It can happen to anyone in Lafayette. We run to the grocery store to pick up a few items and we slip on a grape, spilled soda, or a freshly mopped aisle and fall to the floor. It might ruin your mood, or your day, but it could also leave you with long-term injuries. Although such an incident might leave you feeling embarrassed, you should not let that deter you from fully considering the impact of what just happened.
After all, as was discussed on the blog a few weeks ago, a slip-and-fall accident can serve as the basis for a premises liability lawsuit. Businesses, by opening their doors to the public, owe their patrons a duty of care to keep their premises free from hazards and dangerous conditions. Once such conditions are identified, and they should be identified in a timely fashion, patrons must be warned and steps must be taken to remedy the hazard. When a store fails to adhere to any of these steps and compensable injuries result, then a lawsuit may be pursued.
However, as obtaining compensation is the ultimate goal of filing these lawsuits, defendants often aggressively challenge every aspect of a claim. Therefore, you need to be prepared to counter their claims with strong evidence and compelling testimony. At Tauzin & Lorio Attorneys at Law, we take pride in our ability to develop strong premises liability claims. We know common defenses and can oftentimes head them off before they become an issue.
We are also skilled at showing the court the full extent of our clients’ injuries, which is key to recovering an appropriate amount of money after liability has been imposed. Here, too, defense attorneys may challenge a victim’s position, but utilizing medical and employment records can help buttress one’s claim. However, if you don’t know how to follow the rules of evidence and trial procedure, you may find yourself being taken advantage of by competent defense attorneys. Therefore, to prevent your claim from falling flat, you may want to consider whether an attorney can be of use to you.
