BIRMINGHAM, AL PREMISE LIABILITY  ATTORNEY

Business and property owners in Alabama have a duty to keep their premises free from dangers and hazards which might cause harm to anyone. When a slip and fall occurs in a commercial establishment, or on someone’s private property where the owner and/or employee carelessly does something to cause a fall, this is considered negligence. Thereby, the property owner is potentially legally responsible for the damages in a premises liability case, whether the negligence was intentional or not.

Many things can be the culprit and contribute to the incident, such as:

• Spilled food or liquid
• Uneven or broken walkways
• Thresholds
• Defective staircases
• Inanimate objects

• Hidden extension cords
• Unsecured rugs
• Accumulation of ice and snow
• Oily floors
• Wet floor from mopping

Failure to caution others of these potential risks and hazards, or failure to recognize and remedy a hazardous situation could make the owner liable if you are injured.

These are just a few examples of some typical cases involving slips and falls:

• A customer walking through an area that has just recently been mopped with no “Wet Floor” signage out to warn them.
• A guest tripping over uneven concrete on an area of the sidewalk in a subdivision that has not been marked for caution or remedied.
• A guest falling through a wooden deck on someone’s property.
• A customer slipping on a piece of food on the floor of a restaurant that has yet to be cleaned up and no warning signs.
• A dark restaurant that has not made warning signs to indicate the guest should watch their step.
• A customer slips and falls due to a grease spill in a parking lot.
• A delivery man slipping on snowy steps that have yet to be shoveled over a period of time.
• A customer slips on a piece of small plastic on the floor in a store or in a dressing room.

In addition to proving negligence, having evidence is crucial in these types of cases. You need to be able to prove the injuries you sustained as a result of the slip and fall. Having witness’ names, contact information, and statements or testimony, as well as written documentation, photos and videos will help build your case. As far as obtaining video, you need to have your personal injury attorney send a Spoliation Letter to the business where the fall occurred right away. This is a formal request for the business to preserve the video that they could otherwise discard.

Oftentimes, the owner’s insurance company will try to fight the claim by placing blame on the victim.  You do not want to sign any papers that the owner’s insurance company offers you without consulting your premises liability attorney.

If you or someone you love has suffered from a slip and fall or other injuries due to the negligence of a property owner in Alabama, contact the office of Lewis & Feldman, LLC now for a free initial consultation locally at 205-896-6410, toll-free at 888-705-3997 or complete our contact form. You can also email us at jon@LewisAndFeldman.com and dfeldman@LewisAndFeldman.com. Our Birmingham based law firm may be able to help you resolve your premises liability case and collect compensation for your injury. Although our law firm is based in Birmingham, AL we handle premises liability cases throughout the state of Alabama.