How many times have you been strolling through a grocery store and spotted a yellow “wet floor” sign? You probably side-step the mess without a second thought, but in the absence of the sign, serious injuries can occur.
Spills and leaks happen, especially in crowded public places. However, it is the property owner’s responsibility to either clean the mess promptly or warn patrons of the danger. If you fell on a wet floor while on someone else’s property and were injured, a Missouri slip and fall accident attorney can help you seek compensation for your losses.
In some cases, you can sue for a slip-and-fall accident from a wet floor. Commercial establishments must warn you if their floor is wet. If they failed to do so, and you fell as a result, they may be liable for your injuries.
However, proving that the wet floor caused your injury isn’t enough. You also need to prove that the owner or workers at the establishment were aware of the dangerous condition and chose not to take reasonable action to protect others.
They may not be able to know immediately when a spill happens, but they should monitor their property enough to discover any dangerous conditions within a reasonable window of time. If no one cleans up the spill for an extended period, you can argue the establishment should have known about the conditions. By establishing these facts, your attorney can help you seek compensation from the property owner.
While Missouri’s premises liability laws require commercial establishments to warn occupants of spills, this doesn’t always take the form of a wet floor sign. If they warn you verbally, for example, they can argue they aren’t liable for your fall.
On the other hand, sometimes a wet floor sign isn’t enough. If the wet floor sign is hidden or in inadequate lighting, this doesn’t meet the requirements for reasonable action. Similarly, workers should make an effort to clean the spill within a reasonable amount of time. The sign is a temporary solution. If they leave the spill unattended for a long period of time, you can make a negligence claim for your slip-and-fall injury.
Missouri is a pure comparative negligence state. This means that even if you were partially at fault for your slip-and-fall injury, you can still seek compensation with the help of a slip-and-fall attorney. The court will determine your portion of fault, and then deduct that from your damages. For example, if you were 15% at fault for the accident, the court would reduce your damages by 15%.
You can collect economic and non-economic damages for a slip-and-fall personal injury lawsuit. Economic damages account for calculable losses such as medical bills and lost wages, while non-economic damages compensate you for pain and suffering.
To seek legal recourse for wet floor accidents, contact a Missouri slip-and-fall attorney from the Law Offices of Kevin J. Roach, LLC. We can help you collect the necessary evidence, speak to eyewitnesses, and negotiate with insurance companies. If necessary, we will also represent you if your case goes to trial.
Let us take on the work of seeking compensation while you focus on what really matters: your recovery. You’ll never be just a number to us. Call 636-492-2257 for a free consultation.
