Before you speak to another slip and fal injury attorney in Virginia, take a moment to review this page.

All Serious Injuries : Slips, Trips & Falls

You're probably here because you, or someone you know, suffered an injury from a slip, trip, or fall. You may not be 100% sure you have a case and are curious about slip and fall laws in Virginia. That is where we come in. Below are some frequently asked questions with answers supplied by experienced injury lawyers in Virginia:

How can I establish that the owner of the property is liable for my slip and fall injury?

What should I do if I suffer a serious slip and fall injury at a store?

What should I do if I injured myself at my friend's house, condo, or apartment?

Additional slip and fall FAQs

Each slip, trip, or fall case posess unique challenges. You need to know that an injury stemming from a slip, trip, or fall basically has two parts - liability and damages.

Damages are the result of the bodily injury to the person who is hurt, such as a broken bone and the lost wages and medical expenses associated with any orthopedic surgery and permanent disability.
The liability side of the bodily injury case is showing that the defendant/property owner was at fault in causing the plaintiff's injury and that the plaintiff was free from fault.

Serious slip and fall injuries can arise at various types of businesses or property, such as
office buildings, malls, parking lots or garages,private homes, rental units, apartments, amusements parks,resorts, convenience stores, big box retailer, national chains, gas stations, elevators,strip centers, groceries, business parks, hospitals, banks, industrial sites, restaurants, government owned land, work places, or any location where you go as a customer or invited visitor.

Certain locations in a building are the most common places for a slip, trips, or fall accident to occur including entrance ways, parking lots, common areas, lobbies, sidewalks, stairs, decks, and bathrooms.

Common defense argument
Often, the defendant (i.e. property owner) will argue that the injured person (i.e. you or a loved one) contributed to causing their own injury. This argument is used even when the defendant is clearly liable.

What we set out to prove
We typically argue that the property owner, or an employee, was negligent in their duty to maintain their property and/or alert individuals of hazards such as holes,water on the floor, slippery substances like grease or soap, broken or not repaired walkways, stairs without hand rails, poorly maintained decks which lead to collapse, violations of (BOCA) building codes, no signs or warning of cleaning, malfunctioning equipment like elevators dropping suddenly, ice/snow not removed, missing mats or safety devices that should be used, failing to inspect property, electrical dangers, and poor lighting.

General tips to help your case
In the era of cell phone cameras, you should take pictures at the scene, or go and get the pictures of the condition if it still exists. Always complete an injury/incident report with a business or store if you ever have a slip, trip or fall caused by a condition at a business premises.

Proving that there was actually something that caused your fall is only the first step. We also need to have evidence of:

What it was
How it got there
How long it was there

The law applying to slip and trip cases usually requires that the business be "on notice" that there was a problem to correct-so, a condition that was on the floor for 5 minutes is often not a reasonable opportunity for a business as opposed to a longer timeframe, as just one example.

The best evidence in this situation is a party admission by some employee of the business establishment that the condition had been there for sufficient time for them to do something about it.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and. Check out our slip, trip, and fall case results. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia if you've been seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010, which is an honor fewer than 5 percent of lawyers receive. Also, attorneys with our firm have been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009.

In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. Our firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free, initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will return your call promptly.