Did you sustain injuries after slipping and falling on public or private property? A slip and fall accident lawyer in Hempstead can help you make sense of the situation, especially if unsafe conditions were involved. Chaikin Trial Group Injury Lawyers knows you have questions.
As your personal injury lawyer in Hempstead, we have the answers you’re looking for, and we’re here to help you during this difficult time. Come as a client, leave as a friend. With 50 years of combined experience, our attorneys have recovered $100 million in compensation.
We treat every client like family, and we’ll operate with the sense of urgency that your case deserves. If you can’t get to the office, we’ll come to you. With us by your side, you can trust that legal professionals are advocating for you throughout every step of the process.
Hazards That Commonly Lead to Falls in Hempstead Businesses and Residential Properties
Slip and fall claims often arise from conditions that should have been addressed long before anyone got hurt. Grocery stores, malls, apartment complexes, gas stations, schools, and restaurants each have their own patterns of hazards.
A wet spot on the floor in a supermarket aisle may seem minor during the rush of the day, but moisture on smooth tile flooring leads to many falls. Leaks from refrigeration units or plumbing create ongoing dangers when staff fail to act quickly.
Broken steps, loose railings, worn carpeting, and cluttered walkways also contribute to serious injuries in buildings. These hazards—among many others—result in cases that a slip and fall lawyer in Hempstead can handle. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better.
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How Property Owners in New York are Expected to Maintain Safe Spaces
New York’s premises liability framework outlines the responsibilities imposed on property owners and managers. Individuals who invite others onto their property—whether for business, housing, or community purposes—have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions.
This obligation includes taking the following actions when appropriate:
- Routine inspections
- Prompt cleanup efforts
- Timely repairs
- Warnings when a danger cannot be fixed immediately
For example, let’s say a spill happens in a retail store. Employees need to act quickly and block the area or mop it up before customers walk through it. Likewise, imagine a property owner lets a broken staircase remain unrepaired for weeks despite multiple complaints.
That delay can be shown as a strong indicator of negligence, especially if an accident occurs as a result of the situation. Victims often turn to slip and fall lawyers in Hempstead when these preventable hazards result in medical bills and forced time away from work.
It’s also worth noting that the standard of care can shift based on the property type:
- Commercial locations: They typically have greater responsibilities because they profit from customer visits.
- Residential landlords: They are expected to maintain shared areas, handle reported hazards, and follow safety codes.
- Government-owned properties: They are held to more complicated standards, but they still owe a level of safety to the public.
Building a Picture of What Happened: Why the Details of Your Fall Matter
The strength of a slip and fall case relies on piecing together what occurred before, during, and after the incident. Victims usually only remember the moment they hit the ground or the pain they felt after falling, yet many cases succeed because of the facts surrounding the hazard.
This includes details like how visible it was, how long it existed, and whether other people had complained about it prior to the accident. Photographs of the scene, witness accounts, weather conditions, and store maintenance logs can all be helpful sources of evidence in your case.
An injured person might not have gathered this information at the time because adrenaline masks symptoms, and the shock of the fall likely distracted you from everything else. This is one of many reasons people call a slip and fall attorney in Hempstead soon after an experience like this.
How New York’s Comparative Negligence Rule Affects Slip and Fall Claims
New York follows a pure comparative negligence system. This means a victim’s compensation can be reduced if they are partly at fault for the incident. Unfortunately, property owners and insurers frequently argue the following points about injured parties when negotiating:
- You were distracted
- You wore improper footwear
- You weren’t paying attention
Even if a victim is assigned a portion of fault, the law still allows you to pursue recovery. For example, let’s say someone visited a grocery store and slipped on an unmarked wet floor. In turn, they suffered a fractured wrist. However, they can still receive compensation.
This is true even if the defense argues that they walked too quickly or carried multiple bags in a way that obstructed their vision. Many clients who search for a lawyer for a slip and fall accident in Hempstead do so because insurers often lean heavily on comparative negligence arguments.
Though this rule can complicate matters, it also gives victims room to pursue compensation even when the situation was nuanced. The main question becomes whether the property owner failed to exercise reasonable care and if that failure substantially contributed to the fall.
Contact Our Hempstead Slip and Fall Accident Law Firm For More Information
If you’re recovering from injuries you sustained in a slip and fall incident, Chaikin Trial Group Injury Lawyers are here for you. As Hempstead slip and fall attorneys, we can take on your case, review what happened, and break down the available evidence.
From there, we will inform you of your options according to New York state laws. As soon as you reach out to us, our slip and fall lawyers in Hempstead will take immediate action to move forward in pursuit of justice on your behalf. Call now for more information.