Calgary Slip and Fall Lawyers

Get a Free Case Review From Our Calgary Slip and Fall Lawyers. MNH Injury Lawyers understand the seriousness of the injuries that often accompany slip and fall accidents. Please call us at (888) 664-5298.

Whether you’ve slipped on an icy sidewalk, tripped on a poorly maintained floor, or fallen in a store due to an unattended spill, these severe accidents are common, especially during the winter months.

Slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries and unexpected hardships. If a slip and fall accident injured you, a Calgary slip and fall lawyer at our firm can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

At MNH Injury Lawyers, we help victims of slip and fall accidents in Calgary navigate the legal process and secure compensation for their injuries. We understand the difficulties you face, and we are here to fight for your rights.

Get Your Free Case Review Today

If you or someone you love suffered injuries because of another party in Calgary one of our personal injury lawyers can help you seek financial compensation. Find out how hard we fight for our clients by getting a free review of your case.

Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents

A slip and fall accident is when someone slips, trips, or loses their balance due to unsafe conditions on someone else’s property and gets injured.

These accidents can happen anywhere, including:

  • Residential properties, like homes or apartment buildings
  • Commercial properties, such as stores and restaurants
  • Public spaces, like sidewalks, parks, or public transportation areas

Slip and fall accidents can result in a range of injuries, including:

  • Broken bones or fractures
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Head trauma and concussions
  • Soft tissue injuries (such as strains and sprains)
  • Emotional distress

If the accident occurred because the property owner failed to maintain their property or address a dangerous condition, you may hold them liable for your injuries. Our Calgary slip and fall lawyers can assess your case and help you determine what you are entitled to. 

Group of Personal injury Lawyers at MNH Injury Lawyers

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Calgary

In Calgary, the cold winter weather is a common cause of slip and fall accidents, but they can happen year-round for various reasons.

Some of the most frequent causes of slip and fall accidents include:

  • Icy sidewalks and parking lots: Calgary winters bring snow and ice, and property owners must clear walkways, driveways, and parking lots. If they fail to remove snow or salt icy surfaces, you can hold them liable for slip and fall injuries.
  • Wet floors indoors: In shopping malls, grocery stores, and restaurants, wet floors from spills or cleaning can create hazards. When businesses fail to put up warning signs or clean up spills in a timely manner, accidents happen.
  • Uneven surfaces: Cracked sidewalks, potholes, or broken stairs can cause people to trip. Property owners are responsible for regular maintenance and fixing any hazards.
  • Lack of lighting: Poor lighting in parking lots, stairwells, or hallways increases the risk of slip and fall accidents. It’s harder to see obstacles, wet floors, or uneven surfaces when the area is poorly lit.
  • Obstacles in walkways: Items like boxes, debris, or misplaced furniture in walkways can cause people to trip and fall. Property owners and businesses must keep walkways clear of obstacles to prevent accidents.

What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Calgary

If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall, what you do in the first few hours and days can directly affect your claim. Here’s what we recommend.

Step 1: Get Medical Attention First

Your health comes first. See a doctor or visit urgent care right away, even if your injuries seem minor. Some injuries, like concussions or soft tissue damage, don’t show symptoms immediately, and a medical record also becomes important evidence for your claim.

Step 2: Document the Scene

If you’re able to, take photos of exactly what caused your fall (ice, a wet floor, a broken step, poor lighting) along with the surrounding area. Conditions can change quickly (a spill gets cleaned up, ice melts), so photos taken soon after the accident are often the strongest evidence.

Step 3: Report the Accident*

Notify the property owner, manager, or occupier of what happened and ask that an incident report be created. If the fall happened on public property, be aware that some claims against a municipality have short notice deadlines, sometimes as little as 21 days.

Step 4: Get Contact Information From Any Witnesses

Anyone who saw the fall or the hazard can support your account of what happened. Get their names and phone numbers before they leave the scene.

Step 5: Talk to a Calgary Slip and Fall Lawyer Before Speaking With Insurers

Insurance adjusters may contact you quickly, sometimes before you’ve fully understood your injuries. Speak with one of our Calgary slip and fall lawyers first, we offer free, no-obligation consultations and can advise you on your rights before you say anything that could affect your claim.

How Can MNH Injury Lawyers Help With a Calgary Slip and Fall Case?

