You’re at the supermarket when you slip and fall on a wet spot on the floor, breaking your hip. Or maybe you’re at a hotel when you trip over the loose carpet at the top of the stairs and fall to the bottom, suffering a traumatic brain injury.
You clearly believe that the property owner was negligent by not fixing that hazardous condition. They caused you to get hurt by doing nothing and putting you in harm’s way. However, when you mention it to them, they simply claim that they had no idea there was a dangerous condition. They say they can’t be held liable for fixing something that they didn’t know was a problem. What now?
How long did the condition exist?
They may have a point if the condition is very new and there was no way for them to discover it and fix it in time. In the store example noted above, perhaps another customer spilled something just a few minutes before. The store owner can’t be expected to know about everything.
That said, the length of time that the condition existed is crucial here. If it existed for long enough that the owner should have known about the hazard, then they can still be liable. There’s a big difference between a section of carpet coming loose and tripping someone later in the day and the owner not properly checking their property so that the carpet is loose for weeks or months on end. Failing to notice these types of hazards is still a type of negligence.
If you do think the property owner was negligent, then it’s time to start looking into your right to seek compensation for your medical bills and other costs. Nield Law Group, APC will fight for you to receive the amount that covers all the costs of your injuries and losses.
