Have you slipped, tripped, or fallen on somebody else’s property? If the property owner’s carelessness or negligence created the conditions that caused the accident, you may have the right to seek financial recovery for your injuries and other losses. Unfortunately, insurance companies frequently fight hard to avoid liability for injury claims, making securing compensation for your recovery challenging.
If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall, you need an experienced legal advocate who will stand up for your rights and interests. Turn to an Atlanta slip-and-fall lawyer from Bayuk Pratt for help. With over 50 years of combined legal experience and over $300 million in recovered compensation for accident victims, our attorneys know what it takes to succeed in injury claims.
When you’ve had a slip-and-fall accident on another party’s premises, you deserve to seek financial recovery. Contact Bayuk Pratt for a free initial consultation to discuss how a slip-and-fall lawyer in Atlanta can help you recover compensation for your medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Why You Should Hire an Atlanta Slip-and-Fall Attorney
You may face a long course of medical treatment and rehabilitation after suffering a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall on someone else’s property. As a result, you may find it challenging to balance your time and energy between your physical recovery and pursuing a legal claim against a negligent property owner.
By hiring an Atlanta slip-and-fall attorney from Bayuk Pratt, you’ll have an experienced advocate who can handle the details of your premises liability claim. You’ll also have a law firm that has a distinct advantage: lawyers who have seen first-hand how insurance companies defend cases to minimize their financial liability to injured victims.
Frank Bayuk and Bradley Pratt, who founded Bayuk Pratt, are former senior partners to some of the country’s most prominent defense law firms. They regularly defended big corporations and their insurers against high-stakes accident claims. Now, they use their knowledge and insight into insurance defense to give accident victims a critical edge as they seek to hold liable parties accountable.
Our slip-and-fall accident law firm will help you recover the compensation you need and deserve by:
- Thoroughly investigating the accident to secure critical evidence, such as accident scene photos, accident/incident reports, surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony, and maintenance and repair records
- Reviewing the evidence and working with accident reconstruction experts as necessary to identify liable parties and build a compelling case against them
- Evaluating your legal options for recovering compensation, including identifying all applicable insurance coverage
- Documenting your injuries and losses and calculating your past, ongoing, and future expenses to pursue the financial resources you need now and in the future
- Handling communications and negotiating with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to take the stress of the claims process off your shoulders
- Vigorously pursuing maximum compensation for you, whether through a settlement or by taking your claims to court to demand accountability from the negligent property owner
At Bayuk Pratt, our legal team will fight as long as necessary to secure the best possible result for you under the circumstances of your case. While we will pursue the financial resources you need for your recovery through a settlement, our seasoned attorneys won’t hesitate to go to trial when litigation gives you the best chance of obtaining the compensation and justice you deserve.
What Kinds of Damages Can I Pursue in a Slip-and-Fall Case?
When you get hurt in an accident on somebody else’s property, a slip-and-fall claim can provide you with financial recovery from a property owner or insurance company for ongoing and future losses or expenses you incur. Your slip-and-fall compensation in your case can include money for your:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation, including hospital care, surgeries, pain management, doctor appointments, mobility and orthopedic equipment, and physical and occupational therapy
- Long-term care or replacement services if your injuries result in prolonged or permanent disabilities
- Lost income from missed work or reduced earnings on part-time or light-duty work
- Lost future earning capacity and employment benefits after becoming permanently disabled from your job
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Reduced enjoyment or quality of life due to physical disabilities or permanent, visible scarring and disfigurement
Who Is Responsible for an Injury in a Slip-and-Fall Case?
Depending on the cause of the accident and the ownership status of the property where the accident occurred, various parties may bear responsibility for your injuries in a slip-and-fall case. Examples of parties you might hold liable for your injuries include:
- A residential property owner
- A residential landlord
- A residential tenant (if a slip-and-fall occurs on the tenant’s leased premises)
- A commercial property owner, such as a shopping mall or office building owner
- A business or commercial tenant
- A property management company
- A third-party property maintenance or janitorial services company
Georgia law requires property owners or occupiers to make reasonable efforts to maintain their premises and keep them free of hazards that might cause lawful visitors to slip and fall. In most cases, reasonable maintenance efforts include regularly inspecting the property for potential slipping hazards and either cleaning up or fixing the hazards at the first reasonable opportunity or warning visitors or guests about the hazard’s presence.
However, when a property owner creates a slipping or tripping hazard or allows it to remain on their property for an unreasonable amount of time, they may bear responsibility when a visitor slips or trips and injures themselves.
How Long Do I Have to File a Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit in Georgia?
Under the Georgia statute of limitations, you typically have two years to file a slip-and-fall lawsuit against the owner of the property where your fall occurred. However, shorter deadlines apply if you suffered a fall on state or local government property. For example, you must provide the Georgia state government with written notice of your claim within 12 months of the accident.
Because you may have limited time to pursue compensation for your injuries, talk to an Atlanta slip-and-fall lawyer from Bayuk Pratt as soon as possible to ensure your claims get filed on time and preserve your right to seek financial recovery. Our firm can help you understand what to expect in your slip-and-fall lawsuit timeline.
What Are Common Types of Slip-and-Fall Accidents?
When a person slips and falls, they may collapse to the ground or have a more severe accident by falling down steps or from a height. For example, a slip-and-fall may cause a person to fall off a balcony or porch. A slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall can occur due to any hazard on or near the ground that can cause a person to lose their footing. Some of the most common causes of slip-and-fall accidents include:
- Recently mopped or waxed floors
- Snow or ice on walkways
- Water, ice, snow, mud, or plant debris tracked inside
- Wires or cords strewn across the ground
- Trash or debris on the ground
- Broken or missing stairs or handrails
- Abrupt transitions between flooring surfaces
- Uneven floors or half-steps
- Broken or uneven pavement
- Wet grass
- Spilled foods or liquids
- Water leaks
- Broken or loose hardwood or tile flooring
- Loose or torn rugs or carpeting
What Are Common Places Where Slip-and-Fall Accidents Occur?
Slip-and-fall accidents may occur on any type of property, from a residential home to a busy commercial establishment. Some environments present a greater risk than others. For example, a property that’s undergoing a remodel or repairs may present an increased risk due to the presence of tools, debris, extension cords, and other objects that may be sitting on the ground.
Common examples of places where slip-and-falls occur in Atlanta include:
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Clubs
- Fitness centers and gyms
- Athletic or sporting facilities
- Stadiums
- Theaters
- Grocery stores and supermarkets
- Department stores
- Home improvement stores
- Shopping centers
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Apartment buildings or townhome complexes
- Office buildings
- Public buildings, such as courthouses, post offices, or libraries
- Theme parks
- Recreational parks and playgrounds
- Swimming pools
What Are Common Injuries Someone Can Sustain in a Slip-and-Fall Accident?
A slip-and-fall injury can involve more severe trauma than simple cuts and bruises, especially when a person falls from a height or hits their head or body on an object or the ground during their fall. Examples of injuries that can occur in a slip-and-fall accident include:
- Abrasions
- Dislocated joints
- Broken bones
- Ligament sprains or tears
- Muscle and tendon strains or tears
- Nerve damage
- Herniated spinal disc injury
- Crush injuries
- Internal organ trauma or internal bleeding
- Facial injuries, including eye trauma or dental damage
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis