Slip and Fall Attorney

Though they may seem like minor incidents, slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries. Depending on the environment in which they occur, they could cause broken bones, soft tissue injuries, brain injuries, spinal injuries and more. The risk for serious injuries is especially high for older individuals, who may have weaker bones, muscles and tendons.

Slip and fall injuries fall under premises liability laws. Premises liability covers any injury that may happen on someone else’s property due to the actions or negligence of the property owner. However, determining whether the property owner had a duty of care to protect you from harm can be complicated. That’s why contacting a Georgia slip and fall lawyer / Georgia premises liability lawyer is so important.

LawyerUp’s services can help you explore all of your legal options if you have been injured in a slip and fall accident or some other incident on someone else’s property. Use our contact form to get a free, no-obligation consultation with a qualified premises liability lawyer today.

Compensation, or damages, available after a slip and fall or other premises liability case are divided into two categories: economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are intended to compensate you for real money you lost due to your injuries. This includes lost wages, medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, property damage and more. Economic damages are generally easy to calculate since the amounts are objective.

Noneconomic damages, on the other hand, are intended to compensate you for intangible losses you suffered. This may include pain and suffering, mental anguish and more. Because these damages are much more subjective in nature, they may be harder to prove. As such, you will need an experienced Georgia slip and fall lawyer by your side who can build a strong case on your behalf.

Under Georgia law, there are three different types of visitors to a property. Each of these types of visitors is offered a different level of protection. A Georgia premises liability lawyer can help you determine which category you fall into if you are injured on someone else’s property.

Trespassers

First are trespassers. These are visitors on a property who are not lawfully allowed to be there. Or, they may be in an area that is off-limits to them, such as an “employees only” break room. The only duty property owners owe to trespassers is to not intentionally harm them once they are discovered. However, if the property owner knows there are frequent trespassers, they must keep their property safe clear of hazards or at least post sufficient warnings of any hazards.

The exception is if the trespasser is a child. In this instance, the property owner may be held liable if the property is not free of hazards. The most common liability issue are “attractive nuisances.” These are manmade hazards, like swimming pools, that must have adequate safeguards to ensure they won’t be dangerous to children.

Licensees

A licensee is someone who is allowed to be on the property but is there for their own benefit. Their presence does not offer any sort of financial benefit to the property owner. Licensees may include people attending a house party, a delivery driver dropping off packages, and even a person entering a store just to ask for directions or use the restroom.

Property owners have a higher duty of care toward licensees. They must make sure they take reasonable care to protect these visitors from known hazards. However, they are not required to inspect their property for any unknown hazards.

Invitees

The last group of people is invitees. These are people who are on the property for the financial gain of the property owner, or otherwise on the property for business reasons. For example, people who visit retail stores to shop or amusement parks to enjoy the rides are considered invitees. People who are at a job interview could also be considered invitees.

Property owners have the highest duty of care to protect invitees. They must take steps to inspect the property and correct any hazards they find, or at least post signage to ensure invitees are made aware of the hazard. They must take reasonable steps to ensure invitees are safe from harm.

If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall or other premises liability injury, you have legal rights. One such right is being able to seek compensation. An experienced Georgia premises liability lawyer can help you explore all of your legal options and help you figure out your best path forward. Fill out our online contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced premises liability attorney today.

If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall or other premises liability injury, you have legal rights. One such right is being able to seek compensation. An experienced Georgia premises liability lawyer can help you explore all of your legal options and help you figure out your best path forward. Fill out our online contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced premises liability attorney today.