Slip and Fall Attorney in Denver

Property owners owe visitors to their properties a duty to make a reasonable effort to maintain safe premises. If you or someone you love incurred a severe slip and fall injury on someone else’s property, call Dormer Harpring. You could have a slip and fall claim against the property owner.

Our Denver premises liability attorneys offer quality client services, including:

• Prompt responses to calls, texts, and emails
• Compassionate support and help accessing medical care and other accident-related needs
• Tailored solutions to fit each client’s legal needs

At Dormer Harpring, you are not just another case. You are a person, you are our client, and you deserve representation that is as unique as you. Call us today today to schedule your free consultation and discover more about our client-focused approach to representation.

How a Denver Slip and Fall Attorney Can Help

An experienced Denver slip and fall lawyer can explain your legal rights and options to you and help you choose your best legal route. While your lawyer builds your case, you can focus on your mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being.

At Dormer Harpring, our slip and fall attorneys help you return to your best possible life after your injury. We keep you up to date on your slip and fall case throughout the claims process. Our lawyers will also:

• Investigate your accident
• Speak with any witnesses
• Assess the value of your claim
• Identify and pursue all sources of compensation for your injury
• Represent you in settlement negotiations with the insurance company
• File your civil lawsuit
• Settle your claim
• Move forward towards litigation

Let our skilled slip and fall attorneys listen to your story, answer your questions, and work to get you the compensation you deserve. We never charge for a consultation and do not charge legal fees unless we win your case.

Proving Liability in a Slip and Fall Accident

Slip and fall claims are part of a larger area of Denver personal injury law called premises liability law. Colorado has particular premises liability laws regarding slip and falls. These laws are complicated and often require an experienced attorney’s help to navigate and understand their application.

The most challenging part of any slip and fall claim is proving fault for an accident. Proving fault in a slip and fall accident generally requires establishing one or more of the following:

• The party responsible for the property caused the dangerous conditions that led to the slip and fall and did nothing to repair them, block them off, or warn visitors about them
• The party responsible for the property was aware of the dangerous conditions and did nothing to correct them, block them off, or alert visitors about them
• The party responsible for the property should have been aware of the dangerous conditions because a reasonable person in the same situation would be aware of them – and could and should have repaired them, blocked them off, or warned visitors about them

Proving a slip and fall claim in Denver often involves establishing negligence. Negligence in a premises liability case means that a property owner did not act in the same way that a reasonable and prudent party would have in the same or similar circumstances, resulting in harm to others. An attorney can help you gather any available evidence of negligence to support your slip and fall accident claim.

Defenses to a Slip and Fall Claim

Just as you are given the opportunity to state your case and present evidence attempting to prove that a property owner is liable (financially responsible) for your slip and fall, the defendant has the chance to use defense strategies to avoid liability. Even when proving fault through one of the above scenarios, one of the following factors can complicate a claim for compensation:

• The injured person was acting carelessly on the property, contributing to the slip and fall accident
• The injured person was trespassing on the property where the slip and fall accident occurred
• A reasonable person in the same situation would have noticed the risk and avoided the fall

If the injured person contributed to their accident, they might still recover compensation. However, the injured person’s fault must be less than fifty percent. The injured person would receive the compensation award amount minus the percentage of fault that was their own. This is how Colorado’s comparative negligence law works; it provides a reduced financial recovery to claimants who contribute to slip and falls, as long as they have the minority share of fault.

What Is the Statute of Limitations on a Slip and Fall Case in Colorado?

Colorado has case filing deadlines, or statutes of limitations, that place a time limit on the right to file a lawsuit in civil court. Colorado usually provides two years from the date on which a slip and fall accident occurred for injured people to file a claim. After that time elapses, a slip and fall claim expires.

An exception may arise when a slip and fall accident causes fatal injuries. A deadly injury case, or wrongful death case, expires two years from the date of death, which may differ from the date of the slip and fall accident. A Denver wrongful death lawyer can help with statute of limitation issues.

Another possible exception is when the responsible party is a governmental entity. Cases involving government entities have shorter notice deadlines and a series of other strict requirements.

Common Slip and Fall Causes and Injuries

The most common premises liability case is a slip and fall claim. Several types of slip and fall accidents occur every day in parking lots, homes, retail stores, and government buildings. Reasons for slip and falls include:

• Snow, ice, and wet spots on sidewalks and in parking lots
• Loose flooring or carpeting
• Uneven sidewalks and walking surfaces
• Greasy, polished, or wet floors without signage
• Unnecessary debris and clutter in the pathways of pedestrians or shoppers
• Electrical cords on floors
• Poor lighting
• Missing or loose handrails on a stairwell
• Poorly maintained escalators and elevators
• Potholes and weather-related damage in the pavement

Injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents may include, but are not limited to:

• Head and brain injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries, fractured vertebrae, paralysis
• Broken bones and fractures
• Bruising and lacerations
• Scarring
• Wrongful death

Many slip and fall accidents cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. One of the most common examples is a hip fracture, which can have fatal complications for an elderly victim. If you or a loved one suffered any type of injury because of a preventable property defect in Denver, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

Who Is Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident in Denver?

Collecting financial damages for a slip and fall accident requires correctly identifying the liable party or parties. While it is often assumed that the owner of the property where the fall took place is responsible, this is not always true. A third party may share or absorb liability, such as an employer or public entity. Common defendants named in Denver slip and fall accident lawsuits are:

• A private property owner. If you slipped while lawfully on private property, the owner of the premises may have to pay for your medical bills using his or her homeowners insurance policy. This type of insurance pays for most visitor injuries that arise out of property defects due to the owner’s negligence.
• A lessee. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident while visiting a rented residence, the person listed on the lease (the lessee) may be responsible. Most renters have insurance that can help them pay for damages.
• A landlord. A landlord could be liable for a slip and fall accident on rented property if the fall took place in a common area, such as a building stairwell or parking lot. These areas are the landlord’s responsibility to maintain. If an issue with the inherent structure of the building contributed to the accident, this also falls under the responsibility of the landlord or property owner.
• A company or corporation. In a slip and fall accident that occurs on commercial property, such as at a store, hotel, Airbnb or workplace, the company may be found responsible. Most employers can be held vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees, such as a staff member who failed to mop up a spill.
• A government entity. A government entity, such as the City of Denver or State of Colorado, could be held responsible for a slip and fall accident that takes place on public property. This may include a public sidewalk, park, building or premises. A lawsuit against the government in Colorado comes with unique rules and statutes, so work with an attorney for assistance.

Initiating a claim after a slip and fall accident in Denver, Colorado requires identifying the at-fault party or parties. Working with a slip and fall accident lawyer from Dormer Harpring can give you the insights and information you need to determine the correct defendant(s). Then, your lawyer can help you build a strong case against the liable party or parties for optimal results.

Compensation for a Slip and Fall Claim

Compensation in a slip and fall claim should cover not only current medical expenses and accident-related care needs but also future costs. It is impossible to predict the exact amount of any settlement or slip and fall award; however, typical types of damages include the following:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Lost income
• Lost earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional trauma
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Wrongful death costs

To receive compensation for a slip and fall accident, it is imperative to seek medical treatment immediately following an accident and attend all recommended appointments. It is also essential to collect as much information at the accident scene as safety allows. Relevant evidence to gather at an accident scene may include:

• Photos of the scene
• Witness contact information
• Pictures of the hazardous area
• Pictures of any injuries
• Any accident reports

All of these items will help a slip and fall lawyer build a claim for damages. If you would like to learn more about slip and fall accident compensation or premises liability in the Denver area, contact the attorneys at Dormer Harpring. We help injured people get their lives back after an accident. There is never a charge for a consultation, and our fees are based only on the amount we recover.

Get Help from a Denver Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Our skilled attorneys are ready to help you. Call (303) 747-4404 or email us via the contact form on this page. From offices based in Denver, our attorneys provide exceptional representation to people throughout Denver County, Adams County, Boulder County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, and the State of Colorado.