People from across the world come to Coeur d’Alene to enjoy the parks, shops, and waterfront. If you’re on vacation or if you’re a year-round resident just trying to pick up groceries, as you visit locations around the city you probably don’t give a second thought to your safety.
But as you spend your hard-earned money at places like a restaurant or a casino, each business owner and operator is legally required to see to your safety. A spill on the floor or obstacles in the aisles could suddenly put you on the ground and land you with a painful back or hip injury or even broken bones.
Common Locations for Slip and Fall Accidents
While a slip and fall can happen just about anywhere, certain locations seem to be more prone to slip and fall accidents than others. Due to slick surfaces, inventory boxes, and large amounts of pedestrian traffic, these types of properties tend to be more slip heavy than others:
Help after a Slip and Fall Accident in Coeur d’Alene
Business owners hope you’ll enter their stores or attractions and spend lots of money, but they are also liable when that shopping trip or sight-seeing tour turns hazardous. If you were injured due to the negligence of a property owner or operator, don’t make the mistake of challenging those at-fault by yourself.
Talk to a local attorney with Idaho’s CCD Law so that the best path to compensation for your injuries can be determined. Sometimes it can be hard to tell just who can be held liable after an accident at a place of business. Let our attorneys work for you and determine if a property owner or someone renting from that owner can be held liable. You shouldn’t be responsible for astronomical hospital bills and other financial losses over an accident that wasn’t your fault.
What to Do if You Are the Victim of a Slip and Fall Accident
Stores and restaurants can be a mess after a busy day or they can even still be trashed from the day before.
Public locations and places of business can have spills on the floor that sit for hours. They can have merchandise sitting just out of your line of sight but in the way of your feet. Carpeting and floor damage can be a hazard.
Even a parking lot is a potential hazard when pavement issues, landscaping obstacles, and icy weather can all block your path. These dangers can lead to a slip and fall or trip and fall and leave you with a serious injury. Regaining your mobility may take months.
After an incident, you’ll want to start building your case against the property owner as soon as possible. Try to take these steps to gather evidence as long as you feel physically up to it:
- Report the incident. Immediately report the accident to the manager or the nearest person of authority, and complete an accident report if one is available. After that don’t make statements to representatives from the business. These “representatives” will likely be lawyers or insurance agents working for the owner. They would love to use your own words against you if possible.
- Take pictures. Take a picture of where the slip and fall accident happened because spills and other hazards will soon be cleaned up or repaired, erasing the evidence.
- Talk to any witnesses. Get their contact info.
- Seek medical attention. If injuries are severe, you may need to be transported by ambulance to a hospital. Even if you do go to the emergency room, still get checked out by your own doctor later.
Proving a Slip And Fall Accident Case in Coeur d’Alene
In a slip and fall case, you’ll be trying to prove that the property owner created the issue that led to your accident. Or someone else may have caused the problem but the owner should have known about it and fixed it in a reasonable amount of time.
If you feel you were partly at fault for your accident, you can still get help with the cost of your recovery. Idaho is a comparative negligence state. That means you can be assigned a percentage of the liability for your fall, but the owner can also accept partial blame and have to pay a percentage of compensation to you.
This concept can be used against you though. If it’s proven that you bear half the blame or more for your accident the property owner can get out of paying anything to you.
Insurance companies and the owner’s lawyers may try to argue several factors when trying to blame you for your fall.
- You were distracted at the time of the fall and not paying attention to where you were stepping.
- You were in an area not meant for the general public.
- Signs and tape were present to warn you of danger but you didn’t heed the warning.
Contact an Idaho Slip and Fall Attorney
In Idaho victims of slip and fall and trip and fall accidents have up to two years to file a claim to recover damages. The attorneys with CCD Law don’t suggest waiting months or years, however. File as soon as you can because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to compile evidence and documents needed for your case. Our attorneys can discuss your case with you and help gather all of these details for you.
Established in Spokane in 1948, Crary & Domanico, P.S. is licensed and practices in both Washington and Idaho. We are committed to providing our clients with the absolute highest quality legal representation. If our Coeur d’Alene Car Accident Lawyers represent you for your accident case, you have our assurance that we will use our absolute best efforts to win your case. Contact us after any accident resulting in a serious injury for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. We will only offer you advice which is in your best interest.
