New Jersey – Bergen County Slip and Fall Lawyers

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact a New Jersey slip and fall attorney at The Morano Law Firm. We have been helping slip and fall victims throughout Northern New Jersey for years from our Paramus Office in Bergen County.

A slip and fall injuries happen when someone falls to the ground and is hurt because of a dangerous condition on another person’s property. Slip and falls come under the area of law called “personal injury.” Personal injury law deals with the harm that people suffer due to the carelessness of another party. These types of accidents can be caused directly by a victim’s interaction with the dangerous condition or indirectly. An example of a direct cause of a slip and fall accident is a liquid that is spilled on a floor that causes someone to lose his or her balance and be hurt. Maybe someone’s sidewalk or front steps is poorly maintained and breaks upon stepping on it. In stores, our attention is drawn to merchandise on the shelves so our attention isn’t always on the floor where we are walking. Other examples of direct causes include some substance or material that affects a person’s ability to walk safely. Examples include snow, ice, poorly maintained floors, cracked or uneven sidewalks, or objects left in a walkway, like a child’s toy.

An indirect cause of a slip and fall is a condition in the environment that plays a factor in someone slipping and falling. Examples of indirect causes include poorly lit walkways, broken stairs or a carpet that has a bump or missing piece. If you need to consult a slip and fall attorney, contact The Morano Law Firm. Our office is conveniently located on Route North 17 in Paramus – call 1-888-NJ-LAW-17 or 201-598-5019 today!

Are You in Need of a Professional Slip and Fall Attorney?

We know how devastating an accident can be and understand that a slip and fall injury can lead to lasting pain, medical needs, and financial hardships. Our lawyers and staff are passionate about helping victims recover from accidents as quickly as possible. If you don’t have health insurance, who is going to pay for your medical bills? Don’t go bankrupt over a broken arm or leg – be sure you are taken care of.

We know that an accident can happen when we least expect it. That’s why we offer a free consultation to you at any time, night or day. If you need to speak to a slip and fall attorney in Northern New Jersey or Bergen County, or you need to find legal representation in another part of New Jersey, but aren’t able to make it to our offices, we will come to your home, work, or hospital room. Once we take your case, our firm uses its deep resources and relationships with skilled investigators and evidence experts to put together the most comprehensive, compelling case for compensation. Whether through settlement discussions or litigation, our team will dedicate all necessary resources and time to your cause. Our caring and diligent approach has allowed our firm to amass an impressive settlements for our clients.

What Are Slip and Fall Accidents?

Slip and fall accident cases can be difficult to prove because it can be hard to show who was liable for the injury. Most slip and fall cases turn on whether someone acted negligently. To prove negligence on the part of the property owner, your attorney must show that the accident was caused by a dangerous condition on the property and that the property owner knew or should have known about the condition. A dangerous condition can be defined as an unreasonable risk to the visitors that they should not have foreseen. A skilled lawyer will know how to review the evidence for these elements and put together the strongest possible case for compensation.

Slip and fall accidents can happen in many different places. The three most common places are on commercial property, residential property, and government property.

Commercial Property: A property owner, business owner, or employee of a business may be responsible for a slip and fall accident when one of these conditions is met:

• They created the dangerous condition that caused the victim to slip and fall.
• They knew about the dangerous condition but didn’t do anything to fix the problem.
• They should have known about the dangerous condition and had it fixed, because a reasonable person would have found out about the dangerous condition and repaired it before someone could get hurt.

Residential Property: Sometimes a property owner or landlord has to compensate a tenant or visitor to the property when someone is hurt in an accident. For this to happen, the following conditions must be met.

• The property owner or landlord knew or should have known about the dangerous condition.
• The property owner or landlord could have repaired the condition
• It was foreseeable that a serious accident would happen if the condition wasn’t repaired.
• Because the property owner or landlord didn’t fix the condition, the victim slipped and fell.

Government Property:

• Slip and fall accidents that happen on property owned by the government raise separate issues that a knowledgeable attorney will be able to address. Some of these issues include statutory laws, complicated rules on filing a claim, and what qualifies as a branch of government or affiliated organization.
• Any time you are even considering suing a government official (mayor, police officer, school superintendent, etc.) or government body (town, police department, school, etc.) you have 90 days to put them on notice in what is called a Tort Claims Notice. It is a simple form letter that must be sent, but, if you fail to send it your case is dead right there. Even if the statue of limitations is 2, 6 or even 20 years on your cause of action without a Tort Claims Notice your case is over before it starts.

