Attorneys Representing Victims of Slip-and-Fall Accidents

Under Colorado law, property owners have a responsibility to keep their premises safe and warn visitors of potential hazards. If they fail to do so, and someone is injured on the property, the owner could be held liable and ordered to pay the victim damages for any resulting losses and expenses. Certain factors are weighed in determining whether a property owner is, indeed, liable for the injury, and the law can be difficult for the average person to decipher. Experienced premises liability attorney J. Todd Tenge helps Denver victims understand their legal rights and pursue compensation. Contact the Tenge Law Firm, LLC, at (303) 502-5587 today to schedule a consultation with our legal team.

VIDEO: WHAT IS PREMISES LIABILITY?

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents, the most common type of premises liability accident, can cause catastrophic physical injuries – for example, brain or spinal cord injuries. This is especially common among older adults. Falls are not only extremely prevalent among the elderly – the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control estimates that one out of every three adults over the age of 65 falls each year – but also a leading cause of death.

If you have been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s unsafe property, contact the Tenge Law Firm, LLC for more information about your legal rights and options.

Common Premises Liability Cases

Some of the most common issues that result in premises liability cases include:

  • Negligent security – Did you know that businesses can be held responsible if a victim is assaulted or attacked while on their property? If you or a loved one has been harmed because a business owner failed to adequately secure a place of business, you may have a valid premises liability case.
  • Stairway accidents – It is surprisingly common for the required stairway safety protocols to be ignored by building management. This can lead to potentially hazardous conditions resulting in devastating falls.
  • Amusement park accidents– Amusement park injuries come not only from unsafe and defective rides, but also from slip-and-fall accidents. Visitors to amusement parks, theme parks, street fairs, and other events often suffer serious injuries or wrongful death as a result of the negligence of others.
  • Swimming pool accidents – When someone drowns in a pool, the owner of the swimming pool is typically held liable for damages. Swimming pool accidents are not limited to drowning and can take a variety of different forms, including broken limbs, spinal injury, and traumatic brain injury.
  • Malfunctioning elevators and escalators – Businesses and building owners are responsible for ensuring the elevators and escalators on their property are adequately maintained and safe for public use. Improper maintenance and design defects are two causes of escalator and elevator failures that can lead to serious injuries and wrongful deaths.
  • Inadequate snow and ice removal – In Denver, the winters can not only be bitter in temperature but in temperament as well. Falls can occur when a homeowner, business manager, or landlord fails to remove snow and ice from walkways, sidewalks, stairways, and entryways.
  • Unsafely stacked merchandise in stores – If you have been injured in a store due to precariously placed merchandise, you have a right to pursue legal action.
  • Inadequate lighting – Business managers and property owners have a duty to perform inspections on a regular basis and repair or warn guests about any unsafe conditions, including inadequate lighting. If you have been hurt in a fall caused by inadequate lighting on someone else’s property, you may have a claim for compensation.
  • Defective handrails – If you suffered a fall due to a rusted, rotted, or improperly installed handrails, it is no more your fault than being struck by a negligent driver. In an ideal world, prevention measures like proper railing maintenance would be taken, but once a rail guard has been neglected, those responsible for it must be held accountable.

Determining Liability

To determine whether a property owner is responsible for an injury that occurred on his or her property, it’s important to identify the victim as an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser.

  • An invitee is someone who has been invited – either directly or indirectly – to the property; patrons of a restaurant, shop, or other place of business are classified as invitees. Property owners have a duty to exercise reasonable care to keep their premises safe and prevent invitees from injuring themselves on the property.
  • An individual who enters the property for his or her own benefit – for example, a houseguest – is classified as a licensee. Homeowners have a responsibility to warn licensees of potential and foreseeable dangers on the property.
  • A trespasser, on the other hand, enters the property without the owner’s consent. The property owner owes the smallest duty of care to trespassers who harm themselves on the property.