Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyer

Michigan Slip and Fall Law

According to Michigan laws, property owners have a responsibility to make their property reasonably safe for customers, guests, and invitees. If a dangerous condition on the property results in injury to someone, the property owner or possessor could be held liable for damages.

When a slip and fall victim files a claim against a negligent property owner, they must be able to prove the existence of a dangerous condition on the property. They must also prove that the condition caused their fall and their injuries. This is why working with a Michigan slip and fall attorney is so important.

Michigan Premises Liability

Michigan law holds property owners liable for accidents that happen on their property. Property owners have different standards of care to meet depending on the type of visitor. Michigan premises liability laws define three types of visitors: invitees, licensees, and trespassers.

Invitees have the highest standard of care owed to them. These visitors are customers or clients who have commercial business at the property. This includes grocery stores, local businesses, and big box retailers.

Property owners should conduct routine inspections and maintenance to make sure their property is safe for invitees. Property owners are responsible for dangerous conditions that they should know about and have a responsibility to post signs about dangerous conditions.

Licensees are social guests of the property owner. Friends and family fall under this category. Property owners have a slightly lower standard of care for licensees. Property owners should fix hazardous areas that they are aware of and warn guests about dangerous conditions.

Trespassers are uninvited guests who have no legal right to be on the property. Property owners cannot intentionally harm trespassers, but that’s the only standard of care necessary. In most cases, if someone is injured while trespassing, the property owner is not liable for the injuries sustained. There are, however, certain exceptions, especially when children are involved.

Fall Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of every five falls results in a serious injury. Hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries are almost always caused by falls.

For older adults, fall death rates have increased more than 30% since 2007. If this trend continues, there will be seven fall deaths per hour in 2030. More than 3 million older adults go to the ER for fall-related injuries every year.

Fall accidents can cause serious injuries. If you’ve been injured after falling due to hazardous conditions, the property owner should be held responsible. At Lipton Law, our Michigan personal injury attorneys fight aggressively for the compensation you deserve.

What Should I Do After a Slip and Fall Accident?

Many slip and fall cases are extremely difficult to prove, especially if the hazardous condition is snow or ice. If possible, take pictures of the accident scene and the hazardous condition and fill out an accident report. The property owner will likely try to fix the hazardous condition, which often leaves victims with a lot of pain and no proof.

Get checked out by a doctor, especially if there was any contact between your head and a hard surface. Brain injuries can take days or even weeks to develop after an accident. Contact a slip and fall injury attorney as soon as possible if you have been injured by a property owner’s negligence.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Several hazardous conditions can result in a person falling. At Lipton Law, we can help you recover compensation for a variety of slip and fall injuries, including those caused by:

• Broken or unrepaired stairs
• Wet, slippery floors
• Unstable or broken railings
• Loose rugs
• Icy storefront sidewalks
• Uneven floors
• Dangerous workplaces and construction sites

Under Michigan’s premises liability law, property owners have a legal duty to warn visitors about hazardous conditions. This can be seen in the form of a wet floor sign or a ‘watch your step’ sign.

Common Locations for Slip and Fall Accidents

When most people think of a slip-and-fall accident, they often think of icy sidewalks or wet floors. In reality, slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere. If you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, you have legal options available. You need an experienced attorney to handle your slip-and-fall lawsuit.

At Lipton Law, our skilled Michigan personal injury lawyers can guide you through this complicated legal process. We’ve handled slip and fall accidents that happen in numerous locations, including:

• Big box stores
• Nursing homes
• Hospitals
• Local business
• Private property
• Public property

If your accident occurred at a construction site, contact a construction accident attorney Michigan as soon as possible. If someone else’s negligence caused your injury, contact the Michigan personal injury lawyers at Lipton Law today.

What Are the Most Common Slip and Fall Injuries?

Broken bones, bruises, lacerations, and even death can result from a slip and fall incident. Falls happen to everyone, but sometimes these accidents can end in severe injuries. A slip and fall injury can have a major impact on the rest of your life. A traumatic brain injury can cause memory issues, balance problems, and even paralysis.

Spinal cord injuries often result in a lengthy and expensive recovery. Catastrophic injuries like these have a life-long impact on accident victims. If you have been injured at the hands of a negligent property owner, contact the Detroit slip and fall attorneys at Lipton Law today.

Slip and Fall Wrongful Death Cases

When fall accidents occur, some slip and fall victims suffer fatal injuries. When this happens, their loved ones may be able to file a wrongful death claim to recover damages. If you have lost a loved one due to a property owner’s negligence, contact a Michigan wrongful death attorney with Lipton Law. You deserve to know the truth and your lost loved one deserves justice. We can help you gather evidence and craft a strong case for settlement negotiations or litigation.

Do I Need a Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyer?

An injured person should always seek the help of a qualified law firm when pursuing a slip and fall lawsuit. Working with a competent law firm can mean that you can rest and heal while we do all the work for you.

The attorneys at Lipton Law can gather all the necessary information like witness testimony, accident reports, and medical records while you recover. Proving a slip-and-fall case isn’t easy, but you can trust the skilled attorneys at Lipton Law to handle it.

Proving Negligence for Slip and Fall Accidents

You and your legal team must prove five factors for a successful slip and fall claim:

• You had a legal right to be on the property.
• A hazardous or dangerous condition existed on the property.
• The property owner was aware of the condition, yet they did not take action to change or repair it.
• The owner had a reasonable amount of time to become aware of the condition and then fix it.
• You sustained an injury that resulted in financial damages.

It can be tough to prove a slip-and-fall accident — especially if the dangerous condition was temporary, such as a wet or icy floor. In these types of situations, it is notoriously difficult to prove negligence without the assistance of a skilled attorney.

Determining Fault in a Slip and Fall Accident Claim

Depending on the details of the claim, many people can be at fault for a premises liability accident. Property managers can sometimes be responsible for the accident, but individual employees can also hold responsibility. Working with a slip and fall lawyer from Lipton Law can guarantee that an investigation will be started to find the responsible party in your claim.

Michigan Statute of Limitations for Slip and Fall Claims

The Michigan statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years. This means you have three years from the date of the injury to pursue compensation for your injuries. The best practice is to contact a slip and fall accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights.

In three years, evidence can degrade, the property can be sold, and eyewitnesses can forget the details. If the fall occurred on government property, you only have a short four months to move forward with a claim.

Comparative Negligence Defense

Michigan law uses a comparative negligence doctrine in personal injury cases. Comparative negligence is something only a jury can determine. Comparative negligence is a defense against liability. This means that a negligent property owner may claim that you are partially responsible for your own injuries.

They may try to claim that you weren’t paying attention or were impaired in some way at the time of the accident. If a jury finds you more than 50% liable for your own injuries, the negligent property owner doesn’t have to provide any compensation at all.

As long as the jury finds you less than 50% responsible, the negligent property owner has to pay for at least part of the final verdict award. If you are found 20% responsible for your own injuries, the defendant is only responsible for 80% of the final verdict award.

Compensation in a Slip and Fall Case

An injury stemming from a slip and fall accident can cost more than just medical bills. We know that even a seemingly minor injury can leave you out of work, which can risk your job and your family’s financial security. At Lipton Law, we pursue maximum compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and sufferings
• Disability
• Loss of enjoyment in life
• Loss of consortium
• Mental anguish
• Wrongful death

Generally, slip and fall settlements with surgery will yield higher recovery amounts than slip and fall settlements without surgery.

Slip and Fall Cases Settlement Amounts in Michigan

Unlike in medical malpractice cases, Michigan has no cap on the amount of recoverable damages in a slip and fall case. Therefore, you are technically not limited in the amount that you can recover as a victim.

However, remember that the value of your case is determined by the actual damages you suffered as a result of the fall. You and your attorney must be able to show the extent of your injuries and the extent to which liability can be clearly proven. These two elements will have the most significant impact on the value of your slip and fall case.

Slip and Fall FAQs