Savannah Slip and Fall Lawyer

Savannah Slip and Fall Attorney

When you visit another person’s property in Savannah, GA, you have the right to expect the property owner to have properly maintained the premises and addressed any safety hazards you might encounter while visiting the property.

If you suffered a slip and fall injury while on another party’s property, it can form the foundation of a premises liability claim. An experienced Savannah slip and fall accident attorney can help build this type of case.

Representing Victims of Slip and Fall Accidents in Savannah, GA

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm offers compassionate, client-focused legal counsel for a wide range of personal injury claims in the Savannah area. Throughout the years of our firm’s operation, we have successfully secured more than $50 million in damages for our clients.

We approach every case with the goal of helping our client maximize their recovery as efficiently as possible and holding at-fault parties accountable for the damage they have caused.

When you choose our firm to represent your case, you are investing in years of professional legal experience and an advocate who will be readily available to answer any questions you may have about your recovery options and the legal proceedings ahead of you.

You can rely on our firm to gather any evidence needed to establish liability for your damages and to uncover every channel of compensation available to you in the aftermath of a slip and fall accident.

Proving Liability for a Slip and Fall in Savannah

It’s important to know how the state’s premises liability laws will apply to your impending slip and fall accident claim. Every private property owner owes a duty of care to the lawful visitors of their properties to maintain reasonably safe premises.

This means addressing foreseeable safety hazards as soon as they become aware of such hazards, posting clearly visible warning signs where applicable, or providing visitors with clear verbal warnings of known hazards.

Property owners only owe this duty of care to lawful visitors, meaning those who have the property owner’s express or implied permission to enter the property. Those with express permission to enter are likely to include those the property owner invites onto their property for personal reasons, such as friends, relatives, and neighbors. Those with implied permission typically have their own reasons to enter, such as mail carriers or utility workers.

Property owners do not owe a duty of care to intruders or trespassers. If you suffered a slip and fall or any other injury while illegally present on another party’s property, you cannot seek compensation for the injury from the property owner.

Savannah slip and fall accident attorneys help their clients prove they were legally present at the locations where their injuries occurred and help them prove the full extent of their resulting damages.

For an Immediate Consultation call us at 912-341-6644

Claiming Compensation With a Personal Injury Suit

A personal injury claim is the legal vehicle an injured victim may use to seek compensation for damages another party inflicted. Once you prove that a property owner is directly responsible for the slip and fall you recently experienced, your Savannah slip and fall accident attorney can help hold them accountable for all resulting damages.

Under the state’s personal injury statutes, the plaintiff in a slip and fall injury claim is likely able to recover compensation for:

• Damaged property: If any personal belongings were damaged or destroyed in your slip and fall accident, the defendant is liable for all associated repair or replacement costs.
• Medical expenses: A slip and fall could cause broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, internal organ injuries, and a host of other physical harms. The defendant is liable for all medical care the victim requires to heal completely from their injuries.
• Lost income: The defendant is responsible for any income the plaintiff cannot earn because of their injury. Your Savannah slip and fall accident attorney can help calculate future income you are no longer able to earn and add this to your claim if your accident resulted in any permanent disability.
• Pain and suffering: Georgia law allows a plaintiff to claim compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress that a defendant inflicted with their actions. There is no limit on pain and suffering compensation in premises liability claims, so this could form the bulk of your case award if you suffered severe injuries from your slip and fall.

Ultimately, the average plaintiff will not know how to fully recover their total damages on their own. They may be able to recognize their immediately noticeable economic damages without the help of an attorney, but accurate calculation of their long-term economic damages and determining suitable pain and suffering compensation requires the help of an experienced legal team.

It’s important to note that the state’s modified comparative fault rule will diminish your recovery if the facts of the case show that you are partially responsible for your slip and fall. Under this rule, a plaintiff may still recover compensation for their damages as long as they are less than 50% at fault, and their fault percentage is deducted from their case award. Plaintiff fault of 50% or more bars them from seeking compensation from any other liable party.

