Are you suffering from injuries after a slip and fall accident in St. Louis? Do you wonder how you’ll pay the costly medical bills and other losses when your fall was caused by someone else’s negligence? If so, you might be entitled to significant compensation from the at-fault party.
At Sansone & Lauber, our respected St. Louis slip and fall accident lawyers are dedicated to promoting safety and helping victims across Missouri and Illinois when they are injured due to others’ reckless and negligent actions. We understand how painful, stressful, and frightening slip and fall injuries can be. We’re committed to helping victims of these accidents fight for the justice and compensation they deserve.
With Sansone & Lauber, you can trust we’ll do all we can to help you get the best outcome for your case. As demonstrated by our results and reviews from past cases, our experienced slip and fall accident attorneys have helped clients get results that matter and recover high-value settlements and verdicts for their cases.
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact Sansone & Lauber to discuss your case and schedule a free evaluation. We’re available to help you by phone, online, or in-person at our conveniently located office.
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in St. Louis
Slips, trips, and fall injury claims arise when a victim is injured due to a condition that the property owner or manager should have fixed, prevented, or warned about. Some common causes of these types of accidents include:
- Debris or foreign objects like merchandise or trash in walkways that visitors must step over or might miss seeing as they’re walking
- Slippery surfaces caused by things like spilled liquids, splashed grease, rainwater that was tracked in, or recently mopped or waxed floors
- Lack of non-skid materials on sloping floors or unexpected drops or transitions that are difficult to detect
- Stray cords, ropes, or wires across a walkway
- Weather conditions, such as uncleared or untreated ice or snow
- Lack of proper warning signs or barriers to close off dangerous areas
- Broken or defective surfaces, such as potholes, torn carpet, loose mats, damaged sidewalks, loose floorboards, and loose carpet loops that can catch on shoes
- Faulty or missing handrails and uneven or poorly maintained stairs
- Open cabinets or desk drawers
- Bright lighting that causes a glare
- Shoddy flooring materials
- Failure to regular inspect or maintain the property
- Insufficient lighting
- Improper training of staff like restaurant workers, custodians, grocery store employees, factory workers, stockers, nursing home employees, and housekeepers on proper safety practices
- Failure to use safety measures, such as runner carpets or mats at entrances to soak up moisture from people’s shoes
Types of Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and falls accidents are one of the leading causes of unintentional deaths in the U.S., according to the National Floor Safety Institute. These accidents are also a top cause of serious, costly, and long-lasting injuries, such as:
- Bruises
- Sprains, strains, and other muscle injuries
- Broken bones, including kneecaps, hips, arms, and feet
- Cuts, scrapes, and lacerations
- Spinal fractures, nerve damage, spinal cord injuries, and other back injuries
- Shoulder dislocations
- Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other serious damage to the head, skull, or brain
- Emotional trauma
- Neck injuries
- Damage to ankles, wrists, knees, and elbows
- Soft tissue injuries
Where Do St. Louis Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
While slip and fall accidents can happen at any location, some of the most common places that these accidents occur include:
- Department stores
- Bars
- Public parks
- Gyms
- Grocery stores
- Public sidewalks
- Playgrounds
- Big box stores
- Gas stations
- Kitchens
- Swimming pools
- Apartment complexes
- Retail stores
- Parking lots and garages
- Escalators and elevators
- Construction sites
- Private homes
- Amusement parks
- Movie theaters and playhouses
- Hotels and resorts
- Warehouses
- Casinos
- Restaurants
- Factories
- Business offices
- Retirement or nursing homes
- Arenas, stadiums, and other sports facilities
- Vacation rental properties
- Childcare facilities
Can I Get Compensation for My Slip and Fall Accident in St. Louis?
In typical slip and fall accidents, victims can often recover compensation to cover damages like:
- Lost wages during recovery
- Current and future medical expenses like doctor visits, medication, surgeries, treatments, hospitalization, follow-up visits, diagnostic tests, specialized medical devices, and equipment, lab work, and ambulance transportation
- Lost ability to work or earn comparable income in the future
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disability accommodations
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium or companionship
- Property damages
- Physical therapy or rehabilitation
Most of this compensation comes from insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits covered under premises liability law. However, if you were injured in a slip and fall injury at work, then you might be entitled to recover workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits can help cover expenses like medical bills, disability, and a portion of your income.
Managers and owners have a duty to protect any lawful visitors to their property against harm from preventable injuries. When they fail to provide a safe environment, they can be held liable for compensating victims. Lawful visitors include tenants, invited guests, customers, contractors, employees, and other invitees or licensees.
Depending on the circumstances of an accident, other parties that might be liable for the slip and fall injuries these lawful visitors suffer, including other guests, a municipality, and third-party contractors, such as maintenance companies.
However, owners, managers, and other parties aren’t typically responsible for protecting unlawful visitors to their property. For example, if a trespasser is injured after they enter the property without permission, then the manager or owner typically isn’t liable for their injuries.
There are exceptions to this rule. For example, if a homeowner doesn’t build a stable fence around their pool and a child enters the pool unsupervised and drowns, then the homeowner could be held responsible for creating an “attractive nuisance.”
In order for lawful visitors to get compensation for injuries after a slip and fall accident, they must prove:
- The property manager or owner knew (or should have reasonably known) that a dangerous condition existed on their property.
- They failed to remedy the hazard or take reasonable precautions to prevent it, such as adhering to building codes or performing routine maintenance.
- The property owner or manager’s negligence or carelessness led to the accident that resulted in your injuries.
Additionally, you must prove that you did nothing negligent to contribute to your fall. You must also show that the hazard wasn’t so obvious that you reasonably should have been able to avoid it.
Even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you might still be able to get compensation under Missouri’s pure comparative negligence rule. However, insurance or the courts might significantly reduce the money you’re owed.
You might also miss out on compensation if you fail to meet Missouri’s statute of limitations law. Under this rule, victims typically have five years from the date of their accident to file a slip and fall injury claim. However, there are exceptions to this rule that might lengthen or shorten your deadline.
An experienced attorney can help determine which rules, exceptions, and deadlines apply to your case, and they can help you file a thorough and convincing claim before it’s too late.
Contact a Slip and Fall Attorney in St. Louis Today
If you’re suffering from injuries in a slip and fall accident, contact the St. Louis slip and fall attorneys at Sansone & Lauber as soon as possible. These kinds of injuries can happen at any time and any place and cause life-altering conditions and injuries. When you work with our experienced attorneys, we can help protect your rights and help you pursue the compensation you deserve for your accident.
Our knowledgeable slip and fall lawyers can gather evidence about your accident, such as witness testimonies, photos, maintenance records, and video recordings. We can also help you get a second medical opinion if needed, fully investigate the cause and impacts of your accident, and determine which parties are liable.
We can collect evidence to prove your losses, such as medical records, receipts, pay stubs, and bills associated with your injuries. Our skilled lawyers can also help determine what your case might be worth, negotiate with insurance to seek a fair settlement, and fight for your rights in court if needed.
To get started on the road to recovery, contact the trusted slip and fall accident attorneys at Sansone & Lauber today. Schedule your free case evaluation by calling or contacting us online.