Bowie Slip and Fall Lawyer

Losing your footing without warning can cause much more substantial and long-lasting harm than certain cartoons and comedy movies have led many people to believe. An uncontrolled impact against a hard surface—especially one involving the head, back, or any combination of joints—can lead to injuries that may take months to heal in the best-case scenario and could sometimes even have permanent and debilitating repercussions.

Holding a property owner accountable for this kind of incident can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor, though, which is why seeking help from a qualified Bowie slip and fall lawyer could be crucial to preserving your legal rights. A seasoned personal injury attorney who has successfully handled similar cases before could provide the guidance and support you may need to establish fault for your injuries while also proving you were not to blame for them yourself.

Who Could Be Liable for a Slipping or Tripping Accident?

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about this kind of litigation is that property owners and managers in Maryland are not automatically liable for every accident that occurs on their land. Under premises liability law, property owners owe a certain “duty” to lawful visitors to keep them safe from harm, but the exact extent of that duty varies depending on the type of visitor and the type of hazard involved in an accident.

As a general rule, the longer a hazard has existed on someone else’s property, the more likely that person might bear civil liability for any harm that hazard causes to a lawful visitor. For example, a store owner would likely not be considered at fault for someone slipping on a puddle in a store aisle if that hazard stemmed from a spill that happened seconds before the accident in question.

Conversely, that same owner would likely be liable if that puddle had been present in the aisle for hours without any employee inspecting the aisle and either cleaning it up or cordoning it off. There are various other factors like this that could have an effect on liability for slip or trip and fall injuries in Bowie, all of which a qualified attorney could explain in more detail as needed.

Potential Obstacles to Comprehensive Recovery

Another element of trip and fall litigation that can significantly complicate the process of pursuing fair compensation is the “pure contributory negligence” system that Maryland civil courts follow. Under this system, an accident victim who bears any percentage of blame whatsoever—even one percent compared to the defendant’s 99 percent—for their own injuries is ineligible to recover any restitution at all for that particular accident.

Additionally, Maryland Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §5-101 sets a three-year filing deadline on most forms of personal injury litigation, including claims based on slipping or tripping accidents. However, there are some exceptions to this rule under unique circumstances that a slip and fall lawyer in Bowie could highlight if applicable.

Get in Touch with a Bowie Slip and Fall Attorney Today

Establishing fault for an accident on someone else’s property is never a simple prospect, but it can be especially challenging to prove that a slip or trip and fall stemmed directly from a property owner or manager’s negligence. In this kind of situation, assistance from knowledgeable legal counsel can make the difference between successful recovery and ultimately getting nothing at all for your trouble.

A Bowie slip and fall lawyer could discuss filing options and explain possibly recoverable losses over the course of an initial consultation. Schedule yours by calling today.