Property owners often fail to ensure that their premises are safe for guests, customers, tenants, and others. Unfortunately, this often leads to very serious accidents, and if you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, you may require the services of an experienced Ulster County slip and fall lawyer. Contact John A. DeGasperis, Esq. today to learn more about premises liability claims and how our firm can help you.
Do I Need an Ulster County Slip and Fall Lawyer?
Slip and fall accidents are not as common as auto accidents, though they can be every bit as devastating. This is why it is so important that you reach out to an experienced Ulster County personal injury lawyer who will fight in your corner through every step of the legal process ahead.
Slip and Fall Cases We Handle
Our legal team handles a wide array of slip and fall accident claims, including the following:
- Stairway Accidents: As you know, stairway accidents aren’t always caused by unsafe stairway conditions. At times, they happen when someone simply misses a step or otherwise trips over themselves. However, stairway accidents are also frequently caused by various safety hazards that are the responsibility of the property owner to fix. In this case, the injured party will most likely have a valid premises liability claim.
- Apartment Accidents: Everyone has a right to feel safe inside their own home. Unfortunately, there are times where landlords fail to ensure that the properties they rent out to their tenants are safe, or even livable. The thought of a landlord charging rent for a damaged or unsafe apartment is disturbing, but it happens far more than you may think. Those injured due to negligent landlords should not have to suffer on their own.
- Restaurant Accidents: Perhaps the last place anyone would expect to sustain a serious injury is when they’re out enjoying a nice dinner with their friends or family. That being said, restaurant accidents are not unheard of, and if you’ve been hurt, you may require compensation to heal.
- Parking Lot Accidents: Despite being thought of as one of the more mundane aspects of daily life, parking lots are frequently bustling with activity. Because of this, parking lot conditions often get overlooked, though if you were injured because of unsafe parking lot conditions, you should consider your legal options going forward, as you may have a valid premises liability claim.
- Sidewalk Accidents: Sidewalk trip or slip and fall accidents are among the most common types of slip and falls. In most cases, the property owner adjacent to the sidewalk is responsible for ensuring the sidewalk is kept free of safety hazards. If you were injured because of a property owner’s failure to do so, there is a very good chance that you will be entitled to compensation.
- Grocery Store Accidents: Shopping for groceries is something virtually everyone does at least once a week. This is why grocery store accidents are particularly jarring; no one sees them coming. If you were hurt because of unsafe grocery store conditions, you should speak with our firm as soon as you can.
Fulfilling the Burden of Proof in a Premises Liability Claim
To win a premises liability claim, you will have to prove several things. They are as follows:
- There was an unsafe or hazardous property condition.
- The property owner knew or should have reasonably known about the unsafe property condition.
- The property owner failed to take timely action to fix the unsafe property condition.
- You were injured because of the unsafe property condition.
- You incurred significant damages because of the unsafe property condition.
As you can imagine, proving as much is not always easy, which is why you should strongly consider retaining the services of an experienced Ulster County slip and fall lawyer who can work to uncover all evidence needed to satisfy the burden of proof in your premises liability claim. Our firm can use witness statements, pictures of the unsafe property condition, surveillance footage of your accident, medical documents, a copy of the police report filed at the scene, and more to prove your premises liability claim.
Recovering Compensation
One of the main purposes of filing personal injury claims is recovering financial compensation for any damages an individual has incurred as a result of their accident. There are two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages deal with the financial repercussions an injury had on an individual, such as lost wages, the cost of in-home care, the cost of rehabilitation, and other medical bills, among other things. Non-economic damages deal more with the non-monetary damages caused by an accident, such as emotional distress, pain and suffering, the loss of enjoyment of life, and more.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations for most slip and fall injury claims is three years. Do not wait any longer than three years to take legal action, for if you do, you will most likely be permanently barred from suing. Further, the longer you wait, the more challenging it can be to prove your claim. Additionally, you were injured on property owned by the government or a municipality, you will have to file a Notice of Claim in a matter of months, which is why you simply can’t afford to wait to take action.
Contact an Ulster County Slip and Fall Lawyer
Those who’ve been injured due to unsafe premises should understand that they do have legal options. If you’ve been wrongfully hurt, you are not alone. Contact John A. DeGasperis, Esq. today to schedule your initial consultation with our experienced legal team.
