Slip and Fall Injuries: The Basics
What is a Slip and Fall Injury/Accident?
A slip and fall in New Jersey (or by any state definition) is a kind of personal injury claim that is characterized by one party becoming injured on the property of another party. A slip and fall can occur on a residential, commercial or government property. The party will slip or fall and injury him/herself on the other party’s property, and this kind of claim will fall under the category of law of “premises liability”. If liability can be proven, the owner of the premises in which the accident occurred will be legally liable for any damages (medical bills, wages lost, etc) of the party who slipped and fell.
Most Common Slip and Fall Factors
Slip and falls most often happen because of dangerous conditions on the Ocean County or Monmouth County property either inside or outside. The most common are:
• Poor lighting
• Torn carpeting
• Uneven flooring
• Unmarked wet floors
• Narrow stairs
• Potholes
• Slippery stairs, sidewalk, or outdoor areas due to rain/snow/sleet that should have been maintained.
Proving Slip and Fall Injury Negligence in New Jersey
Proving negligence in a slip and fall case on a property in Brick, Ocean County, Monmouth County or any other area in New Jersey is wholly dependent on proving that the property condition that caused the slip and fall was dangerous, and that the owner of said property knew about it, where the slip and fall party had no forewarning prior to the NJ slip and fall accident.
In order to prove that the property owner knew the condition of the property was dangerous, the following must be proven:
1. The property owner (or person responsible) “created the condition”.
2. The property owner (or person responsible) “knew about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it”.
3. The property owner (or person responsible) “should have noticed and fixed the dangerous condition due to the length of time it has existed”.
Slip and Fall Injuries: The Next Steps
Depending a number of factors in your New Jersey slip and fall accident, such as whether the incident occurred inside or out, on what kind of property, what part the victim played in the accident, and if the property was dangerous at the time of the accident and the person responsible knew about it will all determine the negligence and NJ slip and fall lawsuit outcome of your case. The best step to take after having the incident reported by the person responsible for the property in a formal report, is to contact a qualified slip and fall attorney in NJ who knows how to best approach the slip and fall case and proceed for damages, if applicable.
Our qualified slip and fall accident and personal injury lawyers at LePore ♦ Luizzi in Brick, New Jersey, serving Ocean County, Monmouth County, and New Jersey State, can help. Learn more about our NJ slip and fall accident services and how we can help.