Slip & fall accidents can result in severe injuries, impacting every aspect of your life. If you or a loved one suffered injuries due to a negligent slip & fall accident on someone else's property, you need an attorney experienced in premises liability law.
At The Oakes Firm, our personal injury attorneys understand the challenges victims face when dealing with healthcare bills, income losses, and painful recovery while navigating complex premises liability claims.
Call (267) 310-0656 for your free consultation with our experienced Philadelphia slip & fall accident lawyers. We are here to help you during this challenging time.
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Why Choose a Philadelphia Slip & Fall Accident Lawyer at The Oakes Firm?
At The Oakes Firm, our dedication to our clients is unwavering. Our top priority is achieving the best possible outcome for you—even if it means a smaller return for us.
Sometimes, that means teaming up with other trusted law firms to strengthen your case. Rest assured that this partnership doesn't affect your legal fees. You get the combined power of two firms working for you at no extra cost.
We have decades of combined experience, securing over $25 million for clients injured in premises liability cases, including Philadelphia slip & fall claims.
Our firm's approach combines thorough investigation, detailed knowledge of premises liability law, and personalized attention to each client's unique circumstances and needs.
Free and Confidential Consultations
We believe every injured individual should be able to pursue justice, no matter their financial standing. That's why we offer free consultations designed to assess the strength of your case, address your concerns, and give you clear, honest insight into your legal options moving forward.
We won't accept your case if we aren't confident we will secure a settlement, and there is no pressure to hire our firm after receiving your free legal assessment. Anything you share with our legal team is strictly confidential.
Contingency Fee Arrangements
At The Oakes Firm, we understand the financial and emotional hardships following an injury caused by someone else's negligence. That's why we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless and until we secure a settlement for your damages.
These arrangements guarantee that we only get paid when you do and incentivize our slip & fall attorneys to work diligently to recover maximum compensation for your injuries and losses.
Establishing Premises Liability in a slip & fall
Successfully resolving a slip & fall claim requires proving that the property owner or occupier failed to maintain safe premises and that this negligence directly caused your injuries and subsequent damages.
Our attorneys comprehensively investigate the circumstances of your accident, gathering vital evidence to establish fault under Pennsylvania premises liability law.
Key elements we must and will prove in slip & fall cases include:
- Notice of Hazardous Condition: Evidence showing the property owner knew or reasonably should have known about the dangerous condition—maintenance logs, employee testimony, surveillance footage, or previous complaints. Proving awareness is key to establishing the owner's duty to act.
- Failure to Address the Hazard: Documentation of negligent maintenance, lack of proper warning signs, or failure to make timely and adequate repairs can involve work orders, inspection reports, or photographs showing the condition remained uncorrected. It demonstrates that the property owner failed to take reasonable steps to fix or warn about the danger.
- Unreasonable Danger: Proof that the condition posed a significant and unexpected risk beyond what a typical visitor would anticipate. Uneven flooring, unmarked wet surfaces, or poor lighting in stairwells are common examples. The more hazardous and hidden the risk, the stronger the claim of negligence.
- Causation: A clear link between the unsafe condition and the injuries sustained by the victim. Medical records, accident reports, and witness statements can help establish this connection. It must be shown that the hazardous condition directly caused or significantly contributed to the harm.
- Your Legal Status on the Property: Whether you were an invitee, licensee, or trespasser affects the level of care the property owner was legally required to provide. For example, businesses owe customers (invitees) the highest duty of care. Understanding your status helps determine the owner's responsibility.
- Property Ownership or Control: Identifying who had legal responsibility for the property—whether the owner, a tenant, a property management company, or a government entity—is imperative for determining who to name in the lawsuit. Lease agreements and public records can help clarify legal control.
- Standard of Care Violations: Expert testimony or industry guidelines showing the property failed to meet acceptable safety standards or violated building codes. These violations support claims of negligence by highlighting what should have been done. Experts can also compare the property to similar premises that follow proper safety protocols.
- Similar Previous Incidents: A documented history of similar accidents or formal complaints about the same hazard on the property can demonstrate that the property owner has a pattern of being aware of issues but failing to take corrective action. It strengthens the argument that the hazard was known and ignored.
- Inadequate Inspection Procedures: Evidence that the property lacked routine safety checks, proper maintenance procedures, or regular hazard assessments. Testimony from staff or missing inspection logs can support this claim. Poor protocols show a broader failure to ensure visitor safety.
We identify all liable parties to ensure total accountability and maximum compensation. If you or a loved one sustained injuries, call (267) 310-0656 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Philadelphia slip & fall lawyer. Our offices are located in Penn Center House:
The Oakes Firm
1900 JFK Blvd - Suite 302
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Compensation for a Philadelphia Slip & Fall Accident
Victims of slip & fall accidents may be entitled to substantial compensation for the actual damages caused by a property owner's negligence. Actual damages address the financial and intangible losses incurred from the accident.
Pennsylvania law recognizes that serious injuries affect victims economically, emotionally, and socially, allowing for the recovery of damages that reflect these multifaceted impacts.
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to the measurable financial losses caused by a slip & fall injury. These losses are typically supported by documentation such as medical invoices, pay stubs, receipts, and expert assessments of long-term expenses.
In Philadelphia slip & fall claims, standard forms of economic damages include:
- Healthcare Expenses: These costs include emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, and follow-up visits related to your injuries. Accurate documentation of these costs is essential to ensure full reimbursement.
- Long-Term Medical Care: Ongoing treatments—physical therapy, pain management, and specialist consultations may be necessary for months or even years. Medical experts often project these future costs to reflect your anticipated recovery needs.
