Slip and Fall Attorney St. Louis

Were you injured on someone else’s property? If you believe the accident and your injuries were caused by the property owner’s or management’s negligent care of their premises and guests, then you need a slip and fall lawyer in St. Louis, MO.

In that case, contact The Cagle Law Firm today.

We have decades of experience handling all types of slip and fall cases. We are well versed in both Illinois and Missouri premises liability law, enabling us to help you no matter which side of the river your accident occurred.

You can contact our St. Louis personal injury lawyers toll-free at (1-800) 685-3302 or locally at (314) 276-1681 to schedule a free case consultation.

Common Types of Slip and Fall Claims

When we talk about slip and fall accidents, we must speak about the issue of premises liability.

Premises liability law is relevant to all types of accidents that occur on another person’s, business’s, or municipality’s property.

Whether you were hurt at an acquaintance’s home, in school, or at a local business, you should speak with a Cagle slip and fall lawyer in St. Louis, MO. We will review the accident and severity of the injury and investigate who was at fault.

Some common premises liability claims are based on:

• Slip and Falls
• Snow and Ice Accidents
• Pooled Liquid/Slippery Walkways
• Uneven Sidewalks
• Elevator and Escalator Accidents
• Violence/Inadequate Security
• Exposure to Toxic Substances
• Fire
• Building Code Violation
• Playground and Park Accidents
• Falling Objects
• Dog Bites
• Swimming Pool Accidents

Premises Liability Law

Everything about your slip and fall accident matters in your case: what caused the injury, how the injury happened, where the injury happened, and your status at the time (invitee, licensee, etc.).

Each state has its own premises liability laws, dictating when property owners are responsible for another person’s injuries.

In general, property owners are required to keep their premises reasonably safe for you and others. However, a property owner’s duty of care in Missouri depends on your “status.” Whether you were a business invitee, licensee, or trespasser impacts your Missouri premises liability claim.

INVITEE

You are an invitee when you enter the premises with implicit or explicit permission, and both you and the owner benefit. If you go into a store as a customer, you are an invitee.

As an invitee, you are owed the highest duty of care from a landowner/business. They must take reasonable action to keep the property safe for you. If they find a hazard, they must correct it or warn you about it. For invitees, property owners/businesses can be held responsible for dangerous conditions they should have known about, not only the dangers they discovered.

Examples of invitees include department stores, restaurants, and shopping mall guests. Owners are required to maintain walkways and grounds properly.

LICENSEE

You are a licensee if you enter another person’s or business’s property with permission. However, you are not expected to gain a material benefit from the visit. This includes being a guest in someone’s home.

The property owner owes you a duty of care greater than for trespassers, yet not as strict as for invitees. They can only be held responsible for dangerous conditions of which they had actual knowledge.

TRESPASSER

A property owner owes a minimal duty of care when you trespass on their land. They do not have to keep the property safe for you or warn about hidden hazards. They are only prohibited from intentionally harming you, such as by laying traps. In Missouri, property owners could be held liable for injuries done to trespassers if the injury resulted from an intentional act, such as the owner setting traps.

Illinois premises liability law no longer distinguishes between invitees and licensees. Instead, if you have a claim in Illinois, the property owner’s duty of care depends on whether you were a trespasser or non-trespasser.

If you had the right to be on the property, the property owner or manager owes you a reasonable level of care to inspect and discover hazards. If the owners or managers find a dangerous condition, they must fix it, block it from access, or warn you about it.

Note well that these stipulations are for property owners in general but are not always applicable if someone is “trespassing” on that property.

If you are hurt while lawfully on another person or entity’s property in Illinois, then you may be able to hold the property owner responsible for dangerous hazards they knew or should have known about and from which they did nothing to protect you.

If you were hurt on property owned by another person, a business, or a municipality, contact a St. Louis slip and fall lawyer right away. An attorney will review the facts of your situation and advise you on whether or not you have a valid claim against the property owner, manager, or tenant.

If it appears you have a valid premises liability claim, our legal team at The Cagle Law Firm will more thoroughly investigate to gather evidence on your behalf. We can represent you in an insurance claim and pursue the compensation you are entitled to under the law.

The Open and Obvious Exception

If you claim that you were injured on another person or entity’s property, you should be aware of a common defense: open and obvious condition. You may allege that you were injured because of a dangerous defect, such as a cracked and uneven sidewalk.

In return, the owner may claim that the shoddy or old sidewalk was an obvious defect that you should have been aware of on your own. The owner may blame you for the accident and assert that your negligence resulted in you not noticing the uneven sidewalk or not being reasonably careful while walking. If an insurer or court sides with the owner, then your financial recovery could be diminished or denied.

Keep in mind that open and obvious hazards can and sometimes do change the course of an investigation into your injury. To understand fully how this affects you, contact your legal team immediately.

Slip and Fall Compensation

After being hurt in an accident because of a property owner or manager’s negligence, contact our St. Louis slip and fall lawyers to discuss possible compensation. If we can establish a valid premises liability claim, then we will pursue compensation for your:

• Medical Costs
• Lost Wages
• Pain and Suffering
• Emotional Distress
• Physical Limitations
• Disfigurement
• Loss of Future Earning Capacity
• Loss of Consortium and Companionship
• Punitive Damages (when applicable)

The potential value of your claim will depend on several factors, including the egregiousness of the property owner’s actions, the severity of the accident, the type of your injuries, and the gravity of your injuries. In most situations, the more serious the accident and your injuries, the greater the value of your claim.