Liquids on the floor make the surface slippery. Anyone walking on it could slip, fall, and injure themselves. When a landowner is negligent, and their lack of care causes someone else to suffer an injury, they could be liable to pay compensation.
Property owners have a responsibility to maintain safe conditions for visitors. When they fail to do so, asserting a claim for damages against them is necessary and appropriate.
When you or a loved one sustain injuries in a fall on a wet floor on someone else’s property, consult a seasoned premises liability attorney at Reaves Law Firm, PLLC. We represent people injured in wet floor accidents in Bartlett and ensure they receive proper compensation.
Falls often result in little more than aches and pains for a few days and a bruised ego; however, sometimes falls produce significant injuries. When an injury causes someone to miss work for more than a few days or interferes with their daily activities, they should get in touch with a qualified legal professional to seek compensation.
Some injuries that commonly result from slips and falls on wet floors in Bartlett include the following:
Anyone who suffers a fall on someone else’s property should seek medical attention as quickly as possible, even if they do not feel as though they are badly injured. Many common fall injuries do not produce symptoms for hours or days after the incident, but a medical professional would know what to look for to identify injuries before symptoms are apparent. Prompt medical care preserves a claimant’s health; the medical record could prove that an injury is directly related to a fall.
A person seeking compensation after a wet floor accident in Bartlett must prove the property owner was negligent. Owners must make reasonable efforts to maintain safe premises. If the injury resulted from an owner failing to take reasonable care, they could be liable to pay monetary damages to the injured person.
Whether an owner was negligent depends on the specific circumstances of the situation. Property owners should take steps to keep the floor dry when the weather is wet. Putting a water-absorbing mat near the entry and regularly mopping are reasonable steps. If the roof leaks, placing a container to catch the water before it creates a hazard on the floor is reasonable. In either case, an owner could also put up signage or verbally warn a visitor to be cautious as the floor could be wet.
Failing to take basic steps to identify areas that get wet, reduce the danger, and warn of the hazard is negligent. A capable attorney could review the circumstances that led to an injury and advise whether the owner took reasonable care to prevent it.
Each state enacts a statute of limitations governing the timeframe allowable to file a lawsuit. Tennessee Code Annotated § 28-3-104 requires an injured person to pursue a legal claim seeking damages for injuries within one year of the date the injury occurred.
One year is a very short timeframe. Moreover, in some cases, it might be unclear whether an injured person will fully recover. Nevertheless, the law requires the victim of a fall to file suit within one year or lose the right to seek monetary damages in court.
If the fall happened on government property, the time limits are even stricter. An injured party must file a notice of claim with the local government before officially filing a lawsuit. Retaining an experienced lawyer soon after a fall caused by a wet floor ensures they have time to preserve a claimant’s right to sue.
You could have a viable claim for damages when you get hurt after falling on a wet floor on someone else’s property. Reach out to a local attorney with experience bringing claims for wet floor accidents in Bartlett as soon as possible.
When property owners fail to keep their premises safe, they should pay for their carelessness. Discuss your situation with a well-practiced lawyer at Reaves Law Firm, PLLC, today.
