Little Rock Slip & Fall Accident Lawyers

Under Arkansas law, there are three classifications of people on someone else’s property – trespassers, licensees, and invitees. Under each classification, property owners in Pulaski County have different standards of care they must provide. Below are the three different classifications in detail:

• Trespasser – a person who goes onto the premises of another without the express or implied consent of the landowner. Little Rock landowners are typically only responsible for the trespasser’s injuries if the landowner caused the slip and fall to happen due to gross negligence or wanton conduct.
• Licensee –commonly referred to as social guests. Here the property owner’s responsibility is to not cause any harm due to wanton or willful conduct, excise ordinary care to avoid injuries to the social guest when they are in a position of danger, and to use ordinary care to make known conditions safe that are not open or obvious or at least warn the licensee about the danger.
• Invitee – invitees are generally known as customers. Here, the landowner has a duty to not only to protect its customers from known dangers, but also from dangers the landowner reasonably should have discovered through regular inspections.

Determining the legal duty owed by the property owner or manager will depend on why the injured victim was on the property to begin with. Per Arkansas law, the injured victim has the burden of proving the property owner’s negligence. Typically this means proving the property owner (or an employee) created a dangerous condition or knew about the condition but failed to take measures to remedy it. Proof can come in many forms, including photographs of the scene, witness statements, incident reports, and video or surveillance footage. Video footage may disappear or record over itself after a certain amount of time, which is why it is important to take steps to prevent possible spoliation of evidence.

Slip and fall accidents occur for several different reasons and often result in serious and life threatening injuries. Slip and falls commonly occur due to the following:

• Weather conditions such as rain, ice, or snow
• Slippery or slick floors
• Cracks in sidewalks or flooring
• Potholes
• Uneven flooring or changes in the height of the flooring
• Debris or foreign objects

Slip and fall accidents can occur just about anywhere in Pulaski County – grocery stores, public property, businesses, shopping malls, restaurants, office buildings, apartment complexes, and private property. Falls can produce significant injuries requiring hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and other forms of rehabilitation. A slip and fall lawyer in the Little Rock area can assess your case and inform you of the types of compensation you may be able to recover under the law, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses. Time is usually of the essence in investigating these claims, as camera or video footage may disappear and witnesses’ memories can fade over time.