Slip and fall accidents can cause severe and sometimes permanent injuries. All 50 states and Washington, D.C., have premises liability laws that require property owners to take reasonable action to prevent injuries to their visitors.
A warning sign might not absolve a property owner of liability. Talk to a personal injury attorney to determine whether you can hold a property owner or manager accountable for your injuries.
The legal team at Fieger Law has more than a hundred years of combined experience representing victims in premises liability cases. You can trust that experience to handle your slip and fall lawsuit and help you seek maximum compensation.
Premises Liability Law
When you are injured due to unsafe conditions or defective materials on someone else’s property, you can file a personal injury lawsuit under their state’s premises liability law.
To win a premises liability claim, your lawyer must show that the property owner should have known or did know about the unsafe condition but did not address it. Putting out a sign may or may not meet that standard.
Consult with a premises liability attorney at Fieger Law to discuss the specifics of your case. We can review the evidence, including photos of the accident scene and sign, to determine if a property owner acted negligently and caused your injuries.
Types of negligence
Premises liability encompasses a wide range of injury-causing negligence.
- Slip and fall cases due to wet floors, tripping hazards, or sliding rugs
- Snow and ice slip and fall cases
- Inadequate maintenance, such as buckled floors and broken concrete
- Inadequate security, leading to assault
- Dog bites
- Elevator and escalator accidents
- Fires
- Poor lighting
- Swimming pool accidents
- Flooding
- Dead branches or trees
- Toxic fumes or chemicals
The personal injury lawyers at Fieger Law handle all types of personal injury cases regarding premises liability. Whether you slipped on a spill inside a store or an ice-covered sidewalk outside an establishment, we can review your case and provide legal guidance.
What the law requires
Premises liability law requires property owners to perform the necessary maintenance to prevent hazardous conditions, warn visitors when they can’t prevent hazards, and mitigate the risks as quickly as possible once they occur.
This law describes the duty property owners have to invitees, social guests, licensees, and trespassers. Invitees include customers in a business, and social guests include anyone invited to a home or business for a social function. They can reasonably expect the property owner to provide a safe establishment.
Licensees include people allowed to visit the property but who are there for their own reasons, such as salespeople or utility workers. Property owners should warn of dangerous conditions that the licensee might overlook.
Trespassers don’t have permission to be on the property and generally aren’t owed anything by the property owner unless they are children. In that case, the property owner must provide warnings of any artificial hazards on the property, such as a swimming pool.
Speak with the professionals at Fieger Law to learn more about premises liability law and how it applies to your case.
When a Sign isn’t Enough
A property owner or manager must warn invitees and social guests of dangerous conditions. One standard warning method involves displaying a sign near the hazard, but sometimes this doesn’t provide adequate warning.
Not visible
A warning sign should be large enough to catch the average person’s attention and not be obstructed by merchandise, racks, or fliers. Its color should contrast with the surroundings to help people notice it.
Not relevant to the risk
The sign should describe the danger. A wet floor sign doesn’t warn that the floor is uneven or the rug slips. If you were injured in a slip and fall and the sign didn’t warn you of the danger, you have a right to seek compensation.
Not legible
The sign must be easily readable by most people. Smeared ink, poor handwriting, or words obscured by dirt result in signs people can’t read. The text should also be large enough that you can read it when approaching the hazard.
The owner could have easily fixed the hazard
If the sign warns of something that the owner could have easily fixed, the sign might not be sufficient to shield the property owner from liability. For example, a property owner can easily change a light fixture or remove a hazardous rug, so posting a warning sign might not remove their liability to address the issue.
The sign wasn’t near the hazard
A warning sign can’t provide sufficient warning if it is not located near the hazard. Customers sometimes move signs around to get to merchandise, or employees may move a sign to clean and forget to put it back.
If you didn’t notice the warning sign until after your accident, call Fieger Law to discuss the specifics of your case. We can determine whether the sign was posted reasonably close to the hazard and if you may have a viable personal injury claim.
Why You Should Hire a Lawyer
Personal injury lawyers understand the nuances of premises liability laws. We can effectively and efficiently investigate your claim and the property owner’s history to determine if you have a case. We also know how to negotiate with insurance companies to get you the highest possible settlement for your injury.
Contact a personal injury lawyer with Fieger Law to hold a negligent property owner or manager accountable for your injuries.
Hire a Lawyer with Experience
You have the right to file a lawsuit when you’ve received injuries on someone else’s property. Enlist the help of an experienced attorney with Fieger Law if the property owner or manager posted a sign warning of the danger. We can examine your case to determine your odds of success and get you compensation if the circumstances point towards negligence.
We accept cases from all over the United States and work on contingency. That means we don’t collect legal fees unless you win. Contact the Michigan premises liability lawyers with Fieger Law to schedule your free consultation today.
