A person who suffers from a slip and fall accident could lose time off work and have serious injuries, including fractures. If the fall is caused because somebody else left the area in a hazardous state, then full compensation is warranted for not only the pain and suffering, but for the out-of-pocket expenses and loss of any potential income of the victim.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s critically important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible to begin building a case that gets you the care and compensation you deserve.
Generally, the owner of the property can be sued. It is important to know exactly where the fall happened, and why it happened. If it happened on a walkway, it must be established whether it is a city sidewalk or private property, e.g. a walkway from an apartment building to the city sidewalk. The “why” is just as important as the “where”; if the fall occurred outside it could be as a result of snow or ice, and indoors it could be as a result of debris or even water.
Once the location and the circumstances surrounding the slip and fall are known, a letter should be sent to the owner and/or occupiers of the premises. If they are not known at the time, then it should be sent to everyone and anyone you believe has some control over the area of the fall. For example, in an apartment you could send the letter to the landlord, the property management company, and the owner of the building as well.
The timelines to provide formal notice depends on if the property is municipally or Crown-owned, or private property. However, the sooner you inform the persons who could be responsible, the better off you are, as usually a slip and fall happens without anyone else around. For municipal and Crown properties, like sidewalks and community centers, you must tell the City within ten days. Failing to do so can result in a possible inability to recover any compensation.
As well, you must seek treatment for your injuries. Not every fall results in injuries, and not every fall results in a lawsuit. If you ever need to know if this a fall that was caused by someone else’s negligence, your best bet is to speak with us and we will ask you the “where” and “why” with respect to your fall so we can better understand if you in fact should be compensated.
For more information, visit our slip and fall section. . If you have any questions, book a free consultation or call 1-855-446-7765 for immediate assistance.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is a general guideline made available for educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as legal advice for the reader's specific situation nor in general. By reading our blog and website content, the reader acknowledges the above and understands there is no lawyer-client relationship created between you and Himelfarb Proszanski through this content. To get specific legal advice, we encourage you to book a free consultation with one of our lawyers to clarify the legal aspects of your situation.