A fall that lasts only a second can leave you with injuries that last for years, and a Philadelphia slip and fall lawyer at Wapner Newman can help you hold a careless property owner accountable.
Slip and fall injuries are frequently dismissed as clumsy accidents, when in truth they often trace back to a wet floor, an icy walkway, or a hazard the owner ignored. We have represented injured people across Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1978, and we take these cases as seriously as the injuries they cause.
You were simply going about your day when an unsafe condition brought you down. Call us at 800-529-6600 for a free consultation, and let us look at what happened.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
What Is a Slip and Fall Claim?
A slip and fall claim is a type of premises liability case that seeks compensation when a dangerous condition on someone else’s property causes a fall and an injury. Property owners in Pennsylvania have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe and to fix or warn about hazards they know about, or reasonably should have found. When they fail in that duty and you are hurt, the law allows you to seek recovery for your losses.
These claims sit within the broader area of premises liability, which covers many kinds of property hazards. What makes slip and fall cases their own focus is how commonly they happen and how hard insurers fight them.
The central question in almost every slip and fall case is whether the owner should have addressed the hazard before you encountered it. That is where these cases are won or lost.
What Causes Most Slip and Fall Accidents?
Most slip and fall accidents are caused by hazards that a reasonably careful property owner could have found and fixed in time. These are rarely freak events. They usually come from a lapse in the routine care an owner is expected to provide.
Hazards that lead to the falls we handle include:
- Wet or freshly mopped floors without warning signs, common in stores, restaurants, and lobbies.
- Ice and snow left on sidewalks, entryways, and parking lots after a Philadelphia winter storm.
- Uneven surfaces, such as cracked sidewalks, potholes, and broken pavement.
- Torn carpeting, loose mats, and damaged flooring that catch a foot.
- Poor lighting in stairwells, garages, and hallways that hides a hazard.
- Cluttered walkways and loose cords that block a clear path.
Any of these can cause a fall serious enough to change your life. If a preventable hazard brought you down, we can help you find out who was responsible.
What Injuries Do Slip and Falls Cause?
Slip and fall accidents cause injuries that range from painful to permanently disabling, and older adults are especially at risk. A fall onto a hard surface can do far more damage than people expect, and some of the worst injuries are not obvious right away. That is one reason prompt medical care matters both for your health and for your claim.
Injuries we see in these cases include:
- Broken bones, especially in the wrist, hip, and ankle.
- Head injuries and concussions, which can have lasting effects.
- Spinal cord injuries that affect movement and sensation.
- Torn ligaments, dislocations, and deep soft tissue injuries.
- Chronic pain that lingers long after the fall.
Because some of these injuries surface slowly, we encourage anyone hurt in a fall to seek care and then let us review the circumstances. Documenting the injury early strengthens both your recovery and your case.
How Do You Prove a Slip and Fall Case in Pennsylvania?
Proving a slip and fall case in Pennsylvania comes down to showing that the property owner knew, or reasonably should have known, about the hazard and failed to act. This concept is called notice, and it is the battleground in most of these claims. An owner will often argue that the spill or the ice appeared moments before your fall, leaving no time to fix it.
We meet that defense with evidence, and we gather it before it disappears. Our work commonly includes:
- Preserving surveillance video and incident reports before they are lost.
- Obtaining cleaning schedules and maintenance logs that show how long a hazard existed.
- Locating witnesses who saw the condition or the fall.
- Documenting the scene with photographs while the hazard remains.
Pennsylvania also follows modified comparative negligence, so an owner may claim you were not watching where you walked. You can still recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and building a clear record is how we keep the blame where it belongs.
How Do Insurance Companies Try to Devalue Slip and Fall Claims?
Insurance companies work hard to pay slip and fall claims as little as possible, and they rely on a familiar set of tactics to do it. Knowing these strategies ahead of time is one of the strongest advantages an injured person can have. When you understand the approach, it is much harder for an adjuster to catch you off guard.
The tactics we see most often include:
- Blaming you for the fall, arguing you were distracted, hurrying, or wearing the wrong shoes.
- Calling the hazard open and obvious, as if you should have seen and avoided it.
- Pointing to a pre-existing condition to claim your injury was not caused by the fall.
- Using a delay in treatment against you, suggesting you were not really hurt.
- Asking for a recorded statement early, then using your own words to shrink the claim.
None of these tactics is the final word, and each can be answered with evidence and preparation. Businesses that open their doors to the public also carry duties to keep their spaces safe and accessible, and a clear record of the hazard keeps the focus where it belongs. We anticipate these moves, protect you from the traps, and press the insurer for the full value of your claim.
