be referred to as a premises liability lawsuit, there are also many slip and fall lawsuits occurring on a regular basis as well. These are basically the same issue, with a simplified label applied to make the reason for the legal action plain--someone was in a public or private location and fell down after slipping on something.

Where any complexity in such an issue occurs is in the "how and why" of the slipping and falling incident. For example, did they walk down a grocery store aisle that had bright orange cones up indicating the floor was wet? If so, they are not likely to get any sort of compensation for their slip and fall because they were the negligent party. If, however, there were no warnings of the floor's conditions (and witnesses who can attest to the fact) the individual who suffered the personal injury can file the slip and fall case knowing they are likely to succeed.

The word negligent appeared in the previous paragraph, and this is really where the burden of proof lays on the shoulders of the person bringing the lawsuit. They and their attorney must prove or demonstrate that the property owner was negligent, and because of that they (the visitor) received an injury of some sort (via the slip and fall).

A good example of a clear cut case is the convenience store that fails to deal with wet floors due to many visitors entering with wet or snow-covered shoes. After a short while this can create a remarkably hazardous scenario, and if there is no sign in place and no one cleans up the water, the patron who might slip and fall is going to be able to file a lawsuit. This is particularly easy to prove because most such stores have security cameras available, and a good attorney will request this evidence immediately.




Obtaining legal assistance from a personal injury law firm is critical if you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to the negligence of another party. Anchorage slip and fall accident lawyers and boat accident lawyers have the specialized knowledge and experience to help individuals and families receive compensation for financial losses, physical injuries, and emotional distress.