Lakewood Slip and Fall Attorneys Pursue Justice for Injury Victims

Colorado firm takes on negligent property owners

A business or individual that lets you onto their property is required to take certain precautions to keep you safe. When they fail, a serious slip and fall injury could result, and you could wind up facing severe physical and financial harm. At Silvern & Bulger, P.C. in Lakewood, we are accomplished attorneys who represent Colorado clients in premises liability litigation so that plaintiffs can get the money they need to pay for medical costs, replace lost income and compensate them for their pain and suffering.

What is a slip and fall accident?

You can suffer a serious slip and fall accident indoors or outdoors, on the premises of a business or in a friend’s home. Slip and fall claims commonly arise from incidents involving:

  • Spills on supermarket floors
  • Cracked pavement on sidewalks and parking lots
  • Damaged walking surfaces
  • Faulty or missing handrails
  • Ice, snow and other weather-related hazards
  • Hard-to-see obstacles that aren’t set off or marked by signage

In an instant, a slip and fall could leave you with broken bones, ligament damage, back pain or a traumatic brain injury. Our aggressive Colorado lawyers work to collect fair compensation from negligent property owners.

What to do after a slip and fall accident

After you’ve fallen on someone else’s property, you should get medical attention as soon as possible, even if you are not sure that you are seriously hurt. If you are able, take photographs of the scene and record the contact information of any witnesses. This evidence can be very helpful when it comes time to prove your case. Report the slip and fall accident to the owner so they cannot claim later that they were unaware of the incident. Once you’ve addressed any urgent medical needs, it’s wise to speak with a qualified injury attorney to learn about your legal options.

How do you prove fault in a Colorado slip and fall case?

To succeed in a slip and fall case, the victim must show that the defendant owed them a duty of care, and then violated it. These types of premises liability claims often hinge on whether a property owner took reasonable steps to protect their guests. If the jury holds that proper care was not taken, the plaintiff must show that the violation was the proximate cause of their injury and that they suffered damages. Colorado’s modified comparative fault rules permit a victim to collect damages even if they are partly responsible for their injury, as long as the defendant bears a greater share of the fault.

How the property owner’s duty of care affects premises liability matters

There are three basic categories of visitors to someone else’s premises: trespassers, licensees and invitees. In a slip and fall case, how a plaintiff is classified determines the owner’s legal duty of care. Trespassers are usually not owed a duty of care. However, a property owner may not intentionally harm an unsuspecting trespasser by installing a dangerous trap. The highest level of care is owed to an invitee, such as a customer in a retail store. This means that those in control of the premises must exercise reasonable care to protect invitees, which might require frequent inspection for potential hazards. Licensees are permitted to enter a particular site, but aren’t afforded as much protection. Someone visiting a friend’s residence might be a licensee. As such, the homeowner must warn them of any known hazards or hidden dangers that normally wouldn’t be in a home.  

Contact a skillful Colorado injury lawyer for a free consultation about a slip and fall claim

Silvern & Bulger, P.C. in Lakewood seeks compensation for Colorado residents who have been hurt in slip and fall incidents on others’ premises. Please call 303-292-0044 or contact us online to make an appointment for a free initial consultation.