Pearland Slip & Fall Lawyer
Slip and fall accidents are often more serious than most people realize. For example, if you slip on a puddle of water at the grocery store and fall to the ground, you may sustain broken bones, a traumatic brain injury (concussion), and even potential spinal cord damage. This can lead to months, maybe even years, of expensive medical treatment and painful rehabilitation.
Slip and fall accidents often occur because property owners are negligent in keeping their premises in reasonably safe condition. If that was the case with your accident, a qualified Pearland slip & fall lawyer may be able to help you obtain compensation. Attorney Keith B. French is an experienced Texas civil litigator who can help you in pursuing an insurance claim or lawsuit against a negligent property owner.
When Is a Property Owner Responsible for a Slip and Fall Accident in Texas?
Texas law does not require a property owner to absolutely guarantee the safety of their invited guests in all circumstances. But the owner does have an essential duty of care to keep their property in “reasonably safe” condition. This means the owner does need to be proactive in identifying and removing potential safety hazards that could reasonably lead to a slip and fall accident.
Indeed, most slip and fall accidents are preventable and tend to arise because of common safety hazards such as slippery floors, missing or broken railings in stairways, unsecured rugs, loose cables and wires, and a build-up of ice and snow near building entrances. In order to prove a property owner’s legal liability, however, a slip and fall victim must prove that the owner either had actual knowledge of these hazards or that they could have discovered them through the exercise of reasonable effort.
In many cases, the property owner’s insurance will cover slip and fall accidents. But as you know, insurance companies are often not eager to pay a claim and may contest liability for the accident. Texas follows a “comparative negligence” rule in personal injury cases, which means a property owner can even try to shift blame for the accident onto the victim. For instance, the owner or their insurance company may argue that the dangerous condition that caused the accident was “open and obvious” and that the victim simply was not paying attention to where they were walking. If a judge or jury agrees that the victim was partially–or largely–to blame, that can reduce or bar the recovery of any compensation. So you should never assume that the property owner or their insurance company will automatically pay for a slip and fall accident.
Contact Keith B. French Law Today
Slip and fall accident cases are rarely simple, especially when the defendant is a large, well-funded company that can afford to defend itself. This means that if you have been injured while on someone else’s property, your best chance of obtaining compensation is to work with a skilled Pearland slip and fall lawyer. Contact the offices of Keith B. French Law, PLLC, today to schedule a free consultation.
