Living in and around Allentown and the Lehigh Valley can be particularly challenging for pedestrians.  While we enjoy the look of tree-lined walks, this can frequently mean having to navigate raised sidewalks and uneven payments.  Living in the Northeast, we also face a variety of difficult walking conditions during the winter months.  In order to successfully recover from your injuries in a trip and fall or a slip and fall case, both what caused you to fall and the reason you were on the property are two of the most important factors that must be proven. At Drake, Hileman & Davis, your Allentown slip and fall lawyer understands what is important in proving and winning these cases.

Each premises liability case in Allentown and the surrounding Lehigh Valley can be unique, presenting a specific set of facts, under a particular set of conditions. For more than 30 years the team of personal injury attorneys at Drake, Hileman & Davis has been successfully obtaining fair and just compensation for those that have been injured through the negligence of others. Contact us at (610) 433-3910 or use the online form to the right of this screen. We will be happy to provide you with a free case review and if we take on your case, there is never any fee or cost to you, until your Allentown slip and fall lawyers obtain a recovery on your behalf.

An Allentown Slip and Fall Lawyer Explains How to Know if You Have a Claim

The first step in proving a slip and fall case is knowing what caused the fall to occur.

Often, people who slip and fall due to a dangerous condition do not know what caused them to fall, until after the accident.  It is frequently, only after they are on the ground and can feel around or see the dangerous condition up-close that the defect can be identified.  Obviously, had the injured party been able to adequately observe the condition, they would have avoided it, however, many defects are deceptive in their appearance.  It is difficult to see water on a floor, or to tell the difference between a wet pavement and an icy pavement.  Sometimes, even changes in elevation, such as a raised curb or sidewalk slab can be difficult to see.

When we walk, we do not walk with our eyes looking at our feet, but rather with our head up looking to see where we are going and what might come into our path.  It is important to know what caused you to fall.   While not every fall is due to someone else’s negligence, many falls could be avoided if proper precautions had been taken by the owner of the property.  One of the best ways to prove what caused you to fall is to take photographs of the location of your fall, as soon as possible. With the prevalence of cameras on most cell phones, taking a photo within minutes of a fall, is not unusual.  A simple photograph can be the first step in proving a claim for damages.

What are the Statistics Behind Trip and Fall Claims?

The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSL) – a non-profit organization whose mission is “to aid in the prevention of slips, trips, and falls through education, research and standards development” – has compiled the following slip and fall statistics:

  • Fall fatalities are nearly equally divided between men and women.
  • Slips/trips and falls account for over 1 million emergency room visits each year.
  • Slips /trips and falls are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims.
  • Half of all accidental deaths in the home are caused by a fall.

While trip and fall injuries can happen to anyone in Allentown or elsewhere, our nation’s elderly are more likely to suffer serious consequences from a slip and fall. Relating to slip and falls and the elderly, the NFSL found that:

  • One of every three persons over the age of 65 will experience a fall each year in the United States.
  • On average, more than 15,000 people over the age of 65 die each year because of a fall.
  • Falls are the second leading cause of injury-related death in the elderly.
  • Incidence of falls goes up with each decade of life.

What are Some Common Locations for Slip and Fall Injuries in Allentown?

Slip and fall injuries can happen anywhere, but there are some places where they happen frequently.

  • Restaurants. Restaurants, especially fast-food restaurants, can become slip and fall danger zones when food or drink is spilled and not quickly cleaned. Floors throughout the bar, dining area and bathrooms should be kept clean and safe for customers.
  • Airports. Airports move large numbers of people as quickly as possible and this can lead to floors becoming slippery when food or drink gets spilled. An airport slip and fall may also occur on a moving walkway or on the boarding bridge. If an airport becomes aware of a slip and fall hazard, then steps must be taken to protect guests.
  • Arenas and Stadiums. Sporting, music or other types of events that bring large numbers of people together can become dangerous if floors are not kept clean. Arenas or stadiums often have stairs that are used to get guests to-and-from their seats and these stairs can be particularly dangerous.

Our Allentown Slip and Fall Lawyer Explains Fault

In addition to knowing what caused the fall to occur, it is also necessary to know the legal status of your presence on the property, when you were injured.  The law holds possessors of land to a reasonable standard of care which depends on whether you would be classified as a trespasser, licensee, or invitee.  Trespassers are owed the lowest duty of care.  A business invitee is owed the highest.  A business invitee is a person who is “invited” to enter or remain on the land of another for a purpose directly or indirectly connected with business dealings for which the land is held open.  Whether by local custom or a persistent course of conduct, if someone’s presence is desired or permitted for the purpose of doing business, then they are considered a business invitee.

If you fell inside a store or business, or in the parking lot, or while using any of the amenities associated with the store (bathroom, payphone, or wi-fi) you will most likely be classified as a business invitee.  The duty owed to a business invitee is the highest duty owed to any entrant upon land.  The landowner, or business, is under an affirmative duty to protect a business invitee not only against known dangers, but also against those dangers which might be discovered with reasonable care.

Justice or Just Compensation

When you are injured due to no fault of your own, you just want to be made “whole” again.  Unfortunately, as advanced as medical science is today, sometimes injuries do not heal and people do not get better.  “Justice” for such individuals involves obtaining “just compensation”.  While money is an imperfect remedy, it is better than no remedy at all.  Some of the slip and fall settlements, verdicts and recoveries, providing full, fair and just compensation for our clients can be found here.

Contact an Allentown Slip and Fall Lawyer

First and foremost, we know that a personal injury claim is “personal”—how it has affected you, what permanent limitation you have to face; the struggles you now face. In selecting the best representation for your case, you want to make sure that your law team understands your pain and what you hope to accomplish through your claim. An Allentown slip and fall attorney at Drake, Hileman & Davis, have the knowledge and experience to handle your case. We also know that customer care and responsiveness is important to our clients. Click here to read some of the words from our clients about their experience with the team of attorneys at Drake, Hileman & Davis.

If you have been injured as a result of a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you should call the team of Allentown slip and fall accident lawyers at Drake, Hileman & Davis, for a free consultation. We can be reached at (610) 433-3910 or by completing the online form to the left of this page. Once we have spoken with you and learned the particular facts of your case, we would be happy to meet with you in the convenience of our Allentown Office or your own home. There is never any cost or fee unless we recover compensation for you.