Seattle Slip-and-Fall Attorney

Slip-and-Fall Lawyers Serving Seattle, WA

A slip-and-fall can happen anywhere to anyone. People can slip and fall in parking lots, businesses, or private residences. It only takes a moment to slip and fall, but your life can change in an instant if you’re injured. 

If you sustained an injury on someone else’s property due to a slip-and-fall, you may be able to file a premises liability claim. You need the assistance of a dedicated, skilled Seattle slip-and-fall attorney to represent you and fight for your rights.

The slip-and-fall lawyers in Seattle at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner will vigorously pursue the responsible party for your losses and work on your behalf to get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for legal guidance on your slip-and-fall case.

What Is a Slip-and-Fall Accident?

A slip-and-fall accident occurs when someone slips or trips and suffers an injury. Slip-and-fall accidents can occur for a wide variety of reasons. Accidents can happen, even in ideal conditions. But some accidents happen because a property owner fails to remove or repair a safety hazard. Common causes of slip-and-fall accidents include:

• Uneven sidewalks or floors;
• Slippery floors;
• Failure to post warning signs;
• Improper lighting;
• Lack of maintenance of handrails;
• Torn carpet or broken stairs;
• Snow, ice, or other weather issues;
• Debris or other obstructions in the walking path; and 
• Potholes in parking lots.

Each situation can become a hazard under the right set of circumstances. Let the trip-and-fall lawyers in Seattle at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner provide guidance for your claim.

What Are Common Slip-and-Fall Injuries?

A minor fall can result in severe injuries, especially in older people or those who have previously suffered injuries. The most common slip-and-fall injuries include:

• Hip fractures,
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI),
• Back and spinal cord injuries, and
• Ankle injuries.

Slip-and-fall accidents can result in serious injuries. To increase your chances of recovering compensation, engaging legal representation is imperative. Contact a Seattle slip-and-fall attorney to help you navigate the complexities of your claim.

What Should I Do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident?

Taking the right steps immediately after a slip-and-fall accident can protect your health and strengthen your legal claim. Whether you’re in a public store, in a private residence, or on government property, these actions can help document what happened and preserve crucial evidence.

Seek Medical Attention

Your health should be your top priority. Even if your injuries seem minor at first, it’s important to see a doctor. Some injuries, like concussions or internal damage, may not show symptoms right away. Medical records created shortly after the accident also serve as important evidence linking your injuries to the fall.

Report the Incident

If your fall occurs on business or public property, report it to the property owner, manager, or staff immediately. Ask them to document the incident in an official accident report and request a copy if possible. This report can help establish when and where the injury occurred, as well as who was notified.

Document the Scene

If you’re able to do so safely, take photos or videos of the location where the fall happened. Be sure to capture:

• The condition of the floor or surface;
• Any visible hazards (e.g., spills, debris, poor lighting);
• The absence of warning signs; and
• Your injuries.

This visual evidence can be extremely helpful when proving that a dangerous condition existed and contributed to your fall.

Collect Witness Information

If anyone witnessed the accident, please ask for their name and contact information. Witnesses can confirm how the fall occurred, describe the condition of the property, and offer neutral accounts of what happened.

Preserve Any Physical Evidence

Hold on to the clothing and shoes you were wearing during the fall, especially if they were damaged. Do not wash or alter them. These items may help show that the surface was slippery, wet, or otherwise unsafe.

Avoid Discussing the Accident on Social Media

It’s best to avoid posting about your fall, injuries, or recovery on social media while your claim is pending. Even casual posts can be misinterpreted or used by insurance companies to challenge your credibility. To protect your case, keep accident-related details offline and check with your attorney before sharing anything publicly.

Contact a Seattle Slip-and-Fall Attorney

A Seattle personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal rights, evaluate the strength of your claim, and begin collecting evidence before it disappears. Early legal involvement often makes a significant difference in the outcome of a premises liability case.

What Are Washington Premises Liability Laws?

Under Washington premises liability laws, your ability to recover compensation after a slip-and-fall accident often depends on your reason for being on the property. Different protections are afforded to (1) invitees, (2) licensees, and (3) trespassers.

Invitee

An invitee is a person who is invited onto the property, often to do business. An owner owes the invitee the highest duty of care. Business owners must exercise ordinary care to keep the property in a reasonably safe condition. To discharge duties owed to invitees, a business owner must inspect their property for dangerous conditions and correct them. A plaintiff must prove it is reasonably foreseeable that a dangerous condition existed based on the circumstances.

