Dawsonville
Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

A slip and fall can be embarrassing, painful, and even lead to unintentional injury or death. Slip and fall accidents are common in Dawsonville, and they can leave you with loss of work and the need for medical care. If you or someone you love has been a victim of slipping and falling on someone’s property, you may be able to recover money for expenses you’re facing related to the incident. To learn about your options, it’s best to consult with a Dawsonville slip and fall lawyer.

At John Foy & Associates, we’ve been working on Dawsonville personal injury cases like slips and falls for more than 20 years. Our aim is to help our clients reach the financial recovery they deserve for their pain and loss.

And working with us is risk free: we don’t get paid unless you get the money. For a FREE consultation with one of our experienced and compassionate attorneys, call 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right today.

What Kinds of Accidents Count As a Slip and Fall in Dawsonville?

There are a number of ways you could slip and fall. What matters is that owners of property are legally required to keep their location well maintained so accidents don’t occur. If they’re negligent (careless) in that regard, and that negligence leads to a slip and fall on their property, they can and should be held accountable for the consequences that occur.

If the properly owner knew (or should have known) about the hazard and you weren’t aware of that hazard when the slip and fall occurred, the owner may be held liable for your fall and you’d have the right to sue.

Examples of situations that can cause slips and falls on commercial property include:

• Spilled drink or water in a grocery store aisle that wasn’t cleaned up properly
• Unlit walkways
• Boxes or other merchandise falling off a high store shelf
• Building code violations

Slip and fall injuries can also happen at a public building or at work.  Examples of those situations include:

• Holes in the parking lot
• Falling ceilings
• Potholes
• Leakage in the bathroom
• Tubs overflowing in an apartment
• Old or unreliable staircases
• Assaults at apartment complexes

If the accident happened at your work, your case becomes a premises liability.

Providing liability in these situations can be difficult and complicated, which is why contacting a slip and fall lawyer is so important if you were hurt at all.

What If I Was Drunk When I Fell—do I Still Have a Claim?

Slipping and falling while under the influence is common at places where you’d usually drink, such as clubs, concert venues, etc. If you were intoxicated when the accident happened, it can possibly affect how much you can recover.

If you were 50 percent or more at fault, you’ll lose your claim. However, if you were less than 50 percent at fault, you can still have a valid claim and recover damages if the fall was caused by an obstacle on the venue that the owners didn’t address or take care of. You may just have to settle for a smaller amount.

How do I Prove a Slip and Fall Claim in Dawsonville?

Under Georgia law, properly owners have a legal duty to ensure their property is free of hazards that could lead to injury. To have a claim in a slip and fall case, you’d need to prove this duty was violated and that an unsafe property condition led to your injuries. The way you’d prove this in the local courts varies depending on the type of property where your fall happened.

Slip and fall hazards are particularly common in apartment buildings or condos. At apartment complexes, they can include items left in hallways, slippery walkways, poorly lit stairways or walkways, and uneven flooring or sidewalks. This is also the case for condos, but it’s a little more complicated.

Most condominium contracts say the homeowner is responsible for maintaining things in the condo unless the slip happens in the common area. That can then involve suing the homeowners’ association (HOA). To do that, you’d need to prove that:

• The HOA owed you a duty of care under contract
• They failed to fulfill their duty if they knew about the condition or need for the repair but didn’t do anything
• You injuries were caused by this breach of duty
• You were injured or suffered property damage as a result of the slip and fall accident

It’s also important to know that you have two years to file a slip and fall claim and four years to file a property damage claim in Georgia for a slip and fall accident. And the sooner you speak with a slip and fall lawyer, the better. Since, under Georgia law, the property owner isn’t liable if hazard was obvious but you walked into it anyway, insurance companies can try to avoid liability by claiming you failed to avoid the hazardous condition even though you could have.

So, before you give any statements to an insurance company, speak with an attorney who can advise you in the matter.

What Kinds of Injuries Are Most Common in Slip and Fall Cases?

Slip and fall property accidents can range from minor to severe injuries like:

• Broken bones
• Head trauma
• Back injuries
• Knee injuries
• Spinal cord damage

Medical treatment for slip and fall injuries can be costly and lengthy, especially if they involved hospitalization, rehabilitation, or high medical bills. Plus, there’s pain and loss of income for time missed at work. The key in this type of case is proving liability, and that can get very complicated, so working with an attorney can help.

Talk to a Dawsonville Slip and Fall Lawyer for Free

Slip and fall injuries aren’t something to take lightly. They can affect your quality of life and cause your health and/or income to suffer. That’s why, at John Foy & Associates, we’re here to help.

Our attorneys know the ins and outs of slip and fall cases—and how to get you results. And we’d love to give you a FREE consultation to discuss your case. Just call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right for your free consultation.