Who is Responsible for a Slip and Fall at the Store?

November 26, 2021
wet floor in the store

Proving a slip and fall or trip and fall accident inside a commercial premises in the State of Washington can be a complicated endeavor. In most cases, in order to prevail in a personal injury claim or lawsuit based on such an accident, you’ll need to show that the owner or occupier of the premises was negligent. Prior law required a claimant to show that the owner or occupier of the property either knew or should have known of the dangerous condition that caused a customer to slip or trip and fall. Now, the Supreme Court has eased the burden of proof somewhat. A Seattle personal injury lawyer need not show proof of knowledge of a dangerous condition on a store’s premises, so long as the danger was reasonably foreseeable.

Store Slip and Fall Example

Customers would enter the defendant’s store by walking on an exterior rubber mat, walking through the store doors and walking on another interior mat. A linoleum floor was then encountered. On wet days, water and mud would accumulate on that linoleum, and a store employee would place a warning sign there. The injured claimant entered the store on a wet day, but no warning sign was in place. She slipped and fell as soon as she got to the linoleum and injured herself. A store employee testified that he would ordinarily place a warning sign on wet days, but he confirmed that he had failed to do so prior to the claimant’s fall.

If you suffered slip and fall or trip and fall injuries at a store in or around Seattle, report the accident to management and contact the Seattle premises liability attorneys at Albert Law PLLC right away for legal representation. You can arrange for a free consultation and case review with one of our Seattle WA slip and fall attorneys. We’re thorough, professional, compassionate and aggressive premises liability attorneys in Seattle WA. When you retain us, our goal is to obtain the highest settlement or award that you deserve.