Licensee

A licensee often visits the owner’s property with the owner’s implied consent. Someone visiting a friend as a social guest is a licensee. The duty owed to a licensee is to take actions that make the property safe or to warn the licensee of hazardous conditions.

Trespasser

A trespasser is someone who has no right to be on an owner’s property. Trespassers are visitors who are on the property without permission. Owners do not owe a trespasser a duty of care, but an owner cannot intentionally or willfully harm trespassers.

Who Is Liable for Your Slip-and-Fall Injury?

A property owner is not responsible for all falls that occur on the owner’s property. But if the owner was aware (or should have been aware) of a hazard and failed to address it, they could be responsible for the damages if someone gets injured. 

To prove a property owner is liable for your slip-and-fall, you must demonstrate that the owner’s negligence was a factor in causing the accident. To prove negligence, you will need to provide strong evidence of four elements:

• The duty the defendant owed to you based on your status as an invitee, licensee, or trespasser,
• That the defendant breached their duty by failing to take required steps to keep their property safe; 
• That the dangerous condition caused or contributed to your injury; and 
• That you suffered physical injuries in the fall.

An experienced attorney can help gather the evidence needed to prove each of these elements and clearly show how the property owner’s negligence caused your injuries.

What Evidence Can I Use to Prove My Slip-and-Fall Claim?

Strong evidence is the foundation of any successful slip-and-fall case. The more documentation and supporting details you can gather, the better your chances of recovering fair compensation. Key types of evidence include:

• Photographs of the scene. Images showing hazardous conditions (e.g., a wet floor, a broken handrail, or poor lighting) can provide powerful evidence of negligence.
• Surveillance footage. If the fall occurred in a store, office, or apartment building, cameras may have recorded the incident or captured the duration of the danger before the fall.
• Witness statements. Testimony from people who saw your fall or the hazardous condition can help establish what happened and who may be responsible.
• Incident reports. If the fall happened at a business, an official report may have been filed. These can be useful for identifying employees involved and the owner’s initial response.
• Medical records. Detailed records of your injuries and treatment timelines help prove both the seriousness of your harm and its direct connection to the fall.
• Maintenance and inspection logs. These documents can show whether the property owner regularly checked for hazards or neglected routine safety measures.

Collecting this evidence early—before it’s altered, lost, or cleaned up—can significantly improve the strength of your case. An attorney can help you obtain records, interview witnesses, and request surveillance footage before it’s deleted or overwritten.

How Long Do You Have to File a Premises Liability Claim?

You can prevail on your slip-and-fall claim only if it is timely. The statute of limitations for your slip-and-fall premises liability lawsuit is three years from the date of the accident. Courts will dismiss any action that occurs outside this window. 

If the claim is against the State of Washington, you must submit a tort claim to initiate an action against an at-fault governmental entity. You must then wait for 60 days before filing a lawsuit. 

What Compensation Is Available to Injured Victims?

If you sustained an injury in a slip-and-fall due to a property owner’s negligence, you may be able to recover damages, including:

• Lost wages,
• Past and future medical expenses,
• Lost future earning capacity,
• Pain and suffering,
• Mental anguish,
• Scarring and disfigurement, and
• Out-of-pocket expenses.

You deserve full and fair compensation for your losses, but it can be difficult to obtain. Businesses and insurance companies are likely to fight your claim at every turn.

Preservation of evidence in your case is important. It would be helpful for you to collect:

• Medical records, 
• Photographs of the place where the injury occurred,
• A written report of the accident, and
• Contact information for any witnesses. 

This evidence will increase your chances of obtaining compensation for your injuries. 

Your Seattle slip-and-fall lawyer at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner will do everything they can to get you the maximum compensation for your injuries. We will research every aspect of your case to help ensure you receive just compensation. 

How Long Will My Case Take to Settle?

The time it takes to resolve a slip-and-fall case in Washington can vary depending on many factors. While some cases settle in a matter of months, others may take over a year, particularly if they involve serious injuries, complex liability issues, or litigation.

