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If you slip and fall on a business’s property, you may be wondering: can that business be held accountable? Can I bring legal action against them and get a settlement?
Before calling up a personal injury lawyer, you can find out more about slip and falls in Portland.
Holding a Business Accountable for a Slip and Fall
You may be able to hold a business accountable for your slip and fall in Portland. However, you’ll have to show that the business did not uphold its reasonable duty of care. This means that they knew about a potential hazard and they did not remedy it, or they were negligent in some other way, and that led to your injury.
Examples of Negligence or Breach of Duty of Care
Let’s say a Portland property manager doesn’t repair cracks in the sidewalks on their property, and people are constantly tripping on them and hurting themselves. Then, one day, you fell and you hurt your back because of these cracks. The property manager was irresponsible, and because of that, you got injured. You may be able to bring legal action against them.
In another case, you might have been shopping in a store around the holidays. The store manager failed to pick up boxes and other debris on the floor, and you fell and hurt your wrist. If the boxes were there for a long time and/or the manager knew about them and didn’t do anything, you might have a valid case on your hands.
Examples of Slip and Falls That May Not Qualify
If the slip and fall was your fault because you weren’t being responsible, then it’s going to be hard to show that the business was responsible. For example, you might have been distracted while shopping because you were on your cell phone. You slipped and fell in a store while texting. This could partly be the business’ fault – but it may end up falling on you.
In another case, you might have ignored a business’ “Wet floor” or “Caution” signs when you were walking around and slipped and fell. Again, you were not being responsible, and your legal action might not be valid.
Calling a Personal Injury Lawyer
Whether or not you believe a business should be held accountable for your slip and fall injury, it’s important to call a personal injury lawyer ASAP to hear their professional opinion. You have nothing to lose: You can get a free case evaluation, and your lawyer will only charge you if they can get you a settlement.
In the meantime, make sure you gather the proof you have prior to calling a lawyer. This proof could improve your medical records, pictures of the scene of the accident, and witness statements from people who saw what happened. They will be very helpful in proving what happened and could be the key to getting your settlement at this time.
Contact Zbinden & Curtis Today
Zbinden & Curtis, a Portland personal injury law firm, cares about accident victims, and we’re ready to help you with your Portland slip and fall case. We fight tooth and nail for our clients to get them the settlement they deserve in their time of need.
Contact us today to learn more by calling (503) 287-5000 or contacting us on our website for a free case evaluation. We look forward to assisting you.
