A wet floor, damaged stair or icy entrance can leave you facing treatment, time away from work and questions about who should have addressed the danger.
A fall does not automatically make a property owner responsible. It does deserve a careful look at the condition, who controlled it and what reasonable steps could have been taken.
Nuttall Brown & Coutts represents people injured in Utah slip, trip and fall incidents. An attorney handles accepted cases from beginning to end, investigating responsibility and documenting the effects of the injury.
Call (801) 255-2102 for a free case review. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
What caused the fall?
A useful investigation starts with the specific condition—not simply the fact that someone fell. Examples may include:
- A spill or tracked-in moisture on a walking surface.
- Snow or ice at an entrance or on a walkway.
- Uneven flooring, damaged steps or a loose handrail.
- An obstruction in an aisle or shared passageway.
- Lighting that made a change in surface or elevation difficult to see.
Different conditions raise different questions. A fresh spill, a recurring leak and a damaged stair may require different evidence to understand what happened and who may be responsible.
Did someone know—or have reason to know—about the danger?
Depending on the circumstances and the applicable duty, an investigation may consider whether someone created the condition, received complaints, noticed it or had a reasonable opportunity to discover and address it.
Inspection practices, cleaning records, repair requests, witness accounts and video may help answer those questions. A warning sign can also be relevant: where it was placed, what it warned about and whether the condition required other action may matter.
There is no universal rule that every spill must exist for a particular number of minutes before a claim is possible. The type of condition, the parties involved and the evidence need an individual review.
What should I preserve after a fall?
Get medical care first. If you or someone helping you can safely gather information, keep:
- Photos showing the condition and the surrounding approach.
- The date, time and exact location.
- Witness names and contact information.
- The name of the employee, manager or owner notified.
- A copy of any incident report you receive.
- The shoes and clothing worn, without altering them before their relevance is considered.
- Treatment records, bills and documentation of missed work.
Video can be overwritten and the condition may change. You do not need to wait for a store or insurer to finish its investigation before contacting an attorney.
What if they say I should have seen the hazard?
Visibility, warnings, footwear, distractions and the way a person approached the area may all be discussed in a claim. An insurer’s allegation does not, by itself, settle responsibility.
Explain what you remember without filling in gaps or guessing. Photos of the wider scene can help show what someone approaching the area could actually see.
Who controlled the area?
The responsible party may be a property owner, tenant, manager, maintenance contractor or another person, depending on the facts. Leases and service arrangements can help explain who was responsible for a particular area or task.
If the fall happened on public property, additional notice requirements may apply. Tell us if a city, county, public school, UTA or another government entity may be involved. Reporting the fall is not necessarily the same as giving a legally required notice of claim.
What can a supported claim address?
Depending on the evidence and applicable law, a claim may address medical care, rehabilitation, lost income, future treatment, pain and lasting limitations.
Tell your providers and attorney about practical changes such as difficulty standing at work, walking safely, using stairs or caring for family members. Those details can help document the injury’s consequences.
Talk through what happened
You do not need to prove the entire case before calling. Tell us where you fell, what you believe caused it and whether an insurer has contacted you.
Our firm has 40+ years of personal injury experience and serves clients throughout Utah from Cottonwood Heights.
Call (801) 255-2102. Our call service answers 24/7, and an attorney reviews your inquiry.
You pay no attorney fee unless we recover for you. Ask us how case costs are handled under your fee agreement.
