Slip and Fall Injury Attorneys in Kansas City
Holding property owners accountable in Kansas and Missouri
Property owners have a duty to put your safety before their profits. This means that the owners of premises must take steps to protect the people who legally shop at or visit their property from harm. Slip and fall accidents can cause broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries, and many other serious injuries.
You may have a slip and fall accident claim if a retail store, restaurant, hotel, grocery store, or any other owner failed to respond to complaints about slippery floors, broken tiles, poor lighting, and other dangers – or if they failed to conduct reasonable inspections. At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we hold the owners of property liable when their negligence causes you to slip and fall. We demand compensation for all your economic and non-economic damages. Call us today to discuss your claim.
How do your Kansas City slip and fall lawyers help?
- Who can file a slip and fall accident claim in Missouri and Kansas?
- Why do slip and fall accidents happen in Kansas City?
- What types of injuries do slip and fall accidents cause?
- Who is responsible if I have a slip and fall accident in Missouri or Kansas?
- What steps should I take if I slip and fall on someone else’s property?
- How much is my slip and fall case worth?
- How do your lawyers fight for slip and fall accident victims?
- Kansas City slip and fall accident FAQs
- Where do your Kansas City slip and fall accident lawyers meet clients?
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Who can file a slip and fall accident claim in Missouri and Kansas?
Missouri premises liability law recognizes different duties for invitees, licensees, and trespassers. Kansas generally applies a reasonable-care standard to lawful visitors, while trespasser rules remain different:
- Invitees are invited onto the premises for the benefit of the owner. The benefit to the owner normally includes the purchase of goods or services, such as a meal, home goods, or groceries. Invitees normally focus on their purchases or services, and not the floor. The property owner needs to protect shoppers and others from falling while they benefit the owner.
- Depending on the circumstances, even if you were not a customer, you may still be able to pursue a premises liability claim if you slip and fall. For example, depending on the circumstances, our Kansas City premises liability lawyer may file a lawsuit if you slip and fall while on another person's property.
- Property owners generally owe limited duties to people who do not have a legal right to be on the property. An exception (called ‘attractive nuisance’) may apply in certain circumstances for children who enter a property containing features such as a swimming pool or a trampoline.
Generally, property owners who know of dangerous conditions may be liable for slip and fall accidents if they fail to take reasonable steps to address them.
Property owners who may be liable for slip and fall accidents include:
- Any business that expects a user to make a purchase, pay a fee, or provide the owner with some income. Examples include hotels, apartments, malls, retail stores, gas stations, restaurants, nursing homes, and professional service companies.
- Organizations and businesses that provide services to the public, including hospitals, churches, schools, and public service organizations.
- Homeowners, who may be responsible for sidewalk-related hazards in limited circumstances.
Why do slip and fall accidents happen in Kansas City?
Common general causes of slip and fall accidents include:
- Failing to conduct routine inspections for possible slip and fall dangers
- Not responding to building code violation warnings or customer complaints about slip and fall dangers
- Not warning property users of slip and fall dangers
Examples of slip and fall or trip and fall dangers include:
- Wet floors caused by drinks or other liquids that spill, cleaning, and other reasons
- Inadequate lighting inside and outside a property
- Broken tiles
- Torn carpets
- Loose or unsecured railings
- Improperly spaced stairs
- Uncleared snow and ice
- Merchandise, equipment, cables, and other objects that aren’t removed from the floor
What types of injuries do slip and fall accidents cause?
Our Kansas City slip and fall accident attorneys represent victims who suffer the following types of injuries, among others:
- Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other types of head trauma.
- Spinal cord damage, including paralysis and herniated disks.
- Hip fractures, broken legs, broken arms, and other broken bones.
- Back, shoulder, and neck injuries
- Soft tissue, muscle, nerve, ligament, and tendon injuries.
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Bruises, cuts, and lacerations
- Emotional trauma
- Scars and disfigurement
- Death
Who is responsible if I have a slip and fall accident in Missouri or Kansas City?
At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we work with investigators, building code officials, nursing home officials, and through the discovery process to determine who is responsible for slip and fall accidents in Missouri and Kansas.
The defendants may include:
- The owner of the property
- Parent companies
- A tenant
- An inspection company
- A maintenance company
- A manufacturer of defective products, such as defective escalators
- An architect or an engineer
What steps should I take if I slip and fall on someone else’s property?
The first thing you do is try to understand whether you need emergency medical care. If so, you should ask the property owner, a supervisor, or someone with you to arrange for an ambulance or other emergency medical transport.
You should report the accident to the owner or a manager.
If you can, you should take photos of the accident site (to show the dangers) and of your injuries.
Even if you or someone at the store doesn’t arrange for emergency medical transport, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible to strengthen your medical recovery and legal claim.
Don’t discuss liability at the accident site or with anyone from the owner’s insurance company.
How much is my slip and fall case worth?
At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we seek compensation for all your damages (past and future), including:
- Medical bills of every type by every medical provider
- Lost income and benefits
- Permanent disability compensation
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Property damage, when applicable
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Inability to use a body part
- Loss of consortium
We seek workers’ compensation benefits if an employee suffers a slip and fall accident. Our attorneys seek wrongful death damages if a slip and fall accident is fatal.
How do your lawyers fight for slip and fall accident victims?
Our personal injury lawyers have more than 30 years of experience fighting for slip and fall accident victims. Some of the steps we can take for you include:
- Answering your questions, explaining your rights, and keeping you informed
- Having investigators examine where you fell, determining why you fell, speaking with witnesses, and inquiring if anyone has any video of the accident.
- Working with liability experts if the property owner violates any safety regulations, or a defective product caused your fall.
- Formally questioning the owner and anyone with knowledge about the accident.
- Reviewing your medical condition with your doctors (and with our network of doctors if necessary).
- Obtaining other evidence to support your claim.
- Determining the value of your claim.
- Negotiating with the insurance company.
- Trying your case before a jury if necessary.
Our slip and fall accident results
Lifelong benefits for a client who tripped on a rug. We obtained lifelong benefits for a 56-year-old woman who tripped over an entry rug and severely injured her knee, back, shoulder, and hands. These injuries aggravated prior injuries and health conditions. We filed a workers' compensation claim, which we settled.
We then filed a Missouri Second Injury Fund claim, seeking permanent disability benefits based on the combination of her injuries due to the fall and her prior existing conditions. We worked with a medical expert, a vocational expert, and in other ways to help provide the evidence necessary to support her claim.
The Administrative Law judge found that the Second Injury Fund was “liable for past benefits and ongoing weekly PTD (permanent total disability) benefits for the remainder of her life.”
Slip and fall accident at a grocery store. Our client slipped on a piece of shrimp at a K-Mart on Christmas Eve. The shrimp had fallen and hadn’t been picked up. The fall caused an epigastric hernia and other injuries (in part due to a prior heart surgery). After a long battle over where the cases should be heard and other issues, our client received the compensation she was due.
Kansas City slip and fall accident FAQs
How long do I have to file a premises liability claim in Missouri?
Generally, the time limit to file a personal injury claim in Missouri is within five years, and the time limit in Kansas is within two years.
The time limits for filing and providing notice in a workers’ compensation claim or a claim against the government are generally shorter. We can explain what time limits and notice requirements apply.
The best course of action is to contact us immediately.
Can businesses be liable for unsafe conditions?
Yes. Businesses (for-profit and non-profit) have a duty to protect the people who are legally on their property from unsafe conditions. Business owners should take reasonable steps to identify unsafe conditions and either fix them or warn customers of the dangers.
What evidence helps prove a slip and fall case?
Many types of evidence can help. These include:
- Your testimony
- The testimony of eyewitnesses
- The testimony of the defendants
- The testimony of investigators who examine the accident site and speak with witnesses
- The testimony and reports of liability experts
- The testimony and reports of medical experts
- Surveillance footage
- Evidence of prior complaints
- Deeds, leases, and other documents
- Other evidence, depending on how the accident happened
Can I sue for slipping on ice or snow?
Yes. Generally, property owners may be liable for injuries caused by ice and snow under certain circumstances, depending on factors such as notice, control, and the nature of the condition.
What if there were no warning signs posted?
If a property owner is aware of a known danger and fails to warn customers/users of the danger, the property owner may be held liable for failing to protect someone who is injured, depending on the circumstances.
What if surveillance footage captured the accident?
Our Missouri fall injury lawyers can make a formal request to review any video, camera, or other surveillance footage in the possession or control of the property owner.
Surveillance footage can help show how the accident occurred and why the property owner may be responsible.
Where do your Kansas City slip and fall accident lawyers meet clients?
We meet clients in Kansas City at 510 Walnut Street, Suite 100, Kansas City, Missouri, near City Hall.
We meet clients by appointment at the following locations:
- Kansas locations: Olathe, Overland Park, and Victory Hills.
- Missouri locations: Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, Joseph, and Parkville.
Our lawyers consult with clients by phone and via online video. We’re often able to arrange to see you away from the office if you can’t physically travel.
Contact our Kansas City slip and fall attorneys now
At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we understand how to show that a property owner is responsible for your slip and fall accident. We seek to restore your health and finances to the position they were in before you fell.
We handle slip and fall accidents on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only receive our fees if there is a recovery in your favor.
Call our office or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation.