Bergen County Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Slip and fall accidents are the most common cause of personal injury, and rarely occur without the negligence of the owner or caretaker of the property where they happen. When we visit any business or private residence, we rightfully expect the owner to keep their property maintained in a way that limits the likelihood of slips, falls, and other accidents. The Bergen County slip and fall accident lawyers at Aretsky Law Group P.C. will fight for your rights if you’ve suffered injuries on a negligently maintained property.

It is a property owner’s duty to keep their premises reasonably free of hazards and to warn others of known hazards. If they fail to do so and injury results, they are liable to invitees for damages sustained. Invitees can include guests at a private residence or customers of a business open to the public.

Negligent Care of Property Comes in Many Forms

If you have been injured from an accident on another’s property, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical and other out-of-pocket costs. To succeed in a claim, you must prove the property owner failed to take reasonable steps to keep the premises safe.

Common examples of premises negligence:

• Slick or wet surfaces, in cases where the property owner or manager failed to make a reasonable effort to remove snow or ice, or other slippery substance, from stairs or floors, or failed to repair uneven surfaces that could trip someone up.
• Providing visitors with no warnings or inadequate warnings of potential hazards. For example, not posting signs near wet floors inside a store or other business.
• Unsafe conditions which the property owner was aware of but made no effort to make reasonable repairs or take other appropriate action.

In many cases, the conditions that cause an accident are temporary and removed shortly afterward, or the property owner attempts to make a “quick fix” of the hazard after the fact to avoid responsibility. For this reason, we advise our clients to act promptly to protect their rights to compensation whenever possible.

• Try to get photos of the hazardous condition that caused your accident shortly following the incident so the evidence at the scene can’t be tampered with.
• Seek medical treatment right away. Many people make the mistake of leaving the scene appearing unharmed and seek treatment much later.
• Get contact information of any witnesses who saw the incident.
• Report the accident promptly to the property owner if they were not present at the time.

Protecting Your Rights Following a Slip-and-Fall Accident

Slip and fall accidents can be complicated when the injury occurs on the property of a friend or family member. Most of the time, homeowners’ insurance will include liability coverage for persons injured on the premises. A skilled and understanding premises liability attorney will have expertise dealing with these sensitive matters and can advise you on obtaining compensation in these situations.

If you need to bring a legal claim against a private or commercial party, there are a couple of things you must know. First, under New Jersey tort law, a lawsuit for personal injury must be brought within two years of the incident giving rise to the injury.

Second, a defense attorney for the property owner might argue that your own negligence or failure to use care contributed to your injury. For instance, they might argue that you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be, you ignored warning signs, or the hazardous condition that caused your fall was so obvious that you were careless for not noticing it. If this defense succeeds, New Jersey’s comparative fault law can bar you from recovery or significantly reduce your damages.

These issues are why it’s essential to have the highly qualified Bergen County slip-and-fall lawyers at Aretsky Law Group on your side. Call our firm today for a free, no-obligation review of your case.

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