wet floor sign on the hallway

If you have suffered injury as a result of a wet floor slip and fall accident on someone else’s property in New Jersey, contact Nagel Rice LLP to find out whether you have a viable premises liability claim. Your initial consultation will be free of charge and once you become our client we will charge you nothing until we win your case. 

Some slips and falls, particularly for children and young adults, are more embarrassing than harmful. However, such accidents often cause serious injuries, especially for older adults. When the underlying reason for a wet floor slip and fall is negligence on the part of the property owner, the victim may be able to file a claim for premises liability. 

When you put your case in the hands of our capable wet floor slip and fall attorneys, your chance of winning substantial compensation increases since our lawyers have an impressive history of successful litigation. In fact, we have won over a billion dollars for our clients over the years we’ve been in practice.

Common Causes of Wet Floor Slip and Fall Accidents

If you are enduring the physical pain and emotional trauma of a serious injury due to a wet floor accident, you are far from alone. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), falls are one of the three most frequent causes of injuries in the U.S. Not only that, but slippery surfaces are a common contributing factor to such accidents. Wet floor slips and falls occur all too often in both private residences and commercial structures due to:

  • Spilled liquids on floors in homes, stores, restaurants, and supermarkets
  • Oily substances on floors in factories, warehouses, and parking garages
  • Wet floors in retail stores, office buildings, and halls of apartment buildings
  • Hotels, government buildings, elevators
  • Wet tile floors in kitchens and bathrooms
  • Puddles in vestibules, lobbies, or basements

Slip and fall accidents can result in serious injuries that lead to high medical bills, usually received at the same time you are unable to work. This is when Nagel Rice’s lawyers are invaluable. We have the know-how that comes from long experience as negotiators and litigators. We know precisely what steps to take to hold negligent property owners accountable.

The Skills that Make our Slip and Fall Attorneys So Successful

Our attorneys have well-earned reputations for:

  • Sharp communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Investigative talents 
  • Having a network of experts to tap into for supportive testimony
  • Being creative legal strategists

All of these capabilities help us to do a thorough examination of police and medical records, obtain witness statements, discover evidence before the defendant has had a chance to make it less accessible, and litigate effectively.

Where Does It Hurt?

Wet floor slips and falls can result in all sorts of injuries, depending on the nature of the spill, the victim’s attire and footwear, the position of the individual at the time of the fall (e.g. erect, bent over, carrying a package), the direction in which they fall, and how they land. 

Falling backward, for example, will cause different injuries than falling forward, and the severity of the injury will largely depend on how hard the floor surface is. A fall on concrete is likely to be far worse than a fall on damp towels, for example. A wide variety of injuries can occur as a result of a wet floor slip and fall, ranging from temporarily incapacitating to permanent disabling or even fatal. These injuries include:

  • Wrist, hip, leg, shoulder, and other joint fractures
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries
  • Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Nerve damage
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Facial injuries
  • Nerve damage

If a loved one was a victim of wrongful death as a result of a wet floor slip and fall accident, our legal team will fight aggressively to recover the damages your surviving family members are entitled to for final medical costs, funeral expenses, and loss of emotional and/or financial support.

How Our New Jersey Attorneys Will Prove Liability for a Wet Floor Slip and Fall Accident

Legally, all property owners have a duty to keep their premises safe and sanitary. This means that if a spill occurs, the property owner has a responsibility to make sure it is mopped up. If a wet spot remains, warning signs, caution tape, or cones must be placed to indicate that the area is still slippery.

To have a valid claim for premises liability, we must be able to prove that:

  • The property owner had a duty of care to the victim
  • The property owner breached that duty of care
  • That breach of duty caused the victim’s injuries
  • Those injuries resulted in real (financial) damages

In many cases, our attorneys are able to make a strong enough case that the insurance company will make us a reasonable offer through negotiations alone. If it does not, we are always prepared to engage in vigorous litigation.

Damages We Will Fight to Recover for You and Your Family

In a successful premises liability claim, we can recover the following economic and noneconomic damages, as they apply in your particular case:

  • Lost wages – present and future
  • Medical expenses 
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Rehabilitative costs
  • Permanent disability
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

Punitive damages, intended to punish the defendant further and to serve as a warning to others to refrain from similar egregious behavior may also be awarded by the court, but only 

in cases involving the defendant’s failure to remedy a hazard.

Contact Our New Jersey & New York Wet Floor Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys

The sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner we can begin lifting the burden of legal maneuvering from your shoulders. You need time to rest and heal. Contact the compassionate attorneys at Nagel Rice to see that you get it. While you relax, we will fight hard to get you the meaningful compensation you deserve.

Nagel Rice LLP helps its clients throughout New Jersey, including Roseland, Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County. We also represent clients in New York throughout Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.