Several factors can influence how long your slip-and-fall claim may take to settle:

• Severity of your injuries. More severe injuries usually require extended treatment and additional time to reach maximum medical improvement. Settling too early can risk undervaluing future medical needs.
• Length of medical treatment. Insurance companies often wait until treatment concludes before assessing damages. The longer your recovery, the longer the claim may take.
• Disputes about liability. If the property owner denies responsibility or claims you were at fault, your attorney may need time to investigate, gather evidence, and consult experts.
• Insurance company cooperation. Some insurers are more willing to negotiate than others. If the insurer delays responses or offers a low settlement, this can add weeks or months to the process.
• Need for litigation. If the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement, your attorney may recommend filing a lawsuit. Litigation follows the court’s calendar and can significantly extend the timeline.
• Number of parties involved. If multiple parties share responsibility, such as a property owner and a maintenance company, sorting out liability can add complexity and delay the process.
• Witness availability. If your case relies heavily on witness statements, any delays in locating or scheduling witness interviews can affect your timeline.
• Availability of evidence. Gathering video footage, maintenance records, or expert testimony can be time-consuming, especially if the defendant refuses to share the necessary information.
• Court backlog. If your case goes to trial, the court’s schedule will determine when your case is heard. Some courts in Washington face significant backlogs.

While it’s understandable to want a quick resolution, it’s important not to rush the process. Settling too soon can result in accepting less than your case is worth. At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner, we work to resolve your case efficiently while ensuring you receive fair compensation. We keep you informed every step of the way, so you know what to expect and how your case is progressing.​

What If I Am Also Responsible for the Slip-and-Fall?

If you believe you may have played a role in your own fall, such as by looking at your phone, ignoring a posted warning sign, or wearing unsafe footwear, you might still have a valid claim. Washington follows a pure comparative fault rule, which means you can recover compensation even if you are partially at fault for the accident.

Under this rule, your total compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to you. For example, if you were awarded $100,000 in damages but found to be 20% at fault, your recovery would be reduced to $80,000. This system ensures that injured parties are not automatically disqualified from recovering damages simply because they may share some responsibility for the incident.

Insurance companies often try to use comparative fault to reduce or deny claims. They may argue that your actions were the primary cause of the fall. That’s why it’s important to have an attorney who can advocate for you, present evidence of the property owner’s negligence, and minimize any unfair attribution of fault.

FAQs

Here is more information on slip-and-fall accidents.​

What Happens If I Didn’t Seek Medical Attention Immediately?

Delaying medical treatment may not destroy your claim, but it can create challenges. Insurance adjusters often argue that if you didn’t see a doctor right away, you weren’t seriously injured or your injuries weren’t caused by the fall. If you waited to get treatment, your attorney may need to work with medical experts to connect the timing of your symptoms to the accident.

What Should I Avoid Doing After a Slip-and-Fall Accident?

To protect your claim, avoid the following mistakes:

• Giving recorded statements to insurance companies without legal advice,
• Signing any release or settlement agreement too early,
• Failing to document the scene and your injuries,
• Delaying medical treatment, and
• Posting about your accident or injuries on social media.

Steering clear of these pitfalls helps protect your rights and strengthens your position throughout the claims process.

How Much Does a Seattle Slip-and-Fall Attorney Cost?

At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner, we understand that the cost of legal help is a concern for many clients. That’s why we offer representation on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront legal fees, and we only get paid if we recover compensation on your behalf. We also offer free consultations, allowing you to understand your legal options before making a commitment.

Should I Hire a Lawyer?

Hiring a lawyer after a slip-and-fall accident isn’t legally required, but it can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. These claims often involve complex issues, such as proving negligence, navigating insurance negotiations, and documenting the extent of damages.

An experienced Seattle slip-and-fall attorney can guide you through each step, ensuring no detail is overlooked.

With a lawyer on your side, you’ll have help gathering evidence, calculating losses, and presenting a strong case. They can also handle communications with insurers and opposing parties, so you don’t have to. If a fair settlement can’t be reached, your attorney can take the case to trial.

At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner, we’ve helped injury victims across Washington for decades. We’re ready to stand up for your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner Can Help

At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner, we will use the full extent of our resources to help you pursue your claim. You need an experienced Seattle slip-and-fall lawyer on your side. Working with a Seattle slip-and-fall attorney can increase your chances of receiving a favorable settlement. In cases where you need to go to trial, we stand prepared with experienced trial lawyers.

At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner, we have been helping injured parties recover since 1972. We are a full-service injury law firm known for outstanding representation and personalized legal services. For a free consultation, contact us online or by phone.