Mississippi Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers

A slip and fall may not always sound like a catastrophic accident. Most people have tripped, slipped, or even fallen at some point in their life—usually with a result of a bruised bottom and a sore ego. But slip and fall accidents can be very serious in some cases, and even deadly.

At the law office of Tannehill Carmean our slip and fall attorneys in Oxford, Mississippi have experience working on severe slip and fall accident claims and representing slip and fall accident victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident in our city, please don’t hesitate to call our law firm directly for a free consultation and the support you need.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are commonly caused by hazards and dangerous conditions on a property. Common causes of slip and fall accidents include:

• Spills of food, drink, or other substances
• Wet and slippery walking surfaces
• Torn carpet
• Missing or broken handrails/railings
• Broken steps
• Broken elevators and escalators
• Depressions in walking surfaces
• Uneven walking surfaces
• Objects and hazards in walkways
• Falling objects

If you’ve been involved in a slip and fall accident that you believe would not have occurred but for a hazard on a property that should have been remedied but wasn’t, please call our law firm to learn more about whether you have a slip and fall accident claim.

Injuries from a Slip and Fall

Slip and fall accidents can lead to serious injuries. Most at risk for serious injuries and complications from a slip and fall are elderly adults, but this is by no means the only category of people who could suffer severe harm. Common types of injuries from a slip and fall can include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the event that the fall victim strikes their head; bone fracture

injuries—injuries of the wrist, clavicle, elbow, and hip are most common; including muscle and ligament sprains and strains; internal injuries in the event that the victim falls on an object that punctures their body or hits the body with force; and even spinal cord injuries in the most severe of cases, which can lead to permanent and complete paralysis from the site of the injury downwards.

Premises Liability and Slip and Fall Damages

When a slip and fall accident occurs that’s the result of a hazardous condition, the victim of the accident may be able to hold another party liable for their injuries and seek monetary compensation for their losses. Often, slip and fall claims fall under the umbrella of premises liability claims.

A premises liability claim is based on the idea that the owner of a premises has a duty to maintain that premise in a reasonably safe condition and if they fail to do so and another party is injured, the owner can be held liable for harm. In order to win a premises liability suit, the plaintiff in the claim must be able to prove the following elements:

• The property owner owed the plaintiff a duty of care. Property owners have a legal duty to maintain their properties in a reasonably safe condition and to remedy any known hazards within a reasonable amount of time. This duty is extended to those who are lawfully on a property. Property owners owe no duties to trespassers other than to refrain from causing willful or wanton harm. If you were not lawfully on the property at the time your injury occurred, you may not be able to bring forth a claim against the property owner for damages.
• A hazardous condition existed on the property. The plaintiff has the burden of proving that a hazardous condition existed on the property. This could be broken stairs, uneven walking surfaces, objects in walkways, a spill in a grocery store aisle, or a variety of other things.
• The property owner knew or should have known of the hazard. This is one of the more difficult elements to prove in a slip and fall claim. The plaintiff will need to produce evidence that the property owner knew or should have known of the hazard. Looking through repair and maintenance logs, video footage of the property, and more may prove useful in establishing this element.
• The property owner failed to remedy the condition in a reasonable amount of time. It’s not enough to merely prove that the property owner knew or should have known of the condition; you must also prove that they failed to remedy the condition in a reasonable amount of time. What’s reasonable is often situational—it may take a total of 60 seconds to mop up spilled milk in a grocery store but could take a week or more to fix a defective elevator.
• The hazardous condition was the proximate cause of injury. Finally, in addition to proving that the property owner owed the victim a duty of care, that a hazardous condition existed on the property, that the property owner knew or should have known of the condition, and that the property owner failed to remedy the condition in a reasonable amount of time, the plaintiff must also prove that their accident and injuries would not have occurred but for the hazardous condition and the property owner’s failure to remedy it.

Get the Legal Help You Need with Your Slip and Fall Claim

Proving the above elements of a slip and fall claim can be challenging, especially as you focus on your recovery and your future. When you hire the experienced Oxford slip and fall injury lawyers at the office of Tannehill Carmean you can count on our law firm to handle 100 percent of your claim and advocate for a settlement that fully compensates you.

To learn more about your rights and how our lawyers can help you recover compensation after a slip and fall, visit our law office today, send us a message, or call us directly at (662) 337-7868 for your free consultation.