I still remember my accident like it was yesterday. One minute I was driving my daughter to school and the next I was waking up in a hospital bed. It was frustrating to deal with the emotional trauma of forgetting an entire week of my life, in addition to stressing about my small child. Fortunately, we were both able to recover, but it wasn't easy walking dealing with the medical bills that accompanied the accident. I found myself struggling with things as simple as answering the phone, because I was nervous about dealing with another insurance adjuster. Fortunately, by working with a lawyer, I was able to make sense of my situation. I know that you can overcome difficult challenges too, which is why I shared my story on this website.
Working Through Emotional Trauma
Factors Considered In Indoor And Outdoor Slip-And-Fall Accidents
Debra Hawkins
Slip-and-fall accidents are very common, especially during winter due to slippery conditions outside and ice in indoor spaces. These accidents can cause serious or even fatal injuries to the victim, so it helps to know as much as you can about how negligence is determined in such cases and what you can do to recover damages if injured on someone else's property.
The burden of proof is usually on the injured party to show that a dangerous condition existed that the landlord/property owner knew about but failed to rectify. In this article, you will learn what is considered in an indoor and outdoor slip-and-fall accident, and how you may be able to win your claim.
Indoor slip-and-fall claims
Accidents occurring indoors are often caused by problems such as water, ice, grease and foreign objects such as rocks on a walking surface. This is especially common in business premises such as bars and restaurants where food and drinks are served. Such accidents can also result from a poorly maintained walking surface, such as a cracked floor, crumbling steps or damaged floorboards.
Stairs that are poorly designed or maintained can also result in indoor injuries. For instance, a staircase with no handrail can result in a serious fall, resulting in broken bones, a concussion, or even death to the victim.
The owner of any premises is responsible for clearing any foreign objects on hallways and passageways, and maintaining floors, escalators, stairs and other areas where someone is likely to slip or trip. With the help of an injury lawyer, you may be able to prove that negligence on the part of the owner directly caused your injuries.
Outdoor slip-and-fall accidents
Outdoor accidents are often caused by poorly maintained pavements, sidewalks and parking lots. For instance, grease, snow or ice on paving can cause serious injury to people on the premises. Poor outdoor lighting can also cause people to stumble while walking or trip off a curb.
While property owners are generally required to ensure safe outdoor conditions, they are usually not liable for injuries occurring outside their property boundaries. For instance, injuries on streets and sidewalks that are usually maintained by the local municipal government cannot be attributed to negligence by a property owner or landlord of the nearest building.
However, there may be some instances where injuries occurring in a public space can be blamed on poor maintenance by a property owner. For instance, if a branch overhanging into a public street causes an injury to a passerby, then the owner of the tree could be found negligent for failing to remove the obstacle.
For more information about pursuing this kind of case, go to websites of local personal injury law firms.
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