Slip & Fall Accident Attorneys in Kennewick, Washington

According to statistics from the Washington State Department of Health, there were about 29,140 fall-related emergency room visits for adults 60 years and older in 2020. In Washington, property and business owners must keep their property in a reasonably safe condition to protect visitors and customers from unreasonable risk of harm. If you slip and fall on another person's property, you're within your rights to hold the negligent property owner liable by filing an injury claim.  

At Gierth-Eddy Law Offices PLLC, we are ready to support and represent clients in their slip-and-fall accident claims. Our Washington State personal injury attorneys can evaluate and investigate every aspect of your case and enlighten you about your options to seek damages. We will strive to uphold your rights and help you pursue fair financial compensation for your injuries and other available damages.  

With offices in Kennewick and Yakima, Gierth-Eddy Law Offices PLLC is proud to represent slip and fall accident victims throughout the state of Washington, including Richland and Pasco. Set up a consultation today. 

Premises Liability in Washington 

Premises liability is a legal concept that governs personal injury cases where a person becomes injured on another person's property as a result of the property’s unsafe, defective, hazardous, or dangerous condition.  

Under Washington State Premises liability law, a property owner may be held legally liable if they caused or knew about the dangerous condition which made the property to be unsafe, thereby causing injury to the visitor or someone lawfully on the premises.   

Some common accidents and injuries that may occur and cause premises liability claims include: 

• Slip and fall accidents 

• Staircase accidents 

• Swimming pool accidents 

• Accidents involving fire 

• Garage door accidents 

• Dog bites and other animal attacks 

• Ceiling collapse 

• Defective or broken staircases 

• Electrocutions 

• Supermarket accidents 

• Negligent security leading to injury or assault 

• Elevator and escalator accidents 

• Water leaks or flooding 

• Chemicals or toxic fumes 

• Inadequate maintenance of the property 

• Porch collapses 

• Inadequate lighting 

• Fire safety and building code violations 

If you or someone close to you was hurt in a slip-and-fall accident, you should reach out to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Your legal counsel can examine every last detail of your case and help file your claims within the specified time limit

Statute of Limitations 

The Washington State statute of limitations for personal injury cases—including slip and fall accidents—is three years of the accident or injury. This means that you must file an injury claim to pursue damages within three years from the date the injury or accident occurred. 

Determining Liability 

When a slip and fall accident occurs, a number of different parties may be held liable, depending on the surrounding circumstances. These parties might include: 

Property Owner/Homeowner: The property owner or homeowner may be held accountable for slip and fall accidents that occur on their property. 

Business Owner: A store owner may be held responsible for the unsafe or slippery conditions on the store, supermarket, or business premises that caused the slip and fall accident. 

Government Entity: Victims may hold the municipal agency or government entity liable if their injuries occurred in a slip and fall accident on public property. 

Your Own Carelessness: If your lack of attention, oversight, or negligence contributed to the accident, the court may shift the burden of the blame onto your own recklessness. If this happens, seeking damages may become more difficult. 

Other Entities: Some other entities that may be held liable for slip and fall accidents include: 

• Commercial property owners 

• Property management companies 

• Companies that lease their business locations 

• Builders and construction companies 

• Service providers, such as repair, maintenance, and professional cleaning companies 

An experienced Washington State premises liability attorney can help identify the liable parties and seek to prove negligence. 

Proving Fault 

In order to prove fault and establish liability in your slip and fall accident claims, you must show that: 

• The property owner owed you a duty of care to keep the property reasonably safe. 

• The property owner caused the dangerous condition, which led to the slip and fall. 

• The property owner knew—r should have known—that the property's condition was dangerous or unsafe by "reasonable" person standards. 

• The property owner failed to repair or warn you about the unsafe condition. 

Allow a Washington State premises liability lawyer to help you recover the maximum possible compensation for your slip and fall injuries. 

Pure Comparative Fault in Washington 

Keep in mind that Washington follows the "pure comparative negligence" rule. Under the system, a slip-and-fall accident victim may be entitled to recover damages even if they were at fault for the accident. However, the amount of compensation that will be recovered will be reduced by the plaintiff's percentage of fault. 

For instance, if the judge awards $50,000 in damages against the negligent property owner but finds you to be 30% responsible for the slip and fall, your damages will be reduced by 30%. Thus, you will only be able to recover 70% of $50,000 ($35,000). 

According to Washington State's pure comparative negligence rule, a claimant may still pursue compensation even if they were up to 99% responsible for the slip and fall accident or injury. 

Work With an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney 

Being involved in a slip and fall accident can be difficult and emotional. On top of that, filing an injury claim, proving fault, and seeking damages can also be quite frustrating. It’s important to reach out to a personal injury attorney to advocate for your rights during this challenging time. 

At Gierth-Eddy Law Offices PLLC, our team is dedicated to offering personalized attention and compassionate representation to accident victims and their loved ones. With our extensive knowledge, we can walk you through the often-complex claims process and help you move forward.