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Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer

queens slip and fall lawyer
What should you look for when picking your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer? The first thing that you should look for is an attorney who understands your needs and fully understands the law. Slip and Fall cases come in many shapes and sizes. Understanding the different nuances in the law will make all the different in your case. The most common issue in any slip and fall case is notice. It is important that your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer understands this fully. If they don’t, it could result in the dismissal of your case.

What Is “Notice” And How Can Your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer Prove It

In almost any slip and fall case, the defendant must have notice of what caused the accident. For example, if you slipped on ice, the defendant must have been aware of the ice with sufficient time to clean or clear it. The same holds true for spills. If you slip on water in the store, your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer should know that to prove your case, the store must have had notice of the spill. The reasoning is that if the defendant was not aware of the spill, how could they be responsible for cleaning it up? There are three basic kinds of ways to prove notice in your case. Each of them are slightly different.2

Actual Notice

Actual notice, as you may have guessed from the name, is when the defendant actually knows about the substance or hazard that caused you to fall. Let’s imagine you fell on ice in a driveway. Actual notice is when the personal responsible for that driveway is aware of the ice that made you fall before the accident. This means that your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer needs to prove that the defendant actually knew about the ice. Sometimes this proof can be hard to come by. Most defendants are not willing to admit that they knew of the hazard which caused the accident. Therefore this evidence may come from witness statements or surveillance video.

The most common way to prove actual notice is through the testimony of the victim. In most slip and fall cases, the victim has been to the property and either knows the owner or, in the case of a business, can easily talk with staff. If the plaintiff has complained to the defendant before about the specific substance which caused the fall, that is actual notice. If a different witness, perhaps another customer complained about the substance before the fall, that too constitutes actual notice.

Constructive Notice

Constructive Notice is the most common kind of notice. So what does it mean? Constructive notice means that the defendant knew or should have known about the hazard which caused the fall. This is the kind of notice that you get in the vast majority of cases. Let’s look again at our slip on ice in a driveway case. If the defendant in that case did not admit to knowing about that patch of ice specifically, you can still prove your case with constructive notice. You can show constructive notice by proving that the defendant was in the area before the accident and should have known about the ice. For example, if they walked up to the front door from the driveway and the ice was there, they likely should have known about the ice.

This also applies to our store example. If someone fell on a spill in the aisle, the case can still be proven even if the employees didn’t know about the spill. If your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer can prove that the employees should have known about the spill, then you can win your case. This is most often done by uncovering company cleaning policies. Companies are required to reasonably inspect their properties for hazards. usually, by comparing these polices to surveillance video or testimony of workers, you can find a failure by the defendant. Essentially, most of the time they let the spill sit too long without attending to it. That, in essence, is constructive notice and can help you win your case.

Prior Written Notice

Prior written notice is the most difficult notice to prove. You must prove that the defendant had notice in writing of the hazard before the accident. First, you only have to prove prior written notice if your case is against a municipality. Second, it is very difficult to achieve. Your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer should know how to request the proper documents to obtain prior written notice in your case. Prior written notice usually comes in the form of government documents like police reports, work orders or inspections. While prior written notice is rare, it is something that your lawyer must know how to get if you hope to win your case against any government entity.

Can My Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer “Get Around” Notice?

For the most part, there is no getting around notice. However, your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer must also explore if the defendant created the condition which caused the fall. How is that possible? Let’s look again at our ice on the driveway example. Let’s assume that the owner has gutters positioned in such a way that they caused water to pool on the driveway. In this situation, it is clear that if water is left on the driveway it will freeze in cold weather. Therefore, the defendant created the condition, which means you can win your case.

The same logic can apply to the spill in the grocery store. If an employee spills something on the floor or mops without putting up a sign, they have now created the condition. That creation means that you can win your case, and get over the notice hurdle.

Conclusion

Notice is an issue in every slip and fall case. Your Queens Slip And Fall Lawyer should be focused on how to overcome it immediately,. Thorough investigation and full knowledge of the law are the best ways to get this done.

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42 Broadway Suite 1927, New York, NY 10004
Tel:  (212) 514-5100 | Fax: (212) 514-9300
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42 Broadway Suite 1927
New York, NY 10004

Tel:  (212) 514-5100
Fax: (212) 514-9300
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Disclaimer: The information on this website has been written by The Platta Law Firm, and it is intended for informational purposes only. This website contains details on legal issues, but this does not constitute legal advice.
42 Broadway Suite 1927
New York, NY 10004

Tel:  (212) 514-5100
Fax: (212) 514-9300
Follow Us on Social Media
Disclaimer: The information on this website has been written by The Platta Law Firm, and it is intended for informational purposes only. This website contains details on legal issues, but this does not constitute legal advice.
© 2022  The Platta Law Firm. All Rights Reserved.
© 2022  The Platta Law Firm.
All Rights Reserved.