Wet Floor Slip & Fall Accident Lawyers in Erie, Pennsylvania

Personal Injury Lawyers Advocate for Clients Injured in Slip and Fall Accidents Caused by Wet Floors Throughout Western PA

Wet floors are, at times, inevitable in stores, restaurants and other public places—customers spill drinks and track snow and ice in from outside, and most establishments regularly clean their floors using slippery wax or water. Despite this, property owners and their agents (i.e., management or employees) are required to take reasonable precautions to make sure that wet floors do not cause their customers or invited guests to sustain injuries. The required “reasonable precautions” will vary based upon the circumstances of the case—for example, floor mats designed to catch ice and snow as customers enter the store or yellow warning signs placed next to a spilled beverage may be sufficient to protect customers in some cases.

At Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C., our experienced slip and fall accident lawyers understand that establishing your right to compensation after falling on a wet floor can be complicated. We have the knowledge and resources necessary to thoroughly investigate every single case in order to find all available evidence that will support your claim. We will also work tirelessly to refute the defense tactics that the property owner will use to avoid financial responsibility for your injuries.

Was the Property Owner or Store Management Negligent in Failing to Warn About the Wet Floors?

Almost every claim for compensation in slip and fall accident cases caused by wet floors will turn upon whether the property owner or store management was negligent in failing to warn of the danger posed by a wet surface. Establishing that the property owner (or store management, as agent for the owner) was negligent requires establishing that:

• The owner caused the floor to be wet (for example, by waxing or mopping),
• The owner knew of the wet and slippery conditions, either because an inspection had revealed the wet floor or someone had notified management of the wet floor, or
• Even if the owner did not actually know that the floor was wet and slippery, he or she should have known about the condition via reasonable inspection of the property.

Additionally, you must be able to prove that:

• The owner or management failed to take reasonable steps to warn of the wet floors, such as putting up warning signs or roping off the area,
• The wet floor caused you to slip and fall,
• You sustained legitimate injuries in the fall, and
• You did not cause the fall yourself by failing to take reasonable steps to avoid the danger.

Even if the floor was wet when you fell, and no visible warning signs were present, the property owner may argue that you do not have the right to recover compensation because the owner or management was not aware that the floor was wet, so could not have placed proper warning signs or taken other steps to dry the floor. In other cases, the property owner may argue that reasonable warnings were in place and that your own negligence caused the fall.