Johnson City Slip and Fall Lawyer
Falling is the single most common reason for an emergency room visit. Falls are also the leading cause of days missed at work and of workers’ compensation claims, as well as the cause of half of accidental deaths at home, according to the National Floor Safety Institute.
Many slip-and-fall accidents don’t happen at home but at a store, a restaurant, an office, an apartment complex, or some other public place. When someone falls and gets hurt on someone else’s property in Johnson City, the reason is often the negligence of the property owner, business, or other responsible party.
If you’ve been hurt in a slip-and-fall accident in Johnson City, Tennessee, our slip-and-fall lawyers are ready to help. The Terry Law Firm has slip-and-fall attorneys serving Johnson City and nearby communities. We have extensive experience with premises liability cases, and we are ready to help you pursue the total compensation you deserve.
Contact The Terry Law Firm now for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer about your legal options after a slip-and-fall injury in Johnson City, TN.
Reasons You Need Our Johnson City Slip-and-Fall Lawyers
Why do you need our Johnson City slip-and-fall lawyers? Because we can help you pursue maximum compensation for your losses. In one case for a previous client, we obtained $1.17 million from a company that failed to protect visitors from falls. Of course, we can’t guarantee similar results in your case, but an experienced personal injury attorney from our law firm will fight for every penny you deserve.
Check out our positive testimonials from previous clients to find out more about their experiences with our law firm. For example, client E.E. wrote, “Words cannot express how much you have done for me. I can’t imagine doing it alone.”
Common Causes of Slip-and-Fall Accidents in Johnson City
Slip-and-fall accidents in Johnson City happen for many different reasons, including the following examples:
- Wet floors that the owner has failed to dry properly
- Slippery floors caused by a leak or spill that wasn’t cleaned up
- Cluttered walkways caused by leaving something out where people need to walk
- Stairs or ramps with no handrails
- Inadequate lighting that makes it difficult to see hazards
- Cracked or uneven sidewalks
- Loose floorboards or steps
- Uneven flooring, such as carpet, tiles, and area rugs
- Failure to post signs warning about known dangers
Injuries in a slip-and-fall accident can be life-changing. Some examples of fall accident injuries in Johnson City include:
- Fractured wrists
- Fractured ankles
- Broken hips and other broken bones
- Herniated discs
- Other neck or back injuries
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Torn ligaments
- Torn muscles
- Sprains
- Strains
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
What You Need to Know About Tennessee Premises Liability Laws
Slip-and-fall accidents fall under premises liability law, which addresses situations where the party responsible for the premises is potentially liable for injuries. It could be the property owner, the business owner, a tenant, a manager, a maintenance company, or another party, depending on the level of responsibility for the premises.
Tennessee law requires the plaintiff in a slip-and-fall lawsuit to prove that the defendant created the condition that injured the plaintiff or had actual or constructive knowledge of that condition and failed to address it. If the business owner or the property owner knew or reasonably should have known about a hazard but did nothing to repair the hazard or warn visitors about it, then they could be held liable for negligently harming the injured person.
Tennessee courts have ruled that liability in a slip-and-fall case depends on the owner’s superior knowledge of conditions on the property. If the owner didn’t know about the hazard and could not reasonably have been expected to know, they likely could not be held liable.
They also cannot be held liable if the injured person was an adult trespasser. In Tennessee, property owners or tenants have no duty of care toward trespassers and cannot be held liable for negligently injuring a trespasser except in two situations:
- Willful or wanton negligence, which is more extreme than simple negligence
- Attractive nuisance situations, such as installing a swimming pool that attracts neighboring children
Tennessee courts have adopted a comparative fault system for assessing liability in a negligence case. Under this system, you can collect compensation only if you are less than 50 percent responsible for the accident in which you were injured. The court will deduct your percentage of fault from your compensation. For instance, if the court decides that you were 25 percent responsible for the accident, it will reduce your compensation by 25 percent. Our attorneys are prepared to prove that you were not responsible for the accident that hurt you.
Steps to Take Immediately After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
Immediately after a slip-and-fall accident, you should:
- Get medical attention for your injuries.
- Take photographs of the accident scene and the hazard that caused the accident.
- Take pictures of any visible injuries.
- Report the accident to the property owner or business manager responsible for the facility.
- Contact our Johnson City slip-and-fall attorneys to help you file a claim.
Proving Negligence in Slip-and-Fall Cases
To prove negligence in a slip-and-fall case, you must establish one of the following three points:
- The property owner or their employees caused the hazardous condition that led to the accident and did not warn the public.
- The property owner knew about the hazardous condition but did not fix it.
- The property owner reasonably should have known about the hazardous condition but did not fix it.
For example, even if the business owner didn’t cause the spill that led you to slip and fall, you could still hold them liable if they knew about the spill but didn’t clean it up. If they claim they didn’t know about the spill, you can still argue that any reasonable person responsible for the property would have known about it.
How Our Johnson City Slip-and-Fall Lawyers Can Help You
How can our Johnson City slip-and-fall lawyers help you? The Terry Law Firm can:
- Investigate the accident and gather evidence
- Negotiate for a settlement from the at-fault party’s insurance company
- File a lawsuit if the insurance company won’t settle
- Represent you in court
In a slip-and-fall case in Johnson City, Tennessee, you could receive compensation for:
- Medical bills related to the accident
- Lost wages from time missed at work
- Reduced earning capacity due to your injury
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Don’t endure all these losses on your own when you can hold the people responsible for your fall injuries accountable for their negligence. We handle personal injury claims on a contingency basis, so you will never get a bill unless and until we secure compensation for you.
Contact The Terry Law Firm today to set up your free consultation with our Johnson City personal injury lawyers.