Proving Blame in Various Types of Slip-and-Fall Accidents

By Grant Law Office on September 1, 2017

Slip-and-fall accidents are some of the most common types of personal injury accidents that we see here in Atlanta at Grant Law Office. They are routinely caused by the negligence and sheer laziness of property owners and business owners. When you visit someone else’s property, either as a guest or customer, the owner of the premises owes you a duty of care to keep you safe from dangerous conditions such as grease on the floor.

Sometimes, the slippery substance is caused by a third party, such as a child spilling a drink at a restaurant, but the property owner can still be liable for injuries caused by the spill if he knew of or should have known of the spill and did not take steps to clean it up and warn others.

Below are some examples of common slip-and-fall accidents.

A mother went to pick up her child from school during the winter, and Georgia had recently experienced a cold snap that left ice on the streets and sidewalks. The mother walked up the steps of the school. She did not notice a large puddle of ice on one of the steps, slipped on the ice, and fell. At trial, a meteorologist testified that it had snowed two days prior and the temperature had been below freezing the entire time. The meteorologist estimated the ice puddle had been on the step during the entire two days. The plaintiff argued that, given the weather conditions and length of time that had passed, the school either knew of the puddle or should have known of the puddle, yet no remedial steps were taken to salt the steps or warn individuals, and she won her case.

At a hotel in Atlanta, an ice machine had been leaking for months. Building management intended to fix it, but it was currently not in the budget. A woman went to get ice, did not see the puddle, and slipped. Because the hotel was aware of the leak, it should have been aware that a puddle would form. It had known of the issue for months but took no steps to fix the machine or even place warning signs in the area, and the woman won her case.

At a popular Atlanta restaurant, a server spilled some soup. She told nearby customers that she would get a wet floor sign and have someone mop it up. She then went to take a break and did not return. A new customer entered the restaurant, slipped on the soup, and fell. The restaurant was found liable because it was aware of the spill, and though it planned to take remedial steps eventually, it did not do so in a reasonably timely manner.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a slip-and-fall accident, call the experienced Atlanta premises liability attorneys at Grant Law Office today at (404) 995-3955.