While a trip to the mall with friends or on a shopping mission might sound like a fun way to spend a day, there exist real hazards in the world of retail. Slip and fall accidents sound rather innocent, but they are very painful and scarring events that can physically handicap people and also plunge them into medical bill hell. One of the common locations where these types of accidents happen is at the shopping mall. For many people who are injured in this manner, they are left wondering what they should do and who is liable for the slip and fall accident? With thousands of dollars in medical bills, it’s an important question that you want to be answered ASAP.
Who Is Liable?
After your accident, one of the first questions that you might have is who is responsible for your injuries? When it comes to retail and public spaces, the owner is responsible for keeping the area a reasonably safe place to walk and shop. However, it’s tough to know exactly what that means and when the actions of the owner cross into negligent territory.
However, the question of who is responsible for any given situation is not so simple to answer all the time. The primary factor that depends on what duties the property owner has is where the property is located and in which state’s laws the area falls under. Each state has different laws regarding this and while many of them overlap, there are a few states that have unique differences that you might need to be aware of.
In most states, it is a general rule of thumb that the establishment owner has a responsibility to make the area safe for all those who enter it. It also means that they are required to notify those that enter any potential hazards that exist within the building. If the property owner fails to do this, it could result in them being liable for injuries that occur on the premises.
Proving Liability & Gathering Evidence
Even though it has been proven that the property owner has a responsibility to keep the area safe for those that enter, nothing will happen in your favor if you are unable to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. The most important step in the entire process if you wish to get compensation for your injuries and medical bills are to prove that the property owner was negligent in their duties and that shopping mall was not kept in suitable condition for the guests that come to it.
First, you will have to prove that no reasonable steps were taken to ensure the safety of the guests, meaning no signs or written notice was put out, or there was damage that was not addressed in a timely fashion that caused a slip and fall or trip and fall. If you have experienced a slip and fall, take as many photos as you can of the conditions under which you slipped and fell and also bring documentation of your medical expenses. Finally, find a trustworthy lawyer that you can trust to guide you through the process of regaining funds after a slip and fall accident.
