Slip & Fall Lawyer in Houston

Types of Slip and Fall Cases We Handle

Our experienced legal team has represented clients in various types of premises liability accidents throughout the Houston area, including the following:

Retail Store Accidents

Slip and fall events in supermarkets, department stores, and shopping centers are often linked to spilled liquids, freshly mopped floors, cluttered aisles, or defective flooring that property owners fail to address.

Restaurant and Bar Falls

Food service establishments pose unique risks, with wet floors, food and beverage spills, uneven surfaces, and poor lighting. All of these factors can lead to serious injuries when patrons or employees lose their footing.

Apartment and Condo Accidents

Residential property owners are legally obligated to maintain safe common areas, stairwells, parking lots, and walkways. Broken handrails, inadequate lighting, and unrepaired surfaces are frequent causes of tenant injuries.

Parking Lot and Garage Falls

Potholes, cracked pavement, inadequate lighting, and poorly marked hazards in parking facilities can create dangerous conditions that may lead to life-altering injuries.

Workplace Slip and Falls

Employees hurt on commercial properties may have options beyond workers' compensation claims if third-party negligence contributed to the unsafe conditions.

Stairway and Escalator Accidents

Defective stairs, broken handrails, malfunctioning escalators, and inadequate warning signs can create opportunities for catastrophic falls in commercial buildings and public spaces.

Trip and Falls on Uneven Surfaces

By law, property owners must address issues like cracked sidewalks, broken pavement, unmarked elevation changes, and clutter or debris on walkways. When they don’t, visitors can suffer preventable harm.

Swimming Pool and Deck Accidents

Wet surfaces around pools, inadequate non-slip treatments, and poor maintenance of pool decks at hotels, apartments, and recreational facilities can lead to severe injuries for which victims deserve fair compensation.

Primary Factors Behind Houston Slip and Fall Accidents

Houston property owners have a legal duty to maintain safe premises for visitors and tenants. Our legal team has extensive experience handling cases involving various forms of property owner negligence that lead to serious injuries and long-term personal consequences, including the following:

• Wet or slippery surfaces: Spills, leaks, recently mopped floors, and weather-related moisture create hazardous conditions. Property owners must clean spills promptly and provide adequate warning to prevent accidents.
• Poor lighting: Inadequate illumination in stairwells, parking lots, walkways, and building entrances makes it difficult for visitors to identify hazards, significantly increasing the risk of falls.
• Defective or damaged flooring: Torn carpeting, loose tiles, uneven surfaces, and worn flooring materials create trip risks that property owners are responsible for repairing in a timely manner.
• Lack of warning signs: When temporary hazards like wet floors during cleaning or construction zones are present, property owners must offer clear, visible warnings to alert visitors of potential dangers.
• Inadequate maintenance: Neglected property maintenance, including things like broken handrails and unrepaired walkways, demonstrates a disregard for visitor safety that can result in liability.
• Weather-related hazards: Houston's climate is characterized by sudden storms and flooding. Property owners are responsible for dealing with accumulated water, ice, and other weather-related threats on their premises.
• Obstructions and clutter: Merchandise in aisles, boxes in walkways, cords lying across floors, and other obstacles introduce unnecessary tripping hazards that violate legal safety standards.
• Architectural defects: Poor design choices, such as unexpected step-downs, unmarked elevation changes, and slippery materials in high-traffic areas, can expose property owners to liability for injuries.

Common Injuries Our Houston Slip and Fall Lawyers Help Address

Our capable personal injury attorneys have successfully represented clients who have suffered a wide range of injuries stemming from premises liability accidents. From temporary setbacks to permanent disabilities, we understand both the medical impact and legal complexities that define these cases.

• Hip fractures: These serious injuries are particularly common among older adults involved in falls. Hip fractures often require surgical intervention and extended rehabilitation, and they may result in permanent mobility limitations that affect independence and quality of life.
• Spinal cord injuries: Falls that result in damage to the spinal cord can lead to partial or complete paralysis, requiring a lifetime of medical treatment, rehabilitation, and adaptive equipment. Our attorneys collaborate with medical professionals to fully document long-term consequences.
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Head trauma from slip and fall accidents can result in permanent cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, and personality changes. We’ll work to ensure that your claim reflects the full scope of these effects.
• Broken bones: Wrist, ankle, arm, and leg fractures are common when people attempt to catch themselves during a fall. These painful injuries may necessitate surgery, casting, and extensive physical therapy.
• Shoulder injuries: Rotator cuff tears, dislocations, and fractures are other possible results of falls. These injuries can be particularly debilitating, limiting your ability to perform daily tasks and return to work.
• Knee injuries: Torn ligaments, meniscus damage, and kneecap fractures are seen frequently in slip and fall accidents. Surgical repair and protracted rehabilitation periods may be required to treat these injuries.
• Back and neck injuries: Herniated discs, compression fractures, and soft tissue damage to the back and neck can cause chronic pain and may call for ongoing medical treatment or surgical intervention.
• Cuts and lacerations: Sharp objects, broken glass, or rough surfaces can cause deep cuts requiring stitches, potentially leading to permanent scarring and disfigurement.
• Soft tissue injuries: Sprains, strains, and torn ligaments may seem minor initially but can open the door to chronic pain and mobility limitations, making ongoing physical therapy necessary.
• Psychological trauma: Beyond physical injuries, slip and fall victims frequently suffer from anxiety about falling again, along with depression and emotional distress. Our team recognizes these effects as legitimate, compensable forms of harm.

