Slip & Fall — Premises Liability

Slip-and-fall cases are notoriously hard to win without an experienced attorney. The property owner doesn't automatically owe you money — you have to prove four things: a duty of care existed, that duty was breached, the breach caused your injury, and you suffered actual damages.

The most important factor is "notice." Did the property owner know — or should they have known — about the hazard? A puddle that sat for an hour is different from one that appeared 30 seconds before you fell. We move fast to preserve security footage, incident reports, and maintenance logs before they "disappear."

Report the incident to the manager on duty in writing — and ask for a copy. Photograph the hazard from multiple angles before it gets cleaned up. Get names and numbers of any witnesses. Save the shoes you were wearing.

Then see a doctor. Falls commonly cause hidden injuries: concussions, herniated discs, hairline fractures, and rotator cuff tears. Your medical record creates the timeline that connects the fall to your injuries.

It depends on the property. A grocery store, a restaurant, a hotel, an apartment landlord, a city sidewalk, or a private homeowner — each has different legal duties under SC law.

Our job is to identify every potentially responsible party and pursue every available source of insurance coverage. Sometimes a property is owned by one company, leased to another, and managed by a third — and all three may share liability.