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Slip and fall accidents happen every day in Mobile. These accidents can cause serious injuries and leave victims with medical bills and lost wages.
You may feel confused about what to do after a slip and fall accident. The pain, medical appointments, and missed work can make it hard to know where to turn.
At Krebs Personal Injury Lawyers, we help people who have been hurt in slip and fall accidents. This article explains what these accidents are and what steps you can take if you've been injured.
A slip and fall accident happens when someone trips, slips, or falls on someone else's property. In Mobile, these accidents fall under premises liability law, which means property owners must keep their property safe for visitors. Common places for slip and falls include stores, restaurants, sidewalks, and parking lots.
Alabama law requires property owners to take reasonable care of their property. When they don't fix dangerous conditions like wet floors, broken stairs, or poor lighting, they may be responsible for injuries. The law calls this negligence, and it forms the basis for most slip and fall claims in Mobile.
Slip and fall accidents often cause serious injuries like broken bones, head trauma, back injuries, and sprains. These injuries can lead to high medical bills, lost wages from missing work, and ongoing physical therapy costs that put financial strain on victims and their families.
Alabama follows a strict contributory negligence rule that makes getting compensation more challenging. This rule means if you are found even 1% at fault for your accident, you might not receive any compensation at all. Property owners and insurance companies often try to shift blame to the injured person, claiming they weren't paying attention or were wearing inappropriate footwear.
Your health comes first after a fall, so getting checked by a doctor is important. Some injuries like concussions or internal bruising might not show symptoms right away. Medical records also create an official timeline connecting your injuries to the accident.
Report the Incident to Property Management
Tell a manager, owner, or supervisor about your fall as soon as you can. Ask them to create a written incident report and get a copy for your records. This report establishes when and where the accident happened.
Document the Hazard and Scene
Take pictures of what caused your fall, like a wet floor, uneven pavement, or poor lighting. Capture the surrounding area, any warning signs (or lack of them), and your injuries. These photos may be the only evidence of the dangerous condition if it gets fixed later.
Gather Witness Contact Information
People who saw your fall can provide valuable accounts of what happened. Write down their names, phone numbers, and what they observed about the accident. Witness statements help confirm details about how long the hazard existed.
Contact a Local Slip and Fall Attorney
A lawyer familiar with Mobile premises liability cases can evaluate your situation and explain your options. Alabama's contributory negligence rules make these cases complicated, and timing matters. An attorney helps protect your interests when dealing with property owners and insurance companies. Nearby residents could also consult a Greene County Slip and Fall Lawyer for injuries that happen outside the Mobile area.
Preserve Evidence
Keep the shoes and clothes you wore during the accident without washing them. Save all medical bills, prescriptions, and records of expenses related to your injury. This evidence helps show the financial impact of your accident.
Limit Communications About Your Case
Property owners and managers in Alabama have a legal duty to keep their premises safe for visitors and customers. This responsibility includes fixing dangerous conditions like wet floors, uneven walkways, poor lighting, or loose handrails that might cause someone to slip and fall.
Alabama follows a strict rule called "contributory negligence" that can make it hard to win slip and fall cases. If you had any part in causing your own accident—even just 1%—you might not get any money for your injuries. Property owners often try to blame victims by saying they weren't paying attention, were wearing improper shoes, or ignored warning signs to avoid paying for injuries.
After a slip and fall accident in Mobile, you can ask for money to cover your losses. These losses fall into two main groups: economic damages (things you can put a dollar amount on) and non-economic damages (things that affect your life but don't have a clear price tag). Both types help make up for what you've lost because of your accident.
Medical Expenses: This covers doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, and medications. It also includes future medical care you might need for ongoing injuries.
Lost Wages: This pays you back for the money you couldn't earn while recovering from your injuries. It also covers any drop in what you can earn in the future if your injuries affect your ability to work.
Pain and Suffering: This money helps make up for the physical pain and discomfort you feel because of your injuries. The more severe or long-lasting your pain, the more you might receive.
