Seattle Trip and Fall Attorneys
Fall injuries send millions of people to the emergency room every year and are actually the number one cause of ER visits. They are also a common cause of death for people of all ages and a leading cause of death for older individuals. Non-fatal trip and fall injuries can range from mildly embarrassing and painful to permanently disabling, and they can be very expensive to treat and leave with. The personal injury attorneys at Emerald Law Group are highly experienced in trip and fall accidents that occur on city sidewalks or someone else’s property, from big box stores to shopping malls, apartments and rentals to hotels and amusement parks. Call our experienced lawyers today for a free consultation and immediate assistance with your trip and fall claim.
Business Invitees Are Entitled to Shop in a Safe Environment
When commercial businesses are open to the public, people who shop in the store have the legal status of a “business invitee.” The business owes a duty to invitees to provide a reasonably safe environment that is free of tripping hazards. Under Washington premises liability law, store owners can be liable for injuries in a trip and fall accident when the tripping hazard meets any of these conditions:
- It was created by an employee, such as by leaving a broom or other object lying on the floor
- Staff either knew about the hazard or should have known about it, such as by being notified about the danger by a customer or through routine inspection of the premises
- The danger was reasonably foreseeable
If you were injured in a trip and fall while visiting a Seattle QFC, Safeway, Walmart, Home Depot, McDonald’s, Subway restaurant, or any other commercial establishment, we want to hear from you. Our experienced Seattle trip and fall lawyers know the steps to take to protect your rights, preserve your case, and pursue a settlement or judgment that fully compensates you for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other legal damages.
City Streets and Sidewalks Must Be Built to Standards and Properly Maintained
Any raised or depressed area that creates a height differential of more than a half-inch is a tripping hazard that should be fixed before somebody falls and gets hurt. This includes defects in Seattle city streets and sidewalks that were negligently created by defective workmanship or inadequate maintenance. Claims against the government have to be handled differently from claims against private businesses, so make sure you retain the services of a knowledgeable and experienced injury law firm after a city sidewalk trip and fall injury.
Other property owners that might be liable to you for a trip and fall injury include owners of apartment buildings or houses where you rent. Owners are responsible for maintaining the common areas and can be held liable for tripping hazards attributable to their negligence.
Comprehensive Seattle Trip and Fall Attorneys
Our lawyers at Emerald Law Group are vastly experienced in a wide range of trip and fall incidents occurring on all types of property. Common causes of trip and fall accidents we see include:
- Merchandise on the floor
- Store displays that stick out into the aisles
- Tools or equipment left out
- Power cords strung across the floor
- Boxes piled up in traffic areas
- Broken sidewalks
- Cracked pavement in streets or parking lots
- Mislaid or worn-out floor mats
- Unmarked steps, ramps or inclines
- Uneven or broken steps
- Raised thresholds at entrances and exits
- Misaligned elevators, malfunctioning escalators
- Torn carpeting
- Lighting is inadequate or burnt-out bulbs are not promptly replaced
Our experience in a wide range of accidents also includes experience with all the many forms of harm a trip and fall injury can inflict, including:
- Neck Injuries
- Back Injuries
- Fractures
- Sprains and Strains
- Muscle Tears
- Head and Brain Injuries
- Facial Lacerations
- Paralysis
- Wrongful Death
Contact Emerald Law Group Today
A common reaction of store owners and their insurers after a trip and fall injury is to dispute the serious nature of the injury or blame the victim for not paying attention to where they were going. Either approach can keep you from getting the full amount of compensation you deserve or being successful on your claim. Don’t settle for a lowball offer or take the insurance company’s word for it. Take your claim to Emerald Law Group and let our personal injury attorneys review your case and let you know how we can help. Our commitment is to see that you are taken care of and fully compensated for the harm done to you by another’s negligence. Call our experienced Seattle trip and fall lawyers today for a free consultation and immediate assistance with your trip and fall claim.
