Myrtle Beach Slip and Fall Attorney

Businesses and other property owners have an obligation to keep their premises safe for invited guests or customers. Failure to clean up spills, correct dangerous conditions, or warn people about these hazards can lead to people suffering serious injuries because of falls.

A slip and fall accident can cause immense harm, depending on numerous factors such as the height that a victim fell from, how they landed, and perhaps what they landed on. These injuries can lead to victims facing an overwhelming amount of medical bills, dealing with a devastating loss of income because of an inability to return to work, and enormous pain and suffering.

If you sustained severe injuries or your loved one was killed in a slip and fall accident in the greater Myrtle Beach area, you should seek help to recover the compensation that you need and deserve. An experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to fight to make sure you get justice. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers represents clients in Myrtle Beach, Socastee, Conway, Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and surrounding areas of Georgetown County, Marion County, and Horry County. Call (843) 839-4795 or fill out an online contact form to have our Myrtle Beach slip and fall attorney provide a complete evaluation of your case during a consultation.

Why Do I Need a Slip and Fall Lawyer?

When you or your loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, both the property owner and their insurance company are very likely to argue that you were the one at fault for your injuries. Right from the outset, you stand alone against the opinions of two others who only represent their best interests. You need an attorney on your side to not only represent your best interests but to simply to make it a fair fight.

A lawyer will help develop your case by conducting an independent investigation of your accident to collect important evidence. If an insurance company contacts you, you should refuse to speak to them until you have legal representation.

Make no mistake; an insurer wants to get you on the phone simply to try and get you to say something that could be used to demonstrate your own negligence. Many people unknowingly provide insurance companies with these statements when they speak to representatives.

Some insurers will also offer lump-sum settlements to victims to try to get them to resolve their cases, but these settlements are rarely enough to cover the full lifetime of care that is required. An attorney will make sure that you have the best chance of recovering as much compensation as possible.

Why Choose the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers?

William J. Luse has more than 12 years of legal experience and is licensed state courts all over South Carolina as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He is a member of the South Carolina Association for Justice and the National Employment Lawyers Association.

The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers is committed to taking the time necessary to get to know our clients and fully understand everything about their stories. We believe that we must know all of the ways that your injuries have affected your life in order to present the strongest possible story to a jury.

When our firm negotiates a settlement with an insurance company, you can be sure that settlement covers all of your past, present, and future needs. If the insurer is unwilling to make an adequate offer, the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers will file a lawsuit.

Do not think that you cannot afford a lawyer for your slip and fall case. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers represents clients on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay when you obtain a financial award.

Slip and Fall Cases We Handle

Slip and fall accidents can occur on public or private property, and the property owner can be liable for a victim’s injuries. Some of the common public places in Myrtle Beach for slip and fall accidents include, but are not limited to:

• Aldi
• Walmart
• Food Lion
• Bi-Lo
• Kroger
• Lowes Foods
• Publix
• The Fresh Market
• 810 Billiards & Bowling
• Alabama Theatre
• Apache Pier
• The Asher Theatre
• The Backstage Mirror Maze
• Barefoot Landing
• The Big M Casino
• Black River Outdoors Center
• The Bowery
• Brookgreen Gardens
• The Carolina Opry
• Crazy Sister Marina
• Dave & Buster’s
• Duplin Winery
• Family Kingdom Amusement Park
• Five Star Venue
• GTS Theatre
• Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center
• Hopsewee Plantation
• Huntington Beach State Park
• The Market Common
• Myrtle Beach Room Escape
• Myrtle Beach Speedway
• Myrtle Beach State Park
• Myrtle Waves Water Park
• Second Avenue Pier
• SkