We handle many premises liability cases in the Kansas City region. These cases primarily involve slip or trip and falls. In my experience, these types of cases get a bad rap amongst personal injury and trial lawyers like me. However, if they have the right elements, slip or trip and falls cases can be well worth your time to pursue. Here are a few reasons why our firm often works on slip or trip and fall cases.
Usually, the defendant is some kind of corporation or business entity.
Unlike car crash cases where the defendant is an individual, the wrongdoer in a slip or trip and fall case is usually a store or apartment complex. This takes away the concern that the jury will be reluctant to render a large verdict. When the defendant is an individual, some jurors may be concerned about their ability to pay big verdicts. That concern is lessened or even non-existent when the defendant is a corporation.
Another benefit of having a corporate defendant is that they usually have large commercial liability policies.
This is unlike car collision cases where the at-fault driver usually has low or even state-minimum insurance policies. The state minimum car insurance policy is $25,000.00, and we usually see policies ranging from the state minimum to $100,000.00. Commercial policies covering slip or trip and falls usually have limits of $1,000,000.00 or more. When you’re significantly hurt, having a large policy gives you a better chance of full compensation.
Another benefit of slip or trip cases is that they are (ideally) often caught on camera.
This is because the places where they happen (a grocery store, an apartment building, etc.) usually have surveillance cameras. Having footage of a slip or trip and fall always helps. A business should have surveillance cameras. If they don’t, juries tend to hold that against them as being sloppy, lazy, or cheap. Either way, the existence or lack of surveillance footage tends to help with slip or trip and fall cases.
If you have questions about the benefits of slip or trip and fall cases, please contact our firm at 816.867.8611 to schedule your free initial consultation. We have experience working on these types of cases and welcome your questions.