West Lafayette, IN Slip and Fall Lawyer

Slip and fall accidents can lead to debilitating and painful injuries. For example, victims of such accidents regularly suffer broken bones, soft tissue injuries, head injuries, and spinal cord damage. These injuries can produce detrimental effects on peoples’ abilities to work and enjoy their lives.

Property owners have a duty to maintain their premises for visitors’ safety. If they do not adhere to this duty, then they may be held liable for slip and fall accidents that occur because of their negligent conduct. Victims can contact our attorneys for help taking the appropriate steps toward financial compensation.

If you suffered a slip and fall accident in West Lafayette, IN, get help pursuing monetary damages for the harm you incurred. Reach out to our experienced West Lafayette slip and fall lawyers today by calling Wruck Paupore at (219) 322-1166. Our attorneys can review your case for free.

Elements of a Slip and Fall Case in West Lafayette, IN

Slip and fall accident lawsuits can come in many forms. There are several different legal strategies and analyses that may be applied when seeking payment from a careless property owner. However, in every case, the plaintiff must show that each of the following elements have been satisfied:

• The property owner was under a duty of care to maintain their premises for the safety of visitors.
• The property owner did not adhere to their duty of care, perhaps by failing to clean a wet spot on the floor or by ignoring a broken floorboard.
• You suffered a harmful slip and fall accident because of the property owner’s breach of duty.
• You suffered damages as a result of the accident.

Evaluating the strength of your potential claim can be difficult without the assistance of our West Lafayette slip and fall lawyers. During your free case review, our team can help determine if the necessary elements have been established.

Proving Fault for a Slip and Fall Accident in West Lafayette, IN

In order for your slip and fall accident lawsuit to prevail, you must present evidence that proves your accident was caused by the defendant property owner’s negligence. Several forms of evidence may be utilized. The following are common types of evidence used by our West Lafayette slip and fall lawyers:

Witness Statements

Witness statements can be very valuable when proving fault for a slip and fall. Witnesses can offer either oral or written testimony that points to the cause of an accident. For example, a witness may state that they saw the plaintiff slip because of a loose rug.

Furthermore, witness statements can also be used to prove that defendants acted negligently. For instance, a witness may assert that they noticed a floorboard was broken and left unattended for multiple weeks leading up to an accident. In that case, the witness’s testimony could be used to establish that the defendant property owner breached their duty of care by not tending to the hazard in a timely manner.

Therefore, you should always attempt to retrieve contact information for witnesses to your slip and fall accident if possible. Afterwards, our attorneys can help when reaching out for their potential cooperation.

Surveillance Footage

Surveillance footage is another form of evidence that can be used to prove fault for slip and fall accidents. Like witness testimony, surveillance footage can help explain the events that unfolded before, during, and after a slip and fall. For example, footage from a nearby security camera may show that a grocery store’s customer suffered a slip and fall because of a wet spot on the floor. In that case, footage from the security camera could be used to show why the accident happened.

Unfortunately, parties in control of pertinent surveillance footage may be reluctant to cooperate with plaintiffs. The assistance of our West Lafayette slip and fall lawyers can be very helpful when seeking to obtain relevant footage in your case.

Physical Evidence from the Scene

Physical evidence from the scene of a slip and fall accident can also be used to prove fault. For example, if an accident was caused by a hazard such as a loose rug or piece of debris on the floor, then the hazard may be brought into court to demonstrate its danger.

Additionally, you should preserve the clothing you were wearing at the time of your slip and fall accident. Defendants in slip and fall cases may try to shift blame for their accidents by asserting that plaintiffs fell because of hazardous clothing such as worn shoes or long dresses. In such cases, plaintiffs’ clothing can be brought into court to discredit defendants’ alternative theories of fault.

Certain evidence may be hard to preserve or otherwise bring into court. Therefore, other forms of evidentiary documentation are permitted.

Photos from the Scene

Furthermore, photos from the scene of a slip and fall accident may be used to prove fault. Photos from the scene are often used to identify the hazard that contributed to a slip and fall. For example, photos of a dimly lit hallway may be used to show that an accident was caused by a broken light fixture. Furthermore, photos of ice accumulation at a building’s entranceway could be used to demonstrate how an accident happened.

Accordingly, you should always take photos at the scene of your slip and fall accident if possible. Our West Lafayette slip and fall lawyers can help review any photos you took during your free case assessment.

Expert Witness Testimony

Lastly, expert witness testimony can be a useful tool when proving fault for a slip and fall accidents. Expert witnesses are considered experts because they have completed the necessary education, training, and experience in their respective fields. For example, an engineer might be able to explain how certain defects contributed to an injury.

If You Suffered a Slip and Fall Accident in West Lafayette, IN, Our Attorneys Can Help

If you were hurt because of a slip and fall accident, seek guidance and support from our experienced West Lafayette slip and fall lawyers by calling Wruck Paupore at (219) 322-1166 for a free review of your case.