Mississippi Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys

Jackson Area Slip and Fall Lawyers–Serving Mississippi Over 75 Years

Many people who slip and fall on a wet floor in a large grocery store or trip and fall on merchandise that has fallen from shelves suffer severe injuries including broken bones, head trauma or other debilitating injuries.  There are many misconceptions about slip and fall accidents.  Some believe that you automatically have a right to financial compensation if they are injured on the property of another.  There are others who assume that most slip and fall and trip and fall accidents result in only minor injuries with the greatest damage being inflicted on the egos of those who are injured.

Clarifying Misconceptions about Mississippi Slip and Fall Accidents

Both of these views are inaccurate.  Property owners in Mississippi do have a general duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition and to take appropriate precautions to remove hazards on their property that may cause injury to others.  Despite this duty owed to those that come on a landowner’s property in Mississippi, there are many factors that can impact the precise nature of a landowner’s duty of care including:

• • Whether the property is commercial, residential or public
  • The purpose of the guest presence on the premises
  • The existence of an implicit or explicit invitation
  • Length of time the hazard was presence
  • The precise nature of the hazard
  • Lighting and other environmental factors in the vicinity of the accident
  • Steps taken by the property owner to mitigate or warn of the risk
  • Open and obvious nature of the hazard
  • Availability of insurance to insure against the hazard

These are just some of the considerations that must be evaluated when assessing whether someone injured on another’s property has a viable claim for damages.  Our experienced Mississippi slip and fall accident attorneys understand the factors that must be considered when determining liability for a slip and fall accident.  Contrary to the notion that slip and fall accidents are minor incidents, we recognize that slip and falls are serious accidents that can cause devastating injuries.  Accidents involving seniors that fall are the leading cause of accidental fatalities involving the elderly.  There are in excess of four hundred thousand people per year that suffer severe enough injuries in slip and fall accidents that they must be hospitalized, and seventeen thousand people die in fatal slip and fall accidents based on data from the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mississippi Slip and Fall Cases: The Special Case of Invitees

When you are injured while visiting a business held open to the public in Mississippi as a customer, product supplier, contractor, or other entity with whom you share a business relationship, you are owed the highest duty imposed on the owner of premises under Mississippi law.  Someone who is visiting a property owner for mutual beneficial purposes, such as conducting business transactions, are classified as business invitees and are generally owed a duty to make premises safe from hazards.  Our experienced Mississippi slip and fall accident attorneys represent clients in slip and fall and trip and fall cases of all types:

• • Slipping on spilled beverages in eating establishments and bars
  • Contractors conducting repairs in a residence or business
  • Shoppers who slip on debris on a grocery store floor
  • Falls on uneven flooring at a meeting of civil service organizations
  • Shoppers at a grocery store
  • Falls on broken steps in city hall or the courthouse

If you are involved in a serious slip and fall accident, it is important to seek prompt legal representation.  There are critical deadlines that must be met to preserve your right to pursue a slip and fall claim.  Slip and fall cases also are extremely fact intensive so it is important that these claims be investigated before critical evidence disappears or witnesses memories become fuzzy.  Our extensive Mississippi slip and fall accident attorneys conduct meticulous investigations of evidence including the following:

• • Quality of lighting
  • Records of inspections by public entities
  • Observations of witnesses
  • Security camera footage
  • The time elapsed during which a hazard was present
  • Measures taken by the property owner to create a protective barrier or limit access to the hazard
  • Public and business records regarding prior accident reports

While this is not a comprehensive itemization of all of the facts that we investigate, our Mississippi slip and fall accident lawyers carefully analyze our clients accident claims so that we can strive for the best possible outcome for our clients.  If you or your loved one has been the victim of a slip and fall accident in Mississippi, we are committed to providing effective legal representation and zealous advocacy to personal injury victims for over 75 years.   Our dedicated Mississippi slip and fall accident lawyers at Barrett Law, PLLC offer compassionate representation and zealous advocacy so contact us immediately at (601) 790-1505 to learn how we can help.