A slip and fall accident can leave you with painful injuries, expensive medical bills, lost income, and lasting physical limitations. While some falls are unavoidable, many happen because property owners fail to fix dangerous conditions or warn visitors about known hazards. If your fall was caused by someone else's negligence, you may have the right to seek compensation under Utah premises liability law.
At Lance Bingham, we help injured people hold negligent property owners accountable. Whether your accident happened in a grocery store, apartment complex, restaurant, office building, or parking lot, our legal team is prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call (801) 383-2922 today for a free consultation.
Slip and fall cases are often more challenging than they appear. Insurance companies frequently argue that the hazard was obvious, the victim was careless, or the property owner had no opportunity to fix the dangerous condition.
Our firm understands how to build strong premises liability claims by thoroughly investigating the accident and gathering the evidence needed to prove negligence.
When you choose Lance Bingham, you benefit from:
Note: *Contingency fee arrangements are subject to the firm's representation agreement.
Slip and fall accidents can occur almost anywhere, from retail stores and restaurants to apartment buildings and public sidewalks. Many are preventable when property owners properly inspect and maintain their premises.
Some of the most common causes are:
Recently mopped floors, spilled liquids, leaking refrigeration units, or tracked-in rain and snow can create dangerous walking surfaces if they are not cleaned promptly or properly marked.
Salt Lake City's winters can create hazardous walkways, parking lots, and entrances. Property owners are generally expected to take reasonable steps to address snow and ice hazards within a reasonable time after becoming aware of them.
Cracked pavement, broken sidewalks, potholes, and uneven walking surfaces can easily cause pedestrians to trip and fall.
Loose steps, broken handrails, uneven stair heights, or missing safety features increase the risk of serious falls.
Inadequate lighting in stairwells, hallways, parking garages, and walkways may prevent visitors from seeing dangerous conditions.
Common hazards include:
Parking lots often contain dangers such as:
Liability depends on who owned, occupied, or controlled the property where the accident occurred. More than one party may be legally responsible.
Potentially liable parties include:
If a government agency owns or maintains the property, additional notice requirements and shorter deadlines may apply. Early legal guidance is especially important in these cases.
Simply falling on someone else's property does not automatically make the owner liable. To recover compensation, you generally must prove that the property owner failed to use reasonable care under the circumstances.
A successful claim typically requires establishing several elements.
Property owners generally owe lawful visitors a duty to maintain reasonably safe premises and to address or warn of dangerous conditions they knew or reasonably should have known about.
You must show that a hazardous condition was present, such as:
One of the most important issues in a slip and fall case is notice.
Your attorney may need to show that the property owner:
Evidence such as surveillance footage, maintenance logs, employee reports, and witness statements can be critical.
You must demonstrate that the dangerous condition directly caused your fall and resulting injuries. Medical records, accident reports, photographs, and expert testimony may all help establish causation.
Finally, you must prove that the accident resulted in measurable losses, such as:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are a leading cause of injury-related emergency department visits and are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults age 65 and older. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to serious complications after a fall, but people of any age can suffer significant injuries.
Common injuries include:
Some injuries may require surgery, extensive rehabilitation, or long-term medical care, making it important to seek medical attention immediately after a fall.
If another party's negligence caused your injuries, Utah law may allow you to recover compensation for both your financial losses and the personal impact the accident has had on your life.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to recover compensation for:
These are the measurable financial losses resulting from your injury, including:
These compensate you for losses that are more difficult to calculate, such as:
Every case is different. The value of your claim depends on factors such as the severity of your injuries, the length of your recovery, and how the accident has affected your daily life.
The steps you take after a fall can significantly affect both your health and your legal claim.
To protect yourself, consider taking the following steps:
Prompt action can help preserve important evidence that may otherwise disappear.
Several Utah laws may affect your ability to recover compensation after a slip and fall accident.
Utah follows a modified comparative fault system under Utah Code § 78B-5-818.
If you are partially responsible for your fall, your compensation is generally reduced by your percentage of fault. However, if you are found to be 50% or more at fault, you generally cannot recover damages from another at-fault party.
Insurance companies frequently argue that injured victims were distracted or failed to watch where they were walking. An attorney can help challenge unsupported allegations of comparative fault.
Under Utah Code § 78B-2-307, you generally have four years from the date of a slip and fall accident to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Although four years may seem like plenty of time, waiting can make it harder to preserve surveillance footage, maintenance records, and witness testimony. Consulting an attorney early gives you the best opportunity to protect critical evidence.
If your accident occurred on property owned or maintained by a government entity, additional requirements apply under the Utah Governmental Immunity Act. In many cases, a notice of claim must be filed before a lawsuit may proceed, and shorter deadlines may apply than in claims against private property owners.
Because these cases involve unique procedural rules, speaking with an attorney as soon as possible is important.
A serious slip and fall accident can leave you facing painful injuries, mounting medical bills, and uncertainty about the future. You should not have to bear those burdens if a negligent property owner failed to maintain a safe environment.
The experienced legal team at Lance Bingham is ready to investigate your case, explain your rights, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Call (801) 383-2922 today for a free consultation with a Salt Lake City slip and fall lawyer.
Dustin specializes in serious accident and injury cases in Utah and Idaho, practicing in State and Federal Courts. He's recognized as "Utah's Legal Elite," a "Mountain States Rising Star," and a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100. He holds an Avvo Superb Rating and is actively involved in legal associations, serving as a judge pro tempore for the Utah Supreme Court. A Utah native, Dustin earned his degrees from the University of Utah. He lives in Farmington with his wife and three children, enjoying family time, flying, and various outdoor activities.
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