- Lost Income: If your injuries prevent you from working, you may be entitled to recover the income you've missed during your recovery period. Pay stubs, tax records, and employer statements can help support your claim.
- Property Damages: This refers to personal belongings damaged in the incident, such as smartphones, medical assistive devices, clothing, or eyeglasses. Receipts or repair estimates help document these losses.
- Household Services: Injuries may prevent you from performing regular household tasks like cleaning, cooking, or yard work. Compensation can include the cost of hiring help to manage these responsibilities during your recovery.
- Transportation Costs: Travel expenses to and from doctor appointments, physical therapy sessions, or specialist consultations, including mileage, parking fees, or public transit fares.
- Home Modifications: If your injury results in reduced mobility, your home may need adjustments such as ramps, handrails, or accessible bathrooms. These modifications are considered necessary medical expenses and can be included in your claim.
Our Philadelphia slip & fall lawyers collaborate with expert witnesses—such as medical professionals, vocational rehab specialists, and life care planners—to thoroughly assess the full scope of monetary losses.
The Oakes Firm's comprehensive approach ensures that settlement demands account for immediate expenses and long-term healthcare costs associated with your rehabilitation and recovery. By relying on expert insight, we build a compelling slip & fall case that accurately reflects the actual value of your claim.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages cover the personal and emotional hardships that result from a slip & fall injury—impacts that aren't easily quantified with receipts or invoices. These damages recognize the physical discomfort, psychological strain, and overall disruption to a person's well-being and daily life.
In slip & fall cases, typical examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and Suffering: These damages cover the physical discomfort and emotional distress experienced due to your injuries. It reflects the immediate pain and lingering effects that interfere with your daily comfort and mental well-being.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Injuries may prevent you from participating in activities and hobbies you once loved. A loss of enjoyment of life can profoundly affect your overall happiness and sense of fulfillment.
- Decreased Quality of Life: When injuries limit your independence or ability to engage in everyday routines, your overall quality of life can suffer significantly. These impacts may be long-lasting and affect your life's personal and professional aspects.
- Loss of Consortium: Serious injuries can strain relationships, particularly with a spouse or close family members. A loss of consortium includes the loss of companionship, emotional support, and intimacy.
- Disability and Disfigurement: Permanent physical changes such as scarring, amputation, or limited mobility can lead to significant emotional and psychological challenges. These lasting effects often require adjustments to both lifestyle and self-image.
Calculating fair compensation for non-economic damages requires evaluating how the injury affects the victim's daily life, the intensity of the suffering, and how long the effects are expected to last.
An experienced Philadelphia slip & fall lawyer knows how to present these personal, often invisible losses in a powerful and relatable way—using tools like detailed personal narratives, day-in-the-life videos, and insights from medical and mental health experts.
Our approach helps ensure that insurers and juries fully understand the physical, emotional, and psychological toll of your injuries.
Wrongful Death Benefits
Slip & fall accidents are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths. Family members may be eligible to pursue wrongful death benefits after the tragic loss of a loved one due to a property owner's negligence.
These benefits may cover various economic losses, such as funeral and burial or cremation expenses, lost financial support, and the value of household services the deceased would have provided.
Additionally, families may be entitled to non-economic damages for the emotional impact of their loss, including loss of companionship, guidance, and emotional support. Pursuing a wrongful death claim helps ease the financial burden and holds the responsible parties accountable for failing to maintain a safe environment.
Our Philadelphia Slip & Fall Accident Lawyers Fight for Full Compensation
Insurance companies representing property owners often use strategic methods to reduce or outright deny compensation for slip & fall victims.
At The Oakes Firm, our personal injury attorneys are well-versed in these tactics and take a proactive, strategic approach to push back—ensuring our clients are treated fairly and receive the compensation they're entitled to. With a strong track record of dealing with insurance adjusters and defense counsel, we know how they operate and stay ahead of their moves at every stage of the claims process.
Some of the most common insurance strategies we guard against include:
- Immediate claim denial based on lack of notice or alleged obvious nature of the hazard
- Allegations of pre-existing conditions rather than injuries from the fall
- Surveillance of victims, attempting to catch them engaging in activities inconsistent with their claimed injuries
- Quick lowball settlement offers before the full extent of injuries is known
- Recorded statement requests designed to extract damaging admissions
- Delay tactics, hoping financial pressure will force acceptance of lower offers
- Disputing the severity of injuries despite clear medical documentation
- Challenging liability by claiming the hazard was open and obvious
- Misrepresenting premises liability laws to confused and vulnerable victims
- Using social media posts against victims to contradict injury claims
- Aggressive investigation of the victim's background and medical history
Our Philadelphia slip & fall lawyers have successfully countered these tactics in hundreds of cases, recovering substantial compensation for our clients despite determined insurance opposition.
Despite most cases settling outside court, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial to ensure adequate preparation if your case is the one in twenty that goes to trial. We conduct thorough investigations, consult with respected experts, and build compelling evidence of liability and damages that stand up to the most rigorous scrutiny.
Speak to an Experienced Philadelphia Slip & Fall Accident Lawyer
Pennsylvania's statute of limitations generally gives you just two years from the date of your slip & fall accident to file a lawsuit, but waiting can significantly damage your case. Property conditions change, surveillance footage gets erased, witnesses become challenging to locate, and memories fade.
Additionally, when claims involve government entities such as city-owned property, notice requirements may be as short as six months.
If you've suffered an injury on someone else's property, contacting an experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer can make a substantial difference in the outcome of your case. Call (267) 310-0656 for your free consultation to get started today.