Slip and Fall Accidents

Catastrophic Personal Injury

Slip & Fall Attorneys in Kansas City

Holding Negligent Property Owners Accountable

Property owners in Missouri and Kansas are responsible for keeping the people who use their properties reasonably safe from injuries. When these owners fail to meet that responsibility and serious accidents occur, it may be possible to hold those owners liable through premises liability claims. If you have been harmed in a slip-and-fall accident, it is important to know your personal injury rights and options under the law.

The Kansas City slip-and-fall accident attorneys at Dempsey Kingsland Osteen, know that people who have been injured only have one chance to recover the compensation they need. Our firm takes a focused approach to slip and falls and other permanent injury cases in order to get our clients the full and fair damages that they deserve.

An Overview of Premises Liability in Kansas City

Slip and fall cases fall under the legal umbrella of premises liability, or the basic legal premise that a property owner owes guests and visitors a duty of care and must protect them from any dangerous conditions on their property. Slip and falls are the most common type of premises liability case, though this legal principle can apply to other types of injuries caused by hazards such as dog bites, fires, toxic chemical exposure, elevator accidents, swimming pool accidents, or amusement park accidents.

Our firm has the ability to handle a wide range of premises liability accidents that occur in hotels, grocery stores, shopping malls, and other public property.

We help clients who have been injured by:

• Sidewalk falls
• Construction site accidents
• Unsafe floors and staircases
• Worn and raised carpeting/floorboards
• Elevator and escalator accidents

An injury that you sustained due to someone else’s improperly maintained property should not be your burden to handle alone. You deserve compensation to cover the medical expenses and lost wages you now face.

Proving Liability in Slip and Fall Cases

It is commonly believed that an owner and/or proprietor of property is always liable when an individual slips on property. This idea, that an owner/proprietor of a property is strictly liable in the event that a visitor falls, has never been the law. In fact, the matter of liability turns on the matter of whether the owner and/or proprietor (or an employee of one of them) can be proven to have been negligent. Property owners/proprietors have a duty under the law to keep their properties in a safe condition, and when, by reason of their neglect someone is harmed, they may be held liable.

Dangerous conditions posed by wet floors, staircases that lack handrails, and sidewalks bordering commercial property that are inadequately cleared of ice or snow are examples of circumstances that can cause serious injuries. When a property owner does not maintain his property to ensure that it is reasonably safe, that person may be held liable for injuries that occur on the premises. Liability exists if the property owner or the property owner’s employee knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and in the exercise of care had sufficient time to eliminate it. In addition, if the property owner or the property owner’s employee caused the dangerous condition this also creates liability for the property owner.

Facts that can help establish the property owner’s liability include:

• The dangerous condition was present long before it caused the accident.
• The property owner does not inspect or maintain the property regularly.
• A reasonable person in the plaintiff’s situation would have taken note of the dangerous condition and eliminated it.
• The property owner did not provide a warning or construct a barrier to prevent entry into a known area of danger.

Proving liability in slip and fall cases can be challenging, thus contacting an attorney soon helps to ensure that evidence is gathered before it disappears. Our slip and fall attorneys in Kansas City frequently work with experts in accident reconstruction as well as financial experts to understand how accidents occurred and who was at fault. We also consult with doctors and nurses to understand the extent of your injuries and to establish liability.

Damages for Slip and Fall Victims in Kansas City

Victims of slip and falls in Kansas City may be eligible to recover compensation for a wide range of damages with a successful claim. Under Missouri and Kansas law, if the property owner is determined to be at fault for your injuries, you may be awarded compensation for:

• Past, present, and future medical bills
• Lost wages and other income
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent disability
• Prescription medication costs
• Physical therapy costs

Discuss Your Case For Free Today

Dempsey Kingsland Osteen has successfully concluded well over a hundred slip and fall cases in Missouri and Kansas during the 30+ years of our law firm’s existence, including obtaining recovery that includes a $1,000,000 settlement. We understand what you are going through and can help you pursue full and appropriate damages by applying our expertise to prove liability. We offer a free initial consultation, and we will not charge you a legal fee unless we recover compensation for you.