Proving Premises Liability in Slip and Fall Cases

A slip and fall in Savannah can cause severe injuries, and proving premises liability is essential for securing compensation. Georgia law holds property owners accountable for negligence. Key elements include:

• Duty of Care Violation. Owners generally have a duty to provide safe premises for those that they invite onto the premises or can reasonably expect to enter their premises.
• Known Hazards. When a property owner becomes aware of dangerous conditions, such as a slippery bathroom floor or an icy sidewalk, they have a duty to warn others about it and to take corrective action.
• Demonstrating Causation. Your injuries must be tied to the owner’s failure to address property hazards. A property owner is not responsible for your pre-existing injuries.

Our Savannah slip and fall lawyer team at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm builds a strong case to prove liability, helping you recover for medical costs or lost wages.

Common Hazard Types

Slip and fall accidents often stem from preventable hazards on Savannah properties. Identifying these hazards strengthens your claim:

• Wet Floors. Spills in grocery store restrooms or near gas station fountain drink counters routinely cause slip and fall accidents.
• Uneven Surfaces. Cracked sidewalks or uneven steps in apartment complexes increase the risk of falls.
• Poor Lighting. Dimly lit stairwells or parking lots can make it hard to see hazards, such as ice or debris.

Documenting Injuries and Medical Care

Documenting your injuries after a slip and fall is vital to proving damages and securing compensation. Key steps include:

• Seek Immediate Medical Attention. Visit a doctor to assess injuries like concussions. This can help prove that your injury was caused by the slip and fall.
• Detailed Medical Records. Keep a record of doctors’ notes and test results, like X-rays for fractures. These help prove the extent of your harm.
• Track Treatment Costs. Keep bills for hospital visits, physical therapy, or medications to document economic losses.
• Photograph Injuries. Images of bruises, swelling, or cuts provide visual evidence of your suffering from the fall.
• Record Recovery Time. Note time missed from work due to injuries like sprains, supporting claims for lost wages.

Our team ensures your documentation supports a compelling claim for recovery.

Legal Strategies for Property Owner Negligence

Pursuing a claim against a negligent property owner is logistically difficult. There are just so many things you need to do to prove that someone else is responsible for your injuries. This is because insurance companies love to try to pin the blame squarely on the victims. To help you make your case, key things the Merritt & Merritt team can do for you include:

• Gather Witness Statements. Accounts from bystanders who saw the hazard, like a wet floor, confirm owner negligence.
• Use Surveillance Footage. Videos from stores or offices show ignored hazards, like spills, supporting your liability claim.
• Prove Prior Complaints. Records of prior reports about dangers, like broken steps, demonstrate owner inaction.
• Challenge Comparative Fault. Fight claims you contributed to the fall with evidence of your careful behavior, like wearing proper shoes.

Our Savannah slip and fall lawyer team at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm employs these strategies to ensure fair compensation for your injuries.

What to Expect From Your Savannah Slip and Fall Accident Attorney

The team at Merritt & Merritt can help determine the full extent of the damages you can seek from the defendant in your premises liability claim. While a slip and fall may not sound like a serious incident, the reality is that these incidents can easily result in catastrophic injuries, some of which result in permanent disabilities and extensive economic losses.

Our firm can help gather the evidence needed to firmly establish liability for your damages in your slip and fall accident case. We have extensive experience holding property owners accountable for their negligence and will do everything we can to streamline your case proceedings, shortening the time it takes for you to recover your losses.

There is a two-year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims in Georgia, and this time limit is not as generous as it may seem. It can take time to gather the foundational elements of your case, so it is vital that you connect with an experienced Savannah slip and fall accident attorney as soon as possible.

Contact Merritt & Merritt today to schedule a free consultation with our team of Savannah slip and fall accident attorneys and learn how we can help you recover.