Property owners are legally obligated to ensure that their premises are safe, and when they fail to do so and someone is injured, they should be held accountable. With the help of a St. Mary’s County slip and fall lawyer, you may be able to do so. Contact The Dorsey Law Firm to schedule your free initial consultation with our firm so we can get started on your claim.
Do I Need a St. Mary’s County Slip and Fall lawyer?
If you were injured on someone else’s property as a result of their negligence, you should hire a knowledgeable Leonardtown personal injury lawyer who has the knowledge and skill needed to effectively prove negligence on your behalf. Our attorneys have assisted accident victims in St. Mary’s County for years, and they are ready to fight for your right to heal as well.
Our Legal Services
The Dorsey Law Firm handles a wide array of slip and fall accident claims, including the following:
- Sidewalk Accidents: Most of us do not imagine a scenario where we sustain a serious injury while simply walking down the sidewalk and on the way to our destination, however, this is something that happens quite frequently, and it is often the fault of a negligent property owner. If you were injured due to a negligent sidewalk owner, our St. Mary’s County slip and fall lawyer is here to help.
- Supermarket Accidents: Though walking through the supermarket is something most people do their entire lives without incident, there are still many unlucky people who sustain very serious, albeit otherwise preventable, injuries as a result of negligent supermarket ownership or staff. If you are one, give us a call.
- Parking Lot Accidents: Despite the fact that thousands of people throughout St. Mary’s County use parking lots every single day, they still pose a significant risk, especially when the grounds are insufficiently maintained. If you were injured because of a parking lot owner’s negligence, you can depend on us to fight for the compensation you need.
- Stairway Accidents: Stairway accidents generally happen when a landlord, super, or another type of building owner fails to ensure that the building’s stairwell is safe for public use. As with all other building conditions, stairwells require regular maintenance and inspection, and when this is ignored, stairwells can become very unsafe for all who use them.
- Marina Accidents: Marinas are generally considered places of leisure and enjoyment, though if you were recently injured at one due to no fault of your own, you should strongly consider hiring aggressive legal representation who will act as your advocate.
How to Prove a Premises Liability Claim
Proving a premises liability claim is not always easy, and to do so, you must check several boxes. To start, you will have to prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the safety hazard present. You must then come up with evidence to prove that the property owner failed to fix the unsafe property condition, and that you were injured and incurred significant financial damages as a direct result of that property owner’s negligence.
After sustaining an injury on someone’s property, you should take the following steps to bolster your chances of winning a premises liability claim:
- Call the police and notify the property owner of your injury. If you were injured in a store, such as a supermarket, the store owner should write up a store incident report.
- Ask any witnesses of your accident for their contact information and a written/recorded statement regarding the circumstances of your injury.
- Take pictures of the unsafe property condition that caused your accident.
- Receive immediate medical treatment and ask your doctor for all documentation concerning your injury.
- Hire a knowledgeable St. Mary’s County slip and fall lawyer who can begin the claims process on your behalf.
Recovering Compensation
Upon winning a premises liability claim, you should recover financial compensation to help cover both the economic and non-economic damages you’ve sustained as a result of your accident. Examples of economic damages are as follows:
- The cost of surgeries or other medical treatments
- The cost of overnight stays at a hospital
- The cost of rehabilitation
- Lost past and future wages
On the other hand, you may also recover compensation for non-economic damages, which deal with the non-monetary impact an injury had on your life. Some examples of non-economic damages are as follows:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- The loss of enjoyment of life
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations for premises liability claims in St. Mary’s County is typically three years, giving the wrongly injured two years from the date of their accident to pursue compensation from the negligent property owner who caused their accident.
In other cases, you may have as little as one year from the date of your accident to file a Notice of Claim–this is true if you were injured on property owned by a municipality or the government. A general rule of thumb is that it is always best to reach out to our firm as soon as possible to ensure you do not miss this deadline.
Contact a St. Mary’s County Slip and Fall Lawyer
After sustaining an injury on someone else’s property due to no fault of your own, the most important thing you can do, outside of seeking immediate medical treatment, is retaining the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer. Contact The Dorsey Law Firm today to schedule your free initial consultation with our firm.