Navigating a slip and fall claim on your own, while recovering from an injury, is overwhelming. At MNH Injury Lawyers, our Calgary slip and fall lawyers handle every stage of your case so you can focus on getting better.

Here’s how we can help:

1. Free Case Evaluation

We always offer a completely free, no-obligation consultation to discuss the details of your slip and fall accident. We will look at your case in detail and assess its strengths and weaknesses, explain your rights, and provide a clear understanding of your legal options.

2. Investigating the Accident

We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and work with experts to build a solid case that supports your claim.

3. Negotiating with Insurance Companies

Dealing with insurance companies can be challenging. Our Calgary slip and fall lawyers handle all negotiations, ensuring you receive a fair settlement for your injuries. We know how to handle the tactics used by insurance companies to minimize your payout.

4. Aggressive Representation in Court

If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we are ready to take your case to court. We have extensive experience representing clients in personal injury trials and will fight aggressively for the compensation you deserve.

5. No Fees Unless We Win

We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay unless we win your case. This allows you to focus on your recovery without worrying about legal fees.

With our lawyers by your side, you get full support from your very first consultation. We handle the legal stress and financial risk so you can concentrate on healing and getting your life back on track.

The Duty of Care for Occupiers

Under the Occupier’s Liability Act, property owners, landlords, and those in control of a space must keep their premises reasonably safe for anyone who enters. This law exists to protect you, the visitor, from injury due to unsafe conditions.

The Occupiers’ Liability Act imposes legal duties on property owners, managers, and anyone responsible for a property’s maintenance to ensure the safety of visitors on their premises. This law exists to protect you, the visitor, from injury due to unsafe conditions.

Responsibilities of Property Owners and Occupiers

To meet their duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act, property owners and occupiers must take reasonable steps to maintain their property and prevent injury. These responsibilities include:

Regular Maintenance and Inspections

Owners and occupiers must keep their property safe through ongoing maintenance and routine checks. This includes repairing physical hazards like uneven walkways or loose handrails and making sure common areas are clear of debris.

Promptly Addressing Known Dangers

If a property owner knows about or should know about a hazard, such as snow, ice, water leaks, or broken equipment, they must address it quickly to prevent injuries. They must fix temporary problems that come up or make them safe as soon as reasonably possible.

Adequate Warnings About Potential Risks

Where owners cannot immediately fix dangers, they must place clear warnings like signs, proper lighting, and barriers to alert visitors to the risk. Property owners have a duty to inform people about potentially unsafe areas until the hazard is removed or controlled.

What Happens if Occupiers Fail to Meet Their Duty of Care?

If a property owner or occupier fails to meet the standard of care outlined in the Occupiers’ Liability Act, you can hold them legally responsible for any injuries that occur due to unsafe conditions on their property.

Who is Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident?

In Alberta, property owners must make their property safe for visitors. If you fall and suffer an injury because the property owner improperly maintained their property, you can hold them liable for your emotional and financial losses with the help of a Calgary slip and fall lawyer.

Liability can fall on one or more of the following parties:

  • Homeowners: You can hold the homeowner responsible for your injuries if you fall in a private home due to unsafe conditions (like icy sidewalks or poorly lit areas).
  • Business owners: Businesses such as stores, restaurants, and malls must keep their premises from hazards. You can hold the business accountable if you slip and fall in a business due to neglect, such as a wet floor they failed to clean or a damaged handrail they failed to repair.
  • Government entities: Local or provincial governments maintain public spaces like sidewalks, roads, parks, or public transportation facilities. If they fail to maintain these areas and an accident occurs, the government entity may be liable.

To hold a property owner responsible, you need to demonstrate that they knew or should have known of a dangerous condition and did not take steps to fix it, which resulted in your injury.

Why Do I Need a Calgary Slip and Fall Lawyer to Secure Damages?

If you suffered an injury due to a slip and fall in Calgary, seek legal help from our Calgary slip and fall lawyers.

While Alberta’s National Health Service covers most medical costs, many people experience serious losses and non-medical damages, including pain and suffering, lost income, and damaged property. These damages can pay for your recovery, as they help compensate for the physical, emotional, and financial hardships your injury caused. 

Pain and Suffering: Compensation for Emotional and Physical Distress

In personal injury claims, pain and suffering is one of the most important types of compensation. While Alberta’s healthcare system may cover medical expenses related to your injury, the emotional distress and physical pain you experience due to the injury often do not have an immediate remedy.

