After a bad slip-and-fall injury in Ohio, who is responsible?

You never see it coming: you are walking through a store, parking lot, park or other gathering place when suddenly you lose your balance. You fall hard to the ground or floor. You might immediately feel terrible pain, or the pain might slowly increase over the next few hours or days until it is unbearable.

Depending on where you were hurt, you might struggle to walk or do daily tasks. You may need prescription drugs, physical therapy or even surgery to get better, but it is possible you will never recover fully.

A slip-and-fall accident can rob you of your independence, ability to work and your ability to enjoy life. While rarely intentional, these incidents are often the result of a negligent property owner or possessor who failed to keep the premises reasonably safe. And in Ohio, you have the right to seek compensation from a property owner after you are injured in a fall on their premises.

The legal responsibility property owners have

In Ohio, every property owner owes a legal duty to those who visit their property. Under this duty, property owners, managers and possessors must take reasonable steps to repair potentially dangerous “traps,” such as wet floors, icy walkways and staircases with broken handrails. If repairing the trap is not possible, the party in control of the property must at least post a warning to visitors, like a “Wet Floor” sign.

Failure to get rid of or warn about hazards puts visitors in danger of serious injury. Ohio’s personal injury laws recognize that victims of this type of negligence should not have to pay the costs of their resulting medical treatment, lost wages and so on. Working with a personal injury attorney can greatly improve your chances of fair compensation.