South Carolina property owners have a duty to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors to their premises, which includes sidewalks, parking lots and other outdoor areas.
Hazards such as ice, water-slicked surfaces, potholes, loose paving stones, cracks, and inadequate lighting may cause falls and injuries on sidewalks and parking lots. A negligent property owner may be held liable for falls that cause injuries.
Joye Law Firm helps fall victims like you obtain the compensation they need and deserve when they’ve been unjustly injured.
Just Call Joye Law Firm
Reach us now by filling out this online contact form. We’ll investigate if you think your accident was caused by negligent upkeep of a sidewalk or parking lot in South Carolina.
Property Owners Responsible for Parking Lot & Sidewalk Hazards
Businesses, local governments, homeowners and other property owners in South Carolina may be responsible when visitors are injured on their property. They have a general legal obligation to ensure that the property is reasonably free of hazards or that visitors are made aware of hazards that exist. This area of the law is known as “premises liability.”
Premises liability extends to sidewalks and parking lots. Owners are responsible for the maintenance and repairs necessary to keep them free of hazards. If parking lot or sidewalk hazards cannot be removed in a reasonable amount of time, property owners should post warnings that are adequate to call attention to them or they should safeguard the area with fencing or another type of barrier.
Potential fall hazards on a sidewalk or parking lot include:
- Water, ice, snow, sleet and mud.
- Spills, such as engine oil, antifreeze, dropped groceries or a drink
- Loose or broken paving stones that create shifting or uneven surfaces.
- Irregular or shifting turf, such as mulch, sand, gravel or crushed stone surfaces.
- Potholes or depressions caused by broken or settling pavement
- Clutter such as debris, trash, tools, equipment and merchandise shipments.
- Inadequate lighting that makes curbs, speed bumps, tire stops and other surface changes hidden at night.
Have any of these or other dangerous conditions caused you to slip or trip and fall in a parking lot or on a sidewalk or walkway? If so, you may have a valid claim for the serious injuries you suffered.
Do You Have a Slip-and-Fall Claim?
Not every fall can lead to a lawsuit. If a serious injury in a slip-and-fall accident was caused by a property owner’s negligence, including negligence by a business owner’s management or staff, the victim may be entitled to financial help.
Slip-and-fall lawsuits typically seek compensation from the property owner’s liability insurance. In many cases a proper settlement can be negotiated. Before negotiations or litigation, a case must be investigated to show the validity of the claim and the value of the claim.
Compensation in a successful slip-and-fall case may include money for:
- Medical expenses, including projected future expenses
- Income loss
- Property damage for torn clothing, a broken wristwatch, etc.
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages in cases of flagrant or egregious negligence
Determining the validity and value of your parking lot or sidewalk fall claim requires an investigation by a legal team experienced with South Carolina premises liability cases. Joye Law Firm’s attorneys have a record of results for our clients.
Hurt in a Fall in a Parking Lot or On a Sidewalk? Get Help from Our Lawyers Today
If you’ve been seriously injured in a sidewalk or parking lot fall caused by a property owner’s negligence in South Carolina, call Joye Law Firm. We’ll take your claim and your needs seriously. Call us now or fill out this online contact form to set up a free and confidential consultation today.
