Residents of Delaware are more than familiar with the dangerous conditions that the winter months can bring. Ice and snow can accumulate just about anywhere, though the presence of slippery surfaces can be most dangerous when it occurs in parking lots.
Whenever they exit a store and head to their cars, shoppers are usually looking to avoid vehicles and distracted drivers. Regrettably, this often means that they are not able to concentrate on evading the danger posed by ice or snow.
This danger is further elevated by the fact that most shoppers will be using their hands to carry their recent purchases. This not only makes it more difficult to maintain balance if they lose their footing, but it also makes it unlikely that the victim will be able to drop everything and use their hands to brace for the impact.
It seems like store owners, as well as employees, should be doing as much as possible to prevent such dangerous conditions from impacting the health and safety of their clients. And yet, hundreds of parking lot slip and fall accidents occur each year. Can store owners be held liable for the falling injuries that result?
Civil law in the state of Delaware does in fact establish that victims of slip and falls in parking lots can hold store owners responsible for their damages. Whether the fall was caused by potholes or broken sidewalks, as well as the aforementioned build-up of ice and snow, victims can seek compensation via lawsuits.
However, it's not as simple as filing a lawsuit if you fell in a parking lot. A lot of factors have to be taken into consideration. For instance, if you slipped and fell in an icy parking lot, but the ground had only recently frozen over and the store staff did not have a chance to scrape the ice and remove the hazard, you may not have a strong case for compensation. Likewise, if the snow had only accumulated for a short amount of time, say 15 minutes, while you were shopping, this may also not be a situation in which the store can be found negligent in their duty to maintain safe premises.
On the other hand, if a broken or cracked parking lot sidewalk caused you to slip or trip and fall, resulting in injuries, and the issue had been previously reported by other individuals, then you may indeed be able to receive substantial compensation for any medical expenses as well as other damages you may have suffered. Your grounds for a parking lot fall lawsuit will depend quite strongly on the specific circumstances of your accident.
If you suffered a slip and fall on the parking lot belonging to your workplace, the legal avenues for compensation may be different than if you're the patron of a business. This is because accidents that occur at work are handled completely differently than other civil cases.
Whether your parking lot slip and fall occurred at a store or at work, it is highly recommended to seek the help of an experienced slip and fall law firm. The team at The Sharma Law Firm has helped hundreds of victims of falls in Delaware over the past decades, and they can help you too.
Our team stays up to date with changes to relevant legislation as well as recent litigations. We've achieved justice for victims of parking lot slip, trip, and falls in the past, and we want to fight for your rights, too. Contact us today for a no-obligation, free legal consultation. We'll break down your case, explain all of your options, and then allow you to make the best decision for yourself and your loved ones with as much information as possible at your disposal.