Common Slip and Fall Injuries

Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and at any time. Basically any factor that causes someone to lose his or her footing and fall down can be a dangerous, sometimes deadly, condition. The following is a partial list of where slip and fall accidents can happen.

• In homes and businesses
• Indoors and outside
• On mechanical transporters like elevators and escalators
• On walkways and sidewalks
• On concrete, carpet, tile, and linoleum
• During bad weather when rain, sleet or snow make surfaces slippery
• When other conditions make it dangerous to walk, for example when walkways don’t have proper light, concealing a dangerous condition

When the conditions are ripe for a slip and fall accident and someone gets hurt, a range of serious injuries can occur, like:

• Sprained ligaments
• Strained muscles or tendons
• Broken bones
• Paralysis
• Head and brain injuries
• Other soft tissue injuries
• Bulging discs and pinched nerves
• Loss of life

Slip and Fall Cases

Each year, thousands of people are hurt in slip and falls across New Jersey. It can be difficult for these accident victims to determine who is responsible for the accident. Sometimes, those who are hurt are totally or partially responsible for the accident. Other times, the property owner or its employees are solely responsible. This is because the property owner has the duty to keep the property reasonably clear of dangers that could injure visitors. A skilled attorney will see many different types of cases and can accurately assess responsibility in your slip and fall lawsuit. One key indicator of fault is whether the property owner took proper steps to keep the property safe.

• A landowner has to take sensible steps to make their land safe for visitors. This is weighed against the injured victim’s behavior. Did the injured person do something that, in whole or in part, caused the accident? If your case goes to trial, your attorney will have to demonstrate that the business or residential property owner knew or should have known about the existence of the dangerous condition and didn’t remove the risk, thus causing you to be hurt.
• An example of a slip and fall case is when a liquid, like milk or juice, is spilled on a grocery store floor and a customer who is shopping at the store slips and is hurt. Key questions about this type of accident are:

o Why was the floor wet?

o Was the slickness of the floor reasonable or not?

o How long had the liquid been left on the floor?

o Did the shop know about the spill? Did anyone attempt to clean it up or place signs warning customers about the spill?

When your lawyer successfully handles your case, you will be awarded “damages.” This is a financial award that is intended to measure the accident’s impact on your life. Damages in slip and fall cases vary depending on the seriousness of your injuries and include the accident’s actual financial impact as well as its non-financial effects.

Types of damages include:

1. Compensatory Damages:

• Medical costs. This award can cover both past and future expenses like hospital visits, screenings and examinations, epidural injections, rehabilitation and physical therapy, and prescription medications.
• Lost wages and earning capacity. You may be able to recover money that you lost out on because the accident caused you to miss work. Additionally, if the accident was so serious that you can’t return to your job or you have to change careers, you may be compensated.
• Pain and suffering. Damages can be given for the physical pain and mental impact of the accident on you life.

2. Punitive Damages:

• The injury, loss, or harm suffered resulted from the defendant’s acts (or failure to act)
• Either the defendant’s conduct was malicious or the defendant acted in wanton and willful disregard of the plaintiff’s rights. Sometimes a defendant’s behavior is so grossly outrageous a court will award damages to punish the behavior and keep other people from doing the same thing in the future.

Slip and Fall Settlements

Many times, a slip and fall case won’t go to trial because the property owner will want to settle the case earlier. This is especially true when you have an experienced slip and fall attorney on your side. There are steps that you can take right after the accident that will help your lawyer put together the most compelling case for compensation.

• Note whether the accident happened at someone’s residence or at a business.
• Write down the details of the accident. What caused the accident? Poor lighting? A wet floor? Bad weather conditions? An object placed on the floor that didn’t belong there?
• Take photos of where the accident happened and try to capture images of what you think caused the accident to happen. It is important to document the cause of the accident before the property owner has a chance to fix it.
• Inform the property owner of the accident. If you were hurt at a business, ask the owner or manager to write up an accident report and ask for a copy of this report. Make sure to share this report with your attorney.
• Set aside the clothes you were wearing, including your shoes, so that the other side can’t place blame on these items. For instance, they could say that the soles of your shoes lacked proper tread to grip the floor.
• Write down contact information of any witnesses as well as their impressions of the accident.
• Get medical attention and keep records of all doctor’s visits.
• Take photos of your injuries.

How to Contact a Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer if You Have Been Injured

If you need to speak with an attorney, The Morano Law Firm is ready to help. We have conveniently located on Route 17 in Paramus – Simply call 1-888-NJ-LAW-17 today! Our team acts quickly to collect important evidence before it is lost and we create a plan to maximize the compensation you are owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a slip and fall accident, call today to set up a free case review and allow our team to represent your best interests.