Pain and suffering refers to the physical pain, emotional anguish, and overall impact that an injury has on your life.

This includes:

  • Chronic pain or discomfort caused by your injury
  • Anxiety or depression that results from physical limitations
  • Reduced quality of life and the inability to participate in activities you once enjoyed

For example, if you suffer from a serious soft tissue injury following a slip and fall accident due to someone else’s negligence, the pain may prevent you from doing daily tasks or enjoying hobbies like exercising or socializing. The emotional toll of these limitations is significant and requires compensation, and a Calgary slip and fall lawyer can help you recover what you deserve. 

Lost Income: Protecting Your Financial Stability After an Injury

When an injury prevents you from working, it can have a devastating impact on your financial well-being. This is especially true if you cannot return to work for an extended period or if your injury prevents you from performing certain job functions.

Compensation for lost income allows you to recover the wages you would have earned had the accident not occurred.

This can include:

  • Wages lost due to time off work
  • Future earning capacity if your injury affects your long-term ability to work in your field
  • Bonuses or commissions that you missed out on due to your injury

For example, if you suffer a spinal cord injury that leaves you unable to perform manual labor or a job that requires physical activity, you may experience a reduction in future earning potential. Calculating the lost income that results from this can be complex, but it’s essential to ensure your financial security. Our Calgary slip and fall lawyers can help you with this. 

Damaged Property: Recovering the Costs of Your Belongings After a Slip and Fall Accident

When you suffer an injury from a slip and fall accident, the impact isn’t limited to just physical pain or emotional distress. Sometimes,  a fall can damage or destroy your personal belongings, adding additional stress and financial strain to your recovery.

This could include:

  • Damaged clothing: If the accident tore, stained, or otherwise damaged your clothes, you may recover compensation for their replacement.
  • Personal items: If the fall damaged phones, wallets, glasses, laptops, or other valuables, you could recover the cost to repair or replace them.

For example, if you fall at a shopping mall and your phone breaks during the incident, the property owner may need to pay for the damage to your personal belongings, just as they would for your injuries.  

Punitive Damages: Punishment and Deterrence

A court can award punitive damages for a defendant’s highly reprehensible, willful, malicious, or fraudulent conduct. These damages go beyond just compensating the victim for their losses. They punish the defendant for their egregious conduct and stop others from acting similarly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to hire a Calgary slip and fall lawyer?

We work on a contingency fee basis, which means there’s no upfront cost and you pay nothing unless we win your case.

How long do I have to file a slip and fall claim in Alberta?

In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident under Alberta’s Limitations Act. However, if your fall happened on municipal property, you may need to notify the city within a much shorter window, sometimes just 21 to 30 days, so it’s important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.

Who is liable if I slip and fall on someone else’s property?

Liability depends on who controlled the property and whether they failed to address a hazard they knew or should have known about. This could be a homeowner, a business, a property management company, or a government entity, depending on where the accident occurred.

What if I’m partly at fault for my fall?

You may still be entitled to compensation even if you share some responsibility for the accident. Alberta follows a shared-fault approach, where compensation can be reduced based on your percentage of fault rather than eliminated entirely.

What compensation can I recover after a slip and fall injury?

Depending on your case, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, lost income, future earning capacity, medical expenses not covered by Alberta Health Services, and damaged personal property.

Do I need a lawyer if the insurance company already offered me a settlement?

We recommend speaking with a lawyer before accepting any settlement offer. Initial offers are often lower than what you may be entitled to, and once you accept, you typically can’t go back and ask for more later.

What should I do if my slip and fall happened at work?

Workplace slip and falls may be handled differently than a typical premises liability claim, and could involve workers’ compensation, a third-party claim, or both. Our team can help you understand which options apply to your situation.

Contact MNH Injury Lawyers for Help With Your Calgary Slip and Fall Case

If a slip and fall accident injured you or someone you love in Calgary, don’t wait. Contact MNH Injury Lawyers for a free consultation and find out how we can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Call (888) 664-5298 today or contact us online for your free case review. Let our Calgary personal injury lawyers take the burden off your shoulders and help you get back on your feet after your slip and fall accident.

MNH Injury Lawyers - Calgary Office

1414 8 St SW #330, Calgary, AB T2R 1J6, Canada

Phone: +1 587-358-1403

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