According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 15 percent of all workplace-related injuries are caused by slip-and-fall accidents. Additionally, there are over 19,500 deaths each year in the United States from unintentional falls.
Georgia law requires commercial and private property owners to maintain safe properties for people who are legally on the premises. Most properties are subject to safety codes or regulations requiring the property owner or manager to prevent negligent exposure to harmful or injurious situations. Premises liability claims may hold these property owners or managers liable when someone is injured due to hazardous, unsafe or dangerous conditions.
If you have suffered a serious injury on someone else's property, a premises liability attorney at Shane Smith Law can review your accident and injuries to determine if you have a reasonable case against the property owner involved and advise you of your legal rights.
Trip-and-fall accidents may occur when there are static hazards that likely existed for some time before the resulting accident. Examples include poorly maintained public walkways, broken handrails, uneven floor surfaces, frayed or torn carpeting, and deck collapses. Victims would have to show that there was no sign warning about the hazardous areas or that the property owner did not make any attempt to remedy the danger.
Slip-and-fall accidents occur when there are temporary hazards that a property owner or manager may not have been aware of when the resulting accident occurred. Examples include spills from food or fluids. A victim would need to show that the spill had been in place long enough for the store or property owner to have known about it. Evidence could be obtained from surveillance video or showing that the store did not have an established policy of regularly inspecting and cleaning debris from surfaces.
Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accident victims should call a Clayton County premises liability attorney at Shane Smith Law to schedule a free legal consultation call (980) 246-2656.