Emotional Distress: This covers the mental and emotional effects of your accident, like anxiety, fear, sleep problems, or depression. Falling in public can cause embarrassment and lasting psychological effects.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life: This pays you for activities, hobbies, or daily routines you can no longer do or enjoy because of your injuries. For example, if you can't play with your children or take part in sports you once loved.
Property Damage: This covers repair or replacement costs for items damaged in your fall, like broken glasses, torn clothing, damaged electronics, or other personal belongings.
Disfigurement or Scarring: This compensates for permanent changes to your appearance caused by your injuries. Visible scars or other changes might affect your self-image and how others see you.
Insurance companies often try to pay as little as possible for slip and fall claims in Mobile. A lawyer talks to these companies for you and knows how to handle Alabama's strict contributory negligence rule. They can show that the property owner was completely at fault, which helps you avoid losing your right to compensation.
Investigating the Hazard The lawyer looks for evidence about how long the dangerous condition existed and whether the property owner knew about it. They collect maintenance records, security camera footage, and witness statements that prove the owner failed to fix the problem.
Coordinating Expert Witnesses Experts like safety professionals or engineers can explain how the property owner broke safety rules. These specialists help show that even if a hazard seems obvious, the property design or maintenance made the accident more likely to happen.
Negotiating a Fair Settlement Attorneys understand how to value your claim based on your specific injuries and Alabama law. They counter lowball offers with evidence of your medical costs, lost income, and pain, often securing better settlements than people get on their own.
Preparing for Trial if Necessary If the insurance company refuses a fair offer, your lawyer builds a strong court case. They present evidence clearly to judges and juries who may not understand premises liability laws.
Handling Legal Deadlines Alabama has a two-year time limit for filing slip and fall lawsuits. A lawyer makes sure all paperwork is filed correctly and on time so you don't lose your right to seek compensation.
Most slip and fall cases in Mobile do settle before going to trial. Property owners and their insurance companies often prefer to avoid the time and expense of court proceedings. These settlements happen after both sides exchange evidence and negotiate, sometimes with the help of a mediator who helps find middle ground.
In Alabama, you have two years from the date of your slip and fall accident to file a lawsuit. This time limit, called the statute of limitations, is very strict, and filing even one day late can result in your case being dismissed. The clock starts ticking on the day you fell, not when you discovered your injuries were serious.
Alabama follows a strict "contributory negligence" rule that can make recovery difficult if you were partly at fault. Under this rule, if you contributed to your accident in any way—even just 1%—you might be unable to receive compensation. This differs from many other states that allow partial recovery even when the injured person shares some blame.
Photos of the hazard that caused your fall are among the most powerful evidence in these cases. Videos from security cameras, witness statements, and incident reports also help prove what happened. Medical records that connect your injuries directly to the fall are essential, as they show the accident caused your harm rather than a pre-existing condition.
The value of slip and fall cases varies widely depending on your specific injuries and circumstances. Cases involving serious injuries like broken hips or traumatic brain injuries typically result in higher compensation than those with minor sprains. Your medical bills, lost wages, pain level, and how the injury affects your daily life all factor into the case value.
Claims against the City of Mobile have special rules and shorter deadlines. You may need to file a notice of claim with the city within six months of your accident, which is much sooner than the standard two-year limit. Government entities also have certain immunities that can make these cases more complex than those against private businesses.
The team at Krebs Personal Injury Lawyers understands how a slip and fall accident can turn your life upside down. We help people in Mobile who have been hurt on someone else's property by explaining their rights and walking them through the legal process.
Our lawyers offer a free consultation to talk about your slip and fall case with no obligation. We represent clients throughout Alabama, including Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery, and other communities across the state.
You can schedule your free case review today by calling our office or filling out our online form. Contact us to speak with a Mobile slip and fall lawyer who can answer your questions about your accident.
J.R. is dedicated to providing personalized representation, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. He tailors his strategy to the unique challenges and needs of each client and case, ensuring focused and individualized attention.
His practice mainly covers Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, including car and 18-wheeler accidents, slips and falls, dog bites, defective products, and wrongful death. He also handles commercial disputes on contingency, with experience in contracts, construction, and probate. For any dispute headed toward litigation, J.R. develops an aggressive strategy to maximize your recovery through negotiation, arbitration, or trial.
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