When people think about fall accidents they often picture elderly people or those with disabilities falling because of their physical impairments. However, even able-bodied people can slip, trip or fall, particularly when the owner of the property where the accident happened was negligent. For example, maybe the fall occurred because the property owner failed to clean up water or another slippery substance. If you can prove the property owner failed to take reasonable steps to help prevent you from suffering an injury, you could be entitled to compensation for the physical, financial and emotional damages you suffered. Rizk Law’s Gresham slip and fall lawyers understand the complexity of these cases, how to determine liability, and how to establish the fair value of your damages. Wherever your accident occurred in the Gresham area, our attorneys are ready to review your case.

Schedule a free, no obligation legal consultation as soon as possible to meet with us and find out what we can do for you. Explain what happened, the injuries you suffered, why you believe negligence was involved, and how your injuries are affecting you. We will take this information and determine if you have a valid case and may be owed compensation. If you decide to pursue compensation, you do not owe us a thing unless you are compensated first.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form or call 503.342.0783 today.

Where do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur in Gresham?

These accidents can occur in a wide variety of locations and situations. Some common examples of places where slip and fall accidents may occur include:

  • Restaurants
  • Public facilities near lakes and rivers
  • Shopping malls
  • Swimming pools
  • Retail stores
  • Grocery stores
  • Parking lots
  • Parking garages
  • Escalators
  • Staircases
  • Hotels
  • Public parks
  • Public sidewalks
  • Government facilities
  • Small businesses
  • Churches
  • Construction sites where pedestrian traffic is directed to walk through

Slip and fall accidents at these locations are caused by a variety of factors that are present due to the negligence of the property owner:

  • Cracks in the sidewalk
  • Gaps in the sidewalk
  • Potholes in pedestrian walkways
  • Water on the floor
  • Snow or ice
  • Slippery floors that were recently mopped or waxed
  • Trash that is in the way
  • Falling ceiling tiles
  • Damaged carpeting
  • Uneven flooring
  • Lack of a railing on a staircase
  • Broken railing on a staircase
  • Malfunctioning escalator
  • Bad lighting
  • Merchandise in store aisles
  • Leaking roof
  • Loose floorboards

Sometimes these conditions are caused by property owners, employees or others not cleaning up a hazard that just popped up. However, there are also times when a condition or hazard has existed for a long time and the property owner has not taken steps to remove it or warn visitors about it. This often occurs with things like a damaged staircase, potholes, poor lighting or falling ceiling tiles.

No matter the reason for the hazard that caused your injury, if our Gresham slip and fall lawyers can prove the hazard should have been dealt with, and it caused you to get hurt, you may be entitled to compensation from the owner of the property.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form right now or call us at 503.342.0783.

How to Build a Slip and Fall Case in Oregon

Proving liability in a slip and fall case is not only about analyzing the actions of the property owner, we must also determine your legal status at the time of the accident. Your legal status is determined by the reason you are on the property and what you are there to do.

There are three main legal classifications for visitors to a property:

Invitees

These are people who have been invited onto property for some purpose that is connected to the business of the owner or possessor of the land. The most common example of an invitee is a customer in a retail store, restaurant, gym or a place like a movie theater. You are there for the benefit of yourself and the owner of the property. You have been invited onto the property, either through an express or implied invitation.

Another example of an invitee would be a repair person or vendor who is delivering goods to a store or other retail establishment. These people have an invitation from the owner for the owner’s benefit and their benefit.

Property owners owe invitees a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent them from suffering an injury, which might include warning you about potential dangers, or taking active steps to remove a hazard they are aware of or should be aware of. This might include inspecting the property on a regular basis, putting wet floor signs out to warn of spills, or making repairs to dangerous conditions.

Licensee

This is someone who is on the property because he or she was invited by the owner and is there for his or her own benefit. An example of a licensee is a guest at someone’s house. The licensee is not there for a business or commercial purpose.

A licensee is owed a little bit less care than an invitee. For example, the property owner should provide warning to the licensee about a condition the licensee does not know or has no reason to know about. The owner could be held liable for any injuries caused by a hazard he or she knows about or would discover by exercising reasonable care and should realize that it creates an unreasonable risk of harm.

An example of this might be a crack in the concrete around a swimming pool at someone’s house, a hole in the carpet, problems with a staircase or uneven flooring. If you are unlikely to know about the condition but the owner should have, he or she might be liable for any damages you suffer.

Trespassers

Property owners have the lowest duty of care to these people because they are on the property without an invitation or they are there illegally. The only thing the owner cannot do when it comes to trespassers is intentionally create hazards to cause them harm.

Determining your legal status can be complicated, and so can proving the property owner did not take the steps he or she was legally required to take to prevent you from suffering harm. Also, if you knew about a hazard and did not take the proper steps to avoid it, you may have trouble proving the injury was caused by the owner’s negligence or carelessness.

This is why you should give serious thought to seeking experienced and knowledgeable legal representation from a Gresham slip and fall lawyer for your case. The attorneys at Rizk Law know how to build a case and are committed to pursuing the fair compensation you are entitled.

Schedule a free legal consultation with a Gresham trip and fall attorney right now.

Contact Rizk Law’s Gresham slip and fall attorneys as soon as you can. Call 503.342.0783.