Local Wichita Slip and Fall Lawyer Near You

Slip and fall accidents can cause very serious injuries. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among Kansans age 65 and older. Unfortunately, slip and fall accidents are also the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for Kansans over the age of 65.

Even though slip and fall accidents are common, insurance companies will often try to pay you less than you deserve. They may even try to blame you for your slip and fall and deny your claim completely. And if your accident happened in a big box store, their corporate strategy is often to ignore you in the hopes that you will go away.

At Bretz Injury Law, our Wichita slip and fall lawyers have years of experience handling slip and fall claims. If you have been injured, know that we are here to help you move forward with your claim. Below you will find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about slip and fall accidents.

Can I Sue if I Slip and Fall?

To be able to sue for a slip and fall accident, you must prove liability, or in other words, legal responsibility. If a property owner, lessee or person who controlled a property knew, or should have known there was a dangerous or hazardous condition and did not correct it, they would be liable if it caused you to injure yourself. The same holds true if they caused a dangerous or hazardous condition and did not fix it.

Examples of dangerous or hazardous conditions include:

• Spills in grocery store aisles
• A construction site that is not adequately roped off
• Electrical cords running across a floor where customers walk
• Broken or uneven flooring
• Broken stairs
• Broken or missing stairwell railings

Here in Kansas, the person who controls a property is responsible for making sure that property is safe for anyone that enters it.

Can I Sue Someone if I Fall on Their Property?

It depends. Once you have established exactly who controls the property in question, you need to show that the individual or entity (the defendant), did not properly maintain their property, causing you to slip and fall, resulting in injuries.

Examples would include:

• A customer who slips and falls in a store due to loose carpeting.
• A tenant who slips and falls due to a broken or missing stairwell railing.
• A construction site that is not properly cordoned off, exposing passersby to dangers.

Is a Slip and Fall Case Hard to Prove?

They can be. Although anyone who controls a property is required to keep it safe, those who suffer a slip and fall accident are also expected to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

It is common for property owners and their insurance companies to argue that the injured person is completely or partially to blame for their slip and fall injuries. Among the most common arguments that defense attorneys will use are:

• The plaintiff was distracted. This can be anything from being on a cellphone to a child diverting their attention when they slipped and fell.
• The plaintiff entered an area that was off-limits to the public.
• If the plaintiff fell on a spilled liquid in a grocery store, the store owner might argue that the spill had just occurred and was not on the floor long enough for an employee to notice and clean it up.
• The plaintiff was wearing footwear that could cause a fall. Examples include high heels or flip flops.

All of these defenses have proven successful. That is why it is important for slip and fall victims to seek out witnesses to their accident and any video footage of the event. They should also call the experienced Wichita slip and fall lawyers at Bretz Injury Law for a free consultation. Proving a slip and fall accident was the property owner’s fault can be a difficult task. At Bretz Injury Law, we have been successfully handling slip and fall cases for over 30 years and know exactly what it takes to prove a property owner’s liability.

Contact us online or give our Wichita office a call at (316) 444-4423 to schedule your free case evaluation with a slip and fall accident attorney who puts your best interests first.

What to Do After a Slip and Fall

At Bretz Injury Law, our first priority is your safety and well-being. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, do not hesitate to seek medical attention. If you can, you should also:

• File a report with the store manager or property owner.
• Take photos of the area where you fell and anything that might have contributed to your fall. Examples include boxes blocking an aisle or lack of signage near a spill.
• See if anyone witnessed your fall. Request their names, phone numbers and addresses.
• Get the name and job title of any employee you speak to.
• If you are asked to fill out an accident report, do it. It is best to record all of the facts while they are still fresh in your head. Ask for a copy of it.
• Check to see if there are cameras. Most stores have them. Take photos of them. Your slip and fall attorney can request any footage for your case.
• Do not speak to any insurance company representatives or representatives of the property or business involved. And certainly, do not allow yourself to be recorded. There is no law that says you must allow an insurance adjuster to record you.
• Keep all medical records, receipts for expenses and the clothes and footwear you were wearing when you fell in a safe place. All of this is evidence for your slip and fall case.
• Keep details of your accident off of all social media platforms. Do not post anything about it on any social media account you may have. Even something that may seem trivial to you can harm your case.
• Call the experienced Wichita slip and fall lawyers at Bretz Injury Law right away.

Contact an Experienced Local Slip & Fall Attorney Today

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact Bretz Injury Law or call 316-531-9657 for a free case review right away. Our firm has over 30 years of experience successfully helping slip and fall victims get the right medical treatment and fair financial compensation, and we can do the same for you. And we stand by our promise: no recovery, no fee. Call now.