What if I fall in a parking lot?

What if I fall in a parking lot?

If you fall and injure yourself in a parking lot, there are three things to be aware of.

1.  If you fall in the parking lot where you work, you have a workers' compensation claim.  It does not matter who is at fault.  Be sure to report the injury to your employer, promptly seek medical care and consult with an experienced workers' compensation attorney who should provide you with a free initial consultation.

2.  If you fall in any parking lot, you may also have a negligence based personal injury case known as a premises liability claim.  It would be against whoever owns, possesses, maintains and/or controls the area where you fell.  (Just remember that you cannot sue your employer.)

You would need to establish the existence of some defective condition which caused your fall, and you would need to prove some other important things as well.  The best way to assess whether you have a legitimate and viable case to pursue is to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney, one who will provide you with a free initial consultation.

Be sure to report the injury, and if you are not too injured to do so, be sure to take some pictures as well as the names/phone numbers of any witnesses.

Frequently, cases involve broken or uneven pavement, broken curbs, inadequate lighting, potholes or ice/snow that has not been cleared, sanded or salted.  Other legal issues come into play, and other types of defects can cause your fall.  These are just a few common examples.

3.  Finally, if you feel that the fall in the parking lot was your own fault, either completely or partially, you should still speak with an experienced attorney.  First, if it happened at work, you would still have a workers' compensation claim to pursue.  Workers' compensation applies regardless of blame.  Second, when it comes to a negligence based personal injury case, you can still have a good case even if you bear some of the blame.  As long as you are 50% to blame or less, you can still recover compensation.  The best thing to do would be to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney to assess the facts and determine the merits of the case.