Slip and Fall Accidents

I. Recovery for Slip and Fall Accidents in Michigan

In Michigan, the owner of a premises may be liable for injuries to someone who slips and falls or trips and falls if it can be proved that their negligence led to the injury. A slip and fall injury can be extremely serious and result in fractures or neurological damages.

Premises liability is the law that commonly governs slip and fall accidents. Although premises liability varies from state to state, in Michigan there are some very strict rules. For instance, in Michigan they have the open and obvious rule. However, in certain circumstances property owners are required to maintain their premises free of accumulated ice by salting the premises.

Each premises liability case must be evaluated on an individual basis before it can be considered whether or not the property owner took reasonable precautions under the circumstances to make the area safe. Always notify the property owner as soon as possible after an accident.

Generally speaking, a property owner is liable if they caused an unsafe condition which led to the subsequent slip and fall of the victim. The property owner may also be liable if they knew or should have known there was a dangerous condition on the premises but did nothing to correct it. Additionally, a property owner can be liable if they should have known about a danger because a reasonable person would have found the problem and taken steps to prevent injuries but instead failed to secure the premises.

There are many factors that should be considered in a slip and fall accident. Oftentimes a slip and fall will involve a construction defect that violated a zoning ordinance. It also may be necessary to hire a contractor or engineer to determine fault. The Law Offices of Gerald R. Stahl has successfully handled numerous premises liability cases since 1982. Gerald R. Stahl is conveniently located in Grand Rapids on East Beltline NE near Knapp's Corner and the 63rd District Court. Call Grand Rapids Accident Lawyer at 616-456-7372.