St. Louis Slips and Falls Accident Attorneys

slip and fall sign

When you visit someone else’s property, you assume that the property is safe from any dangerous conditions. You also assume you would be warned of any hazards that might cause you to slip and fall or trip and fall and suffer an injury. Unfortunately, preventable slip and fall accidents do occur. When this happens, victims can hold the property or business owner accountable for their injuries and damages.

St. Louis Slip and Fall Attorneys

If you have been seriously hurt in a fall on someone else’s property, the St. Louis slip and fall injury attorneys of Sumner Law Group, LLC, can help. With more than 50 years of combined experience, our legal team has the skills and the resources to take on even the most complex slip and fall cases. Our firm has a long track record of success in obtaining millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of our deserving clients.

Contact our firm today for a free case evaluation with a knowledgeable St. Louis slip and fall attorney. We can discuss the details of your claim and explain how we can pursue maximum financial compensation from the owner of the property or business where your accident and injuries occurred.

What Do You Have to Prove in a Slip and Fall Claim?

A property or business owner can be held accountable for injuries and damages when a slip and fall accident occurs due to negligence. Under Missouri law, property and business owners owe a certain duty of care to lawful visitors. Missouri recognizes two types of lawful visitors:

  • Invitees: These are visitors who come onto the premises for the benefit of the owner or possessor of the premises. Examples include store or restaurant customers or hotel guests.
  • Licensees: These are visitors who come onto the premises for the benefit of the visitor. Examples include social guests, delivery workers, or door-to-door salespeople.

Business and property owners owe invitees a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect them from dangerous or hazardous conditions on the premises that are known, or that should be known, to the owner. Business and property owners only owe licensees a duty to make the premises safe from dangerous or hazardous conditions that the owner has actual knowledge of.

A third class of visitor, the trespasser is a person who does not have lawful permission to enter the premises. A business or property owner only owes a trespasser a duty to refrain from intentionally inflicting injury (such as by placing traps for trespassers).

In order to have a successful slip and fall claim, you will need to show that the property owner breached that duty of care and that you were injured as a result.

How Can a St. Louis Slip and Fall Attorney Help?

If you have been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident, you should not have to bear the financial consequences of medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering. A St. Louis slip and fall lawyer from Sumner Law Group, LLC, can help you pursue full compensation by:

  • Conducting our own independent investigation into your accident to recover all available evidence, including accident scene photos and surveillance footage of your fall
  • Working with accident reconstruction experts to explain why your fall occurred and how the property or business owner was legally responsible
  • Identifying all potentially liable parties, including property owners, tenants, and even maintenance companies
  • Filing your claim with the responsible parties and their insurers, and aggressively pursuing fair and full compensation in a negotiated settlement
  • Preparing and arguing your case at trial, if necessary

When you choose our firm to help with your slip and fall case, you can expect direct communication with your attorney. Your attorney is always available to answer your questions and provide updates as your case progresses.

At Sumner Law Group, LLC, we also believe that you deserve vigorous legal representation without worrying about paying for a lawyer. That is why you will not owe us any fees unless we recover compensation for you in settlement or at trial.

What to Do If You Have Been Hurt in a Fall on Someone Else’s Property

If you have been injured in a slip or trip and fall on someone else’s property, you need to act quickly to protect your legal rights. After your accident:

  1. Notify the property owner or business operator. Let the owner or operator know what happened. If your accident takes place at a business or other commercial establishment, a manager or employee may fill out an accident or incident report. Request a copy of this report before you leave.
  2. Try to take photographs or video of the accident scene, including whatever you believe may have caused your fall, the lighting and (if applicable) weather conditions, whether anything obstructed your view of the ground, and any warning signs or other safety equipment. Also try to see if any surveillance cameras may have captured your fall, and ask the property owner or business operator to preserve any footage of your accident.
  3. Either preserve or photograph the clothing and footwear you were wearing at the time of your accident. Your clothing and footwear may later be evaluated for evidence.
  4. Gather the names and contact information of any bystanders who may have witnessed your fall. Your attorney can later contact them for a statement about your accident.
  5. Get examined by your primary care physician or at your local emergency room or urgent care clinic. Identifying your injuries immediately will ensure you receive prompt treatment and will help document what happened.
  6. Do not speak to an insurance company. If you are contacted by an adjuster or representative of the property or business owner or an insurer, you should decline to provide a statement or sign any paperwork until you have consulted with a slip and fall injury lawyer.
  7. Schedule a free consultation with a slip and fall lawyer from Sumner Law Group, LLC. We can go over your rights and options and discuss how our firm can help with your case.

Compensation Available After
a Slip and Fall Accident

Slip and falls can cause serious and life-threatening injuries. When that happens, an injured accident victim may seek compensation for:

  • Costs of medical treatment and personal care, such as hospital bills, costs of surgeries or other medical procedures, physical or occupational rehab, home health care services, medical and mobility equipment (such as crutches or braces), and any other out-of-pocket expenses (like transportation to appointments)
  • Lost wages or income from the time you miss at work while recovering from injuries
  • Lost earning potential, if you are disabled and unable to return to your pre-accident work
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment or quality of life, such as due to the inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed
St. Louis Slips and Falls Accident Attorneys
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St. Louis Slips and Falls Accident Attorneys

Time Limit for Filing a Premises Liability
Claim in Missouri

Under Missouri law, you have a limited period in which to file a slip and fall lawsuit to pursue compensation for your injuries and damages. This limited period is called the statute of limitations. In Missouri, the statute of limitations on slip and fall claims is five years from the date of your accident. For minor children, the statute of limitations begins to run on their 21st birthday. If your slip and fall accident takes place on government property and you wish to file your claim against the government, you have a much shorter window of time in which to act.

If you file your lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired on your claim, the court will have grounds to dismiss your lawsuit. When that happens, you can permanently lose your right to seek compensation in court.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in St. Louis

Common slip-and-fall hazards we see at Sumner Law Group, LLC, include:

  • Spilled foods or liquid
  • Snow and ice
  • Dimly lit stairwells
  • Dimly lit entryways
  • Broken steps or a broken handrail
  • Unexpected and unmarked steps or drops
  • Stair treads that are not to code
  • Mopped or waxed floors that do not have warning signs
  • Transitions between flooring surfaces, such as stepping from carpet to hardwood
  • Uneven sidewalks and broken curbs
  • Electrical cords and other tripping hazards
  • Leaking appliances or hoses
  • Broken hardwood flooring or tiles
  • Open or unmarked construction holes

Common Places Where Slip and Fall Accidents Occur

Although a slip and fall accident can take place virtually anywhere, these establishments frequently have slip and fall and trip and fall accidents:

  • Grocery stores and supermarkets
  • Bars and restaurants
  • Retail stores, such as department stores, clothing stores, or hardware stores
  • Malls and shopping centers
  • Hotels
  • Theaters
  • Apartment buildings and condo complexes
  • Recreational parks and amusement parks
  • Swimming pools
  • Schools
  • Hospitals and nursing homes
  • Parking lots and garages
St. Louis Slips and Falls Accident Attorneys

Talk to a St. Louis Slip and Fall Attorney Now

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident or trip and fall accident, do not wait to begin seeking financial compensation for your injuries and losses. Schedule a free consultation with one of our St. Louis slip and fall lawyers from Sumner Law Group, LLC, today.

St. Louis Slips and Falls Accident Attorneys