Should You Accept the First Settlement Offer?
You should be cautious, because a first settlement offer in a slip and fall case is usually far lower than the claim is worth. Insurers often extend a quick offer while you are still hurting and short on income, hoping you will accept before the full extent of your injury is known. Once you sign a release, you generally cannot ask for more, even if your condition later worsens.
The wiser course is to understand the full scope of your injury and losses before discussing any number. We evaluate your medical needs, your lost income, and the lasting effects of your injury, then negotiate from a position of strength. If the insurer will not offer a fair amount, we are prepared to take your case to court.
Before you accept anything, let us review the offer at no cost so you know what your claim is truly worth.
Why Choose Wapner Newman for Your Slip and Fall Claim?
People trust us with their slip and fall claims because we treat these cases with the resources and respect they deserve, no matter how routine an insurer tries to make them sound. Wapner Newman has represented the injured for more than 45 years, and in that time we have recovered more than $1 billion for our clients. Prior results do not predict or promise the outcome of any future case, but they reflect a firm that prepares each claim to succeed.
What our clients receive:
- We come to you. If your injury makes travel difficult, we will meet you at your home or hospital room within our service area, arrange transportation, or meet by video.
- The strength of a full firm, with attorneys and staff working your case together.
- Plain answers, so you always know what is happening with your claim.
Our commitment to every client is the same: serious injuries, serious results. Call 800-529-6600 and tell us your story.
What Compensation Can You Recover for a Slip and Fall?
A slip and fall claim can recover the medical costs, lost income, and personal losses your injury has caused. The value of a claim depends on how badly you were hurt and how the injury has affected your life, which is why we look past the immediate bills to the full impact.
Compensation in these cases often includes:
- Medical expenses, from emergency treatment to surgery, therapy, and future care.
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity if you cannot work as you did before.
- Pain, suffering, and the loss of activities that gave your life meaning.
- Out-of-pocket costs connected to the injury, such as assistive devices.
When a fall proves fatal, close family members may pursue a claim under Pennsylvania’s wrongful death law. We account for every loss and press for the recovery your situation truly requires.
How Long Do You Have to File a Slip and Fall Claim?
In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years from the date of your fall to file a lawsuit under the state’s statute of limitations. Once that deadline passes, the court can dismiss your claim no matter how clear the property owner’s fault was. Different timelines apply to some situations, including injuries to children and claims against a government body, which can carry much shorter notice periods.
The evidence that proves a slip and fall, especially surveillance video, is often gone within days or weeks. Reaching out to us soon after your fall protects both your filing deadline and the proof your claim depends on. Call 800-529-6600 and we will help you understand your timeline.
FAQs Answered by Our Philadelphia Slip and Fall Lawyers
Below are answers to questions we hear often from people hurt in a fall.
What should I do right after a slip and fall?
Get medical attention first, even if you feel only sore, because some fall injuries appear later. If you can, report the fall to the property owner or manager, ask for a written incident report, and photograph the hazard and your injuries. Keeping your shoes and clothing from that day can help as well.
The store says the floor was just cleaned. Do I still have a case?
Possibly. A recently cleaned floor does not excuse a property owner, especially if there was no warning sign or if the cleaning itself created the hazard. Whether you have a claim depends on the details, and we can review them with you at no cost.
What if I did not see a warning sign but the store insists there was one?
This is a common dispute, and it is one reason evidence matters so much. Surveillance video, witness accounts, and photographs can establish whether a sign was actually present and visible. We work to preserve that proof before it disappears.
Can I afford a slip and fall lawyer?
Yes. Your consultation is free, and we handle slip and fall claims on a contingency basis, meaning our attorney fee comes only from a recovery we obtain for you. If we do not recover for you, you owe us no attorney fee.
How much is my slip and fall claim worth?
There is no single answer, because it depends on the severity of your injury, your medical costs, your lost income, and how the injury has affected your daily life. Be wary of any quick figure offered before your case is reviewed. We can give you a realistic assessment after we understand what happened.
Talk With a Philadelphia Slip and Fall Lawyer Today
A slip and fall is not just an embarrassing moment, it is a real injury with real costs, and you deserve to have it taken seriously. At Wapner Newman, we will investigate your fall, preserve the evidence, deal with the insurer, and fight for the compensation you need to recover. Your consultation is free, and you owe no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
Call Wapner Newman today at 800-529-6600, or reach out through our contact page to schedule your free consultation. Let us handle the legal side while you focus on healing.