Of all the things to worry about when you hit the road in Louisville, you may not consider a stop by the gas station as a safety risk. But every year there are people who take a painful fall at the pump or slip along those glossy floors inside a mini-mart. Those injuries can be serious and can rob you of your mobility and leave you with an expensive recovery ahead.
If you are the victim of a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall at a gas station and suffer a serious injury, you may need help protecting your physical health and your finances. A Louisville Slip-And-Fall attorney can make sure the owners and operators of that business can’t duck out on the consequences of your accident. The experienced attorneys with Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC can make sure your pain and suffering don’t go ignored. Contact us today for a free consultation on your case.
Premises Liability for Slip-and-Fall Victims in Kentucky
Keeping any place of business free of hazards is a responsibility for all proprietors. They are responsible for your safety any time you step on to their property. They invite you in to make money off of you and they are also liable for your safety.
These duties fall under Kentucky’s premises liability laws. Owners and occupiers of real estate have a duty to keep their property free of hazards and defects that could injury someone. With gas stations, that duty extends to the parking lot, around the pumps, inside car washes, and in the bathrooms. If you take a fall on someone’s property, they can be held liable for your injuries and all hardships that result in the aftermath.
Slip-And-Fall Dangers at Gas Stations
Gas stations try to do so much more than just fill your tanks these days. Some are also restaurants, some are mini-department stores, some are even beer stores.
The convenience is great for customers but sometimes operators and employees have a hard time keeping up with all the foot traffic and keeping the grounds free of obstacles. That negligence can lead to a painful injury for unsuspecting customers.
These hazards and more can all be present at gas stations:
- Weather Hazards – In Spokane, we can start with the dangerous obstacles snow and ice can present. Owners are required to clear parking lots and the path to the front door so that visitors don’t slip and hit the pavement to absorb an impact. Wet floors and curled up floor mats inside can also cause a tumble.
- The parking lot and pumps- The outside of the store can offer potential fall hazards even on sunny days. Potholes, unsafe steps, oil from cars can all lead to a slip-and-fall. The area around the pumps can be especially dangerous. A fall or trip there can lead to taking a hit to the head or even leave you under a vehicle.
- Spills Hazards — In a lunch rush, 48 oz drinks or mayonnaise can end up on the floor. These hazards can be below your line of sight until you wind up in a hard fall. Bathroom floors seem to always be soapy and extremely slippery.
- Aisle Obstacles – Mini-Marts like to compete with Wal-Mart by packing in as much selection as possible, but those skinny aisles can get cluttered. Boxes and candy can be left on the floor. If you’re not watching every step it’s easy to trip and perhaps land face first.
- Car Wash Water- Water and soap from car washes can send you to the ground. Especially when that excess water seeps outside and freezes.
Injuries in Slip-And-Fall and Trip-And-Fall Accidents
Between the concrete fueling stations and the hard-floored bathrooms, any fall at a gas station can be painful and dangerous.
When someone experiences a slip-and-fall, they usually tumble backwards. They can also trip over hazards and generally fall forward. The injuries that result can be different, but the injuries can be similar. These are some of the most common injuries:
- Dislocations and fractures that can require months of rehabilitation and result in temporary or permanent disability. Hip fractures lead to the greatest health problems and most deaths, especially for elderly victims.
- Head and Brain Injuries. Skull fractures and severe concussions are possible outcomes.
- Damage to the spinal cord can lead to a loss of mobility. Some of the more serious injuries can affect victims for life.
- Hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries can occur in trip-and-fall incidents. People fall forward and extend their arms out to catch themselves.
- Facial and Mouth Injuries are also common in trip-and-fall accidents. A victim may not be able to catch themselves and damage facial bones and soft tissue, as well as teeth.
Looking over the possible outcomes it’s easy to see the importance of getting the proper compensation after an accident. Victims can be facing the consequences of these injuries months and years down the road. Eventually, wheelchairs, walkers, and even more surgeries may become necessary.
At Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC our attorneys believe at-fault proprietors and their insurance companies should be responsible for helping victims of slip-and-fall accident victims no matter how long that takes. If an injury is a life-long obstacle, then that’s something that should be factored in as part of any settlement or court award. Contact our experts in premises liability to make sure you demand everything you’ll need in compensation now and in the future.
Support for Victims after Gas Stations Accidents In Louisville
Our attorneys can protect your rights after a fall at a gas station. Local and nationwide companies like to skip out on compensating people who get hurt on their property. They may even have their own team of lawyers and insurance agents ready to diminish your case. It’s important to have your own representation to walk you through the pitfalls of dealing with major corporations.
Here are some of the gas stations companies we can help you hold liable in an accident:
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do after a slip-and-fall at a gas station?
See to your safety first and if you are able, begin collecting evidence. Then contact a local attorney who is familiar with slip-and-fall cases.
Take pictures of the scene and the obstacle that caused your accident before store employees have a chance to clean it up or repair a problem. Alert a manager about the accident, so the company is informed. Get information from any witnesses. Don’t assume your injuries are minor or say as much. You may not experience pain until a day or two later. Get checked out by your personal physician. Get every injury documented.
How long do I have to file a claim after a slip-and-fall injury at a Gas Station?
One year.
The state of Kentucky does not allow victims as much time as many other states when it comes to personal injury lawsuits. Victims are allowed up to a year from the date of the accident to file a claim. Once that year is up, any case filed will likely be thrown out.
What if I was partially to blame for my slip-and-fall accident?
You can still file a claim for a slip-and-fall accident in Louisville, even if you were partially at fault.
The first thing an owner or operator of a gas station will do is try to blame you for your own accident. They might say you weren’t watching where you were going, or you were in a spot where customers aren’t supposed to be. Even if you are found partially to blame, that doesn’t mean you can’t get compensation in a claim for damages. Kentucky is a comparative negligence state and that means the victim and the owner can share blame for an injury. For example, you may have to accept 25% of the blame for not watching where you were going, but a store owner may have to accept 75% of the liability for not cleaning up a spill in a reasonable amount of time. You would receive an award, but the total amount would be reduced by your percentage of the blame.
Contact a Louisville Slip-And-Fall Attorney
Taking a fall at a gas station or a store can seem like such a minor incident, but many victims feel okay right after an accident, but then later experience the true effects of an impact. You could be off your feet for weeks or months, you might be out of work for months and suddenly be struggling to pay your rent, let alone expensive hospital bills. Our attorneys can make sure a gas station owner or parent company can’t ignore your case. We can even alert you when they’ve made you a lowball offer that you shouldn’t accept.
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.