A Gas Station Slip-And-Fall Accident Attorney in Louisville
When you pull up to a pump at a Shell service station you might not have noticed that you can tread on some pretty slippery surfaces whether you stay in the parking lot or venture inside. If you slip-and-fall or trip you might not realize just how seriously you can be hurt. You also might not realize that the owners of gas stations are supposed to be as concerned with your safety as much as they are with your purchases.
If you are seriously injured during a trip to a gas station due to the negligence of an owner, operator, or employee you may need the help of a local attorney to make sure that the company doesn’t leave all of the costs of recovery in your lap. The attorneys with Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC can make it clear to these companies and their lawyers that they can’t ignore your pain and suffering. Contact us for a free consultation on your case.
Gas Station Accident Liability
Visiting a Shell Station around Louisville doesn’t take a long journey. There are at least 20 locations around the city. There’s even a Shell Select C-Store with locally created foods, fancy coffee, and snacks. With all these options, it’s no surprise that people rush in and out of Shell Stores all day and night.
Gas Station owners want to make money off of every customer who walks through the door, but they are also ordered to see to customer’s safety. Kentucky premises liability law holds them responsible any time a visitor is hurt by a hazard the owner knew was a potential danger or a hazard the owner should have known about through routine inspections.
This “duty to care” for the well-being of anyone they invite on to their premises extends from the moment you leave your car, all the way to the bathrooms and back. A spill on the floor can’t be left in a pool for minutes or hours. The boss and the employees have to clean these obstacles up in a reasonable amount of time. If they don’t they are responsible for any medical costs and missed time at work you might have to suffer through due to their lack of care.
Slip-And-Fall Dangers at Shell Stations in Louisville
A stop at a mini-mart, like a Shell Station, should be about pushing that gas needle back to full and perhaps getting your stomach back to full too, with a snack. But in that rush to get in and out, you may not be looking down or around you to make sure you’re not about to hit a slick spot or step in a pothole. The store proprietor is supposed to be removing these types of hazards, but of course, that duty may go neglected.
There are many potential obstacles at gas stations that can suddenly leave you on the ground in pain:
- Spills— Big drinks or condiments can end up on those smooth floors, creating a slick patch that’s impossible to stay upright on.
- Floor Hazards — The floor may be cracked have warped tiles and may be a dangerous tripping hazard. A misplaced floor mat can catch your foot. Bathrooms can be extremely slippery places even when clean.
- The parking lot- Broken pavement, unsafe steps, ice, and snow can trip you up before you even reach the front doors. The area around the pumps is also a prime spot for leaked oil.
- Landscaping Dangers –Natural barriers, low bushes, and mulch can provide a hazardous trip-and-fall obstacle.
- Criminal Activity- Beyond falls, if you are the victim of a crime at a Shell Station, that too can fall under premises liability. Operators can be held liable when you are targeted if they knew about rampant crime in the area and didn’t warn you. They may have not lit the parking lot properly or perhaps they should have had security monitoring the location. All factors every owner should show concern about.
Frequently Asked Questions
How common are slip and fall accidents?
The CDC found that over 800,000 people each a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury.
What’s more, one out of five falls causes a serious injury like a broken bone or head trauma. Falls are also the most common cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). You should not be embarrassed to fight for all the compensation you’ll need to regain your mobility and get back to a normal life.
What if I was partially at fault for my fall?
You can still receive compensation to help with the recovery from a fall even if you were partly to blame.
Kentucky is a pure comparative negligence state. That means you and the owner of the gas station can both be tagged with a percentage of the blame for an accident. Perhaps you were in an area where customers aren’t supposed to be when you tripped? You might have to accept 25% of the blame. The proprietor might have let a hazard go way too long without fixing it and be assigned 75% of the blame. You could still be awarded a settlement, your final compensation would just have your 25% of liability subtracted.
How long do I have to file a Slip-And-Fall claim in Kentucky?
You have one year from the date of your accident to file a civil lawsuit against the owner of a gas station.
Kentucky’s statute of limitations isn’t as long as some other states that offer up to two years to file. For this reason, it’s important to file as soon as you can. An attorney can help you gather evidence and locate witnesses and documents you’ll need for your case, but this will be easier in the early going after the accident.
Contact A Louisville Slip-and-Fall Attorney
If you were on someone else’s property when you slipped or tripped and suffered a serious injury, you should not be left to face your recovery alone. A slip-and-fall can affect mobility and your freedom now and down the road when injuries flair up. Now is the time to get the compensation you’ll need to make sure you have your care covered for a lifetime. A local attorney fighting on your side can make sure your pain isn’t taken for granted.
Talk to a Louisville Slip-And-Fall Attorney you can trust to be on your side and fight for your fair compensation. The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the compensation they’ll need to make a full recovery. To discuss your case, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, by clicking here to contact them online.
