Monmouth County Slip & Fall Lawyer
While it may not garner the same attention as car accidents, falls are one of the leading causes of injury in New Jersey. If you have slipped and fell while at the store or walking down a street, then you understand how serious such accidents can be. And for people who are already at higher risk of injury due to their age or physical condition, a falling accident can be just as catastrophic as a car crash.
Many slip and fall accidents are preventable. Negligent property owners who fail to keep their premises in reasonably safe condition for invited guests can–and should–be held legally accountable for fall-related injuries. If you have been injured in such an accident and need legal advice and representation from a qualified Monmouth County slip & fall lawyer, the team at Poulos LoPiccolo PC is here to help.
Property Owners Often Try and Blame the Victim for Slip and Fall Accidents
In New Jersey, property owners are not automatically liable for every injury that occurs on their property. But an owner is responsible if they create a “dangerous condition” on their premises that causes a slip and fall accident. Alternatively, if someone else created a dangerous condition on the property, the owner can still be held liable if they did not take prompt action to fix the problem within a reasonable amount of time.
For example, if there is a puddle of water on the floor of a store aisle, the owner or manager of the premises has a legal responsibility to notice the problem within a reasonable amount of time and clean it up. But if the puddle remains on the ground for, say, an hour and a customer subsequently slips and falls, that customer has a viable personal injury claim against the owner.
Of course, slip and fall cases are rarely that simple. Property owners–and their insurance companies–will often try to shift blame to the accident victims. They will argue the danger was “open and obvious” and it was the victim’s fault for not paying closer attention to where they were working. Or they might argue the victim’s injuries were the result of something besides the slip and fall. In short, never assume that the property owner will simply accept responsibility and agree to pay for your medical bills and other out-of-pocket losses without putting up a fight.
NJ Slip & Fall Lawyers Serving Ocean, Monmouth & Middlesex County
New Jersey has a two-year statute of limitations in personal injury cases. This means that if you have been injured in a slip and fall, you normally have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. This may sound like enough time, but in practice there is often a good deal of preliminary investigation and negotiation with insurance companies that take place before a lawsuit is ready. So you should not delay. If you have been injured on someone else’s property and need to speak with a skilled New Jersey slip and fall lawyer, contact Poulos LoPiccolo PC today to schedule an initial consultation.