Compensation Available in Houston Slip and Fall Cases

If you've been hurt due to property owner negligence, Texas’s personal injury laws allow you to seek various forms of compensation. Our legal professionals will work diligently to help you obtain fair compensation for all losses associated with your slip and fall case, which may include the following:

• Medical expenses: This category encompasses all costs related to your medical care, from emergency treatment to ongoing rehabilitation. We’ll also factor in future expenses that may be necessary for your continued recovery, including surgeries, physical therapy, and assistive devices.
• Lost income: If your injuries prevent you from working, you can recover compensation for lost wages. This includes both the income you've already lost and your diminished earning capacity if your injuries cause permanent work limitations or force you to change careers.
• Pain and suffering: Slip and fall accidents often cause acute physical discomfort and emotional distress. Non-economic damages for losses like these represent an important component of personal injury cases, accounting for the daily pain and reduced quality of life you’ve experienced.
• Rehabilitation costs: Many severe fall injuries require extensive rehab, which may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and specialized medical care to help you regain function and independence.
• Property damage: Compensation may also be available to replace personal belongings like clothing, jewelry, eyeglasses, or electronic devices damaged in the fall.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: If your injuries keep you from participating in activities and hobbies you previously enjoyed, you may be entitled to compensation for diminished quality of life.
• Disfigurement and scarring: Permanent scarring or disfigurement from your injuries can entitle you to additional damages, particularly when these changes affect your appearance or self-esteem.

In tragic cases involving fatalities, surviving family members can pursue wrongful death claims to address funeral costs, loss of companionship, and financial support the deceased would have provided.

Steps to Take Following a Houston Slip and Fall Accident

Your actions immediately after a slip and fall accident can play a role in determining your ability to recover compensation. Here's what our seasoned lawyers recommend doing to protect both your health and your legal rights:

Seek Prompt Medical Attention

Some injuries (particularly internal injuries and head trauma) may not show symptoms for days or even weeks. Having medical records from shortly after the accident will strengthen your case and ensure that any hidden injuries are identified early.

Report the Incident Immediately

Notify the property owner, manager, or staff about your fall right away. Request that they document the incident in writing and obtain a copy of their report for your records.

Document the Accident Scene

If you're able, take photographs or videos of the hazardous condition that caused your fall, the surrounding area, your visible injuries, and any property damage. While you’re at it, capture any relevant warning signs (or the absence of them) and lighting conditions.

Identify Witnesses

Get the names and contact information of anyone who saw your fall happen. Independent witness statements may prove invaluable if the property owner disputes liability.

Preserve Key Evidence

Keep the shoes and clothing you were wearing when you fell, as these items may become important evidence. Also, save any receipts or documents showing that you were a legitimate visitor on the property.

Avoid Giving Statements

Be cautious when speaking with the property owner or their insurance representatives. Politely decline to provide recorded statements or sign any documents without first consulting a qualified slip and fall attorney.

Maintain Detailed Documentation

Hold on to all medical bills, records of lost wages, and documentation of other accident-related expenses. Take photos of your injuries as they heal and keep a journal documenting your daily pain levels, limitations, and emotional experiences.

Contact a Slip and Fall Attorney

Finally, reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. Getting us involved early will allow us to preserve crucial evidence, interview witnesses while their memories are fresh, and begin building a compelling case on your behalf.

Houston Premises Liability Law Essentials

To provide the most effective representation possible, our personal injury attorneys make a point of staying current with all relevant legal developments. Here are a few basic legal principles worth knowing:

• Duty-of-care requirements: Property owners owe different levels of care depending on the status of the injured. Invitees (customers or guests) receive the highest protection, and owners are required to inspect for and warn of hazards. Licensees (social guests) must be warned of known dangers, while trespassers receive minimal protection.
• Notice requirements: To hold a property owner liable, we must prove that they had actual knowledge of the dangerous condition or should have known about it through reasonable inspection. "Constructive notice" applies when a hazard has been present long enough that the owner should have discovered it.
• Comparative fault rules: Texas uses a modified comparative fault system, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you bore some responsibility for the accident, provided you were less than 51% liable. Your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault.
• Time limits for claims: Texas generally gives victims two years from the accident date to file personal injury lawsuits. However, it's important to consult a slip and fall lawyer promptly to preserve fleeting evidence and protect your rights.
• Burden of proof: You and your attorney must prove that the property owner had a duty to maintain safe conditions; that they breached this duty by ignoring a hazardous condition; that this breach directly caused your injuries; and that you suffered compensable losses. We can gather clear evidence to establish each element.
• Government property claims: Slip and falls on government property involve different procedures and shorter deadlines. These cases may require you to file notice of your claim within six months, making immediate legal assistance vital.