El Paso Slip and Fall Accidents: When Property Owners Are Responsible for Injuries in Texas

Whether you are browsing the El Paso Museum of Art or the Downtown Shopping District, you don’t expect your day of fun to turn into a day of pain. Unfortunately, a slip-and-fall accident can do exactly that. Some even find that a simple slip on slick, broken, or wet flooring can cause severe injuries that leave them facing significant medical bills and time off work.

Falls may be a simple result of a misstep, but others can be due to negligence. A broken railing, unaddressed spill, or loose rug may make the property owner responsible for your injuries and related expenses. The El Paso premises liability lawyers at Carabin Shaw help victims hold property owners liable when their actions or inactions cause an accident.

If you are hurt on someone else’s property, let our expert Texas attorneys protect your rights and pursue compensation for you. We offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, and free case reviews in English or Spanish so you can explore your legal options without financial obligation. We are available 24/7 at 1-800-862-1260 or online.

A slip and fall may be due to various hazards, such as:

• Uneven surfaces
• Torn or loose carpets
• Wet or slippery flooring
• Debris left in walkways
• Broken stairs or railings

If a property owner knows a hazard exists and cannot repair it immediately, they must clearly warn visitors of the hazard. If the owner fails to maintain safe conditions or to warn visitors of dangers, they may be liable for any accidents or injuries that result. Your personal injury lawyer will investigate your accident to determine whether the property owner is responsible for your fall.

Texas premises liability laws classify visitors to a property in three categories:

• Invitees include customers or clients invited for business purposes
• Licensees are guests with permission to enter for social reasons
• Trespassers do not have permission to enter the property

Invitees are entitled to the highest duty of care, which includes inspecting the property for hazards, prompt repair, and warning of the hazard if repair can’t be completed. Licensees deserve an intermediate duty of care, such as the duty to warn of dangers. However, property owners are not required to inspect the property for licensees.

Trespassers are not owed any duty of care beyond protection from intentional or willful harm. A slip and fall lawyer in El Paso TX will first determine your classification as a guest on the property to determine the duty of care owed to you.

Your attorney will begin building your case by gathering these key pieces of evidence:

• Medical records
• Incident reports
• Photos and videos
• Eyewitness statements
• Expert witness testimony

It’s critical to enlist legal assistance immediately following your accident to ensure your team can collect essential documentation while it is still readily available.

Accident victims may be hesitant to file a personal injury claim if they think they were partly at fault for their accident. For example, texting and not paying attention to where you are walking could make it seem like the property owner played no role in your fall. However, Texas’s proportionate responsibility rule allows accident victims to seek compensation from responsible parties even if they contributed to the accident.

Proportionate responsibility holds every responsible party liable based on their portion of fault for the accident. If you played a role, you can still seek compensation from other at-fault parties as long as your percentage of fault is less than 51%. However, your damages are reduced by the same percentage as your fault. For example, if your responsibility is considered to be 20%, your total damages will be reduced by 20%.

If you are hurt in a fall on another person’s property, our expert lawyers at Carabin Shaw can help. Check out our law firm’s client reviews to see how we’ve helped other accident victims like you pursue the compensation they are entitled to. Then call us toll-free at 1-800-862-1260.

For more information:

• Texas Statutes 75
• Texas Statutes 33