This is how a slip and fall accident can happen in a retail space in Iowa

Iowa City, IA – When most people think of personal injury lawyers, one of the first scenarios they think of is a person slipping and falling on a wet floor in a grocery store or similar establishment. While there are a number of things that personal injury lawyers can do for their clients, most of them revolve around proving someone like a property owner, driver, business, or other person was negligent and caused harm. Those who were hurt on another person’s property can speak with an injury attorney to see if a lawsuit is necessary.

Maintaining a property in a safe condition

Things like wet floors, debris on the ground, parking lots covered in ice and snow, stairwells, and obstacles caused by various objects can all cause hazards. If an unsuspecting guest or shopper stumbles and gets hurt due to these kinds of conditions, they can potentially sue the property or business owner to pay for their injuries. For these reasons, property owners should regularly clean, inspect, and maintain their property. If an area cannot be made safe for guests, it should be blocked off or locked and clearly marked as unsafe to avoid liability.

The structure of a negligence case

A property owner who is sued after an incident must be found to be negligent before they will be made to pay money through a settlement or after a trial. These kinds of cases require a breach of the standard duty of care, actual causation of the plaintiff’s injuries, and tangible damages or losses. In a slip and fall case, the issues of whether the defendant was negligent or not tend to revolve around things like if the owner or management had notice of the unsafe condition and an opportunity to inspect the condition and make changes or clean the area.

Timing and notice of unsafe conditions

In situations where the unsafe conditions occurred immediately before the accident, the property owner will usually not be held liable as it would be unrealistic to fix the problem in that short of a period of time. However, if there were reported safety issues or recurrent problems and they were ignored, this is very strong evidence of negligence and the plaintiff has a good chance of winning their case.

Injury and accident attorneys in Iowa

Eells and Tronvold Law Offices is a trusted firm that handles various kinds of accident and injury cases in the state of Iowa. Their lawyers can speak with anyone who has questions about the process to bring a civil lawsuit for compensation.

USAttorneys.com is available to help anyone find a lawyer in their city or state. People who need assistance with their legal search can call 800-672-3103 for more information.

Firm contact info:

Eells and Tronvold Law Offices

1921 51st Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-2400

319-393-1020