What to Do After a Slip and Fall on Ice at Your Apartment Complex

Winter weather can make paths we’ve traversed thousands of times suddenly severely dangerous, leaving us slipping, sliding, and—in more serious incidents—falling and sustaining an injury. Sometimes, we notice that our next step could land us in danger, but it’s not always our lucky day. This can happen anywhere, including shopping centers, malls, department stores, and more—you can even find yourself as a victim of an unexpected slip and fall at your own apartment complex. Accidents are one thing, of course, but in some cases, a third party’s negligence exposes you to an elevated risk of injury, causing you to suffer an injury for a preventable reason.

If you live in an apartment complex, your landlord is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe area for everyone who lives under their legal protection and those who pass through it. This includes fixing uneven walkways, repairing potholes, and removing icy surfaces from walkways and parking lots within a “reasonable” time period after knowing of the hazard. If that time frame passes, and someone sustains an injury when the property owner should have responded, the victim can hold the owner liable for the damage they sustained through a slip and fall lawsuit.

A slip and fall refers to an incident where you slip, trip, or suddenly lose balance as a result of a hazard on a property you don’t own, where the danger was the result of someone’s carelessness. In legal terms, it occurs when a property owner(s) violates their “duty of care,” and an injury occurs to an innocent party. To prove that a property owner was negligent leading up to your injury, however, is a complicated process. For one, there are multiple burdens of proof you’ll need to establish before you can hold the at-fault party accountable, and that’s not to mention the immense amount of legal paperwork and the probability of hurdles down the line. Having an injury to complement the legal proceedings only makes it that much more challenging, even in minor cases, so it’s always recommended to team up with an experienced slip and fall lawyer to help you navigate the process.

Before you start your search for a slip and fall lawyer, you should know that all law firms aren’t the same. You’ll need to do some due diligence and research before deciding between one lawyer or the next, especially if your fall on ice was significant. Not every firm can provide the same level of service, and they don’t come with the same price tag, either. The stress of selecting your slip and fall lawyer is something you don’t need after enduring an already taxing situation, so we’ve made it easy for you to see which law firm is the right law firm to represent you after a slip and fall accident at an apartment complex.

With over $20 billion recovered since 1988, offices from coast to coast, and the resources of a corporate giant for no up-front costs, Morgan and Morgan is uniquely capable of helping you reach the finish line after an accident that wasn’t your fault. We have 1,000+ trial-ready attorneys who are all masters of their craft with a proven track record to back up our claims. There’s no law firm that will fight for every penny you deserve like Morgan and Morgan. The best part? We’re only paid if we win your case, which motivates us to relentlessly advocate for the rights that protect you, even when the odds seem grim.

Don’t gamble with your representation after a slip and fall on ice. Fill out our free no-risk case evaluation to speak with a member of America’s largest personal injury firm’s team.

When Is a Property Owner Liable for an Injury?

Property owners and landlords have a legal responsibility to maintain safe premises for anyone who lives in their building(s) or traverses through the area. If they fail to do so, and someone sustains an injury on a hazard created by their negligence, the victim can seek to recover damages from the careless owner. Every slip and fall situation is different, with each having its own unique characteristics that affect the outcome, but the main element of every slip and fall is negligence by a third party. Here are a few situations that would qualify as property owner negligence:

• Not providing adequate lighting or failing to fix broken steps
• Failing to repair any dangerous conditions, such as hazardous wiring or poisonous fumes in an apartment building
• Not warning visitors about known hazards, including loose floorboards or hidden pitfalls on the property
• Not educating tenants or visitors about potential risks, such as leaving open containers of chemicals around children's play areas
• Neglecting to secure the property by failing to lock doors and windows or install security alarms

If your accident was preventable, you deserve compensation for the damage. Your medical expenses and other costs shouldn’t be your burdens to bear, and by teaming up with a slip and fall lawyer sooner rather than later, you can greatly increase your chances of successfully recovering the compensation that you need and deserve. Morgan and Morgan has a slip and fall lawyer that can help you advocate for what you deserve in every state, and you can afford our comprehensive representation for no out-of-pocket costs.

What Should I Do if I Slip and Fall on Ice at an Apartment Complex?

The most important thing after any accident, regardless of fault, is your health, so make sure to seek the care of a doctor as soon as you can. It’s not always possible under your own power, but if you can, focus on receiving a comprehensive medical evaluation and any necessary care.

The doctor overseeing your care should maintain detailed notes of all your injuries, noting the extent, severity, and possibility of future damage for each. Not only will this allow you to proactively prevent future pain, but it will also serve as a laundry list of damages to seek for recovery later in the legal process.

Next, you’ll need to start considering the legality of your accident. Ask yourself, “Did my apartment complex know of the ice when I fell?” and “Did they have enough time to respond?” to establish a baseline. If you suspect that your apartment complex should have remedied the icy surface before you were injured, it might be a good idea to speak with a slip and fall lawyer to dip deeper into the situation.

How to Prove a Property Owner Is Liable for Your Injuries?

Slip and fall cases aren’t easy to prove by any means. You’ll have to have evidence to support your claim, and you’ll also need the negotiation skills to advocate for the fullest extent of the compensation you deserve. Even some slip and fall lawyers have trouble doing this, but with Morgan and Morgan, you gain a powerful ally who’s well-versed in all aspects of premises liability law.

Here are the four steps of proving a property owner liable for your injuries.

1. Prove that the hazard existed on the property

This may sound unnecessary after sustaining a painful injury, but you’ll need to provide evidence that the hazard you fell victim to existed on the property. You can do this through photos, videos, and eyewitness testimony. However, every piece of evidence you bring must fully support your claim, and you should expect to face skepticism from the at-fault party.

2. Prove that the property owner knew the hazard existed

Winter weather can form hazards rapidly, and property owners might not notice that ice has formed on their property for some time. If you sustained an accident before they noticed, you might not have a legal claim, so you’ll have to show solid evidence that they knew of the hazard when you sustained your injury.

3. Prove the property owner had enough time to respond to the hazard

Once they’re aware of the hazard, the clock starts ticking. The property owner is legally responsible to fix the hazard within a “reasonable amount of time,” or they become liable for any damage. This time period varies from case to case, and it’s often one of the more difficult aspects to prove across all slip and fall cases. But, to reach a successful verdict,” you’ll have to prove this thoroughly, so make sure your slip and fall lawyer has experience in a situation like this.

4. Prove that your injuries were a direct result of the hazard

Once again, you may feel that this is an obvious step, but many victims have found themselves deep in legal disagreements about whether their injury occurred as a result of the accident or they stem from a previous condition. This is more common if you’ve suffered previous injuries, so make sure to bring medical evidence to support your claim.

Contact a Morgan and Morgan Slip and Fall Lawyer

In the most difficult moments of your life, Morgan and Morgan has your back. No one should have to suffer an injury because someone else was negligent, especially if it’s an apartment complex that should keep watch over its premises at all times. Everyone should feel safe at an apartment complex, whether in the winter or the summer, yet negligent property owners expose innocent people to unnecessary risk all over the country. If you believe that your slip and fall was the result of a negligent landlord failing to remedy the slippery surface, you should team up with a Morgan and Morgan slip and fall lawyer to give yourself the best chance of recovering the compensation you’re entitled to.

Their negligence isn’t your burden to bear. With us at your side, the at-fault party is forced to take you seriously, and there’s no negligent organization we’re afraid of. Don’t let them get away with recklessly exposing you to injury; complete our free, no-obligation case evaluation to take the first step in holding them accountable.