It’s important to note that not all slip-and-fall incidents and injuries call for a lawsuit. The law does not protect carelessness in individuals. If you trip over an exposed pipe in a building, ask yourself if a reasonable person would expect that pipe to be there. Accidents on wet floors pose similar questions: Were there warning signs? Would a reasonable person exact caution when walking on the floor? Did or should the owner, manager, or employee of the location know the situation was dangerous?
Much of this is based on common sense and reason, which are very hard to quantify. There are a few ways to help determine “reasonableness,” including:
- For how long was the situation dangerous?
- Was their sufficient time to correct the problem?
- Does the object that caused the accident have a legitimate reason for being there?
An experienced injury attorney will be able to examine all the facts of the case to determine if a lawsuit is warranted.
Emery Brett Ledger brings more than 27 years of experience to personal injury law. He founded & led The Ledger Law Firm in securing over $100 million in compensation for clients with life-altering injuries & complex claims. Licensed in California, Texas, & Washington, Emery earned his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. His practice areas include car & truck accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, maritime claims, & mass tort litigation. He has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100, Mass Tort Trial Lawyers Top 25, and America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys. Emery also received the 2025 Elite Lawyer Award & holds a perfect 10.0 Avvo rating with Platinum Client Champion status. His legal work has been featured on CNN, Forbes, NBC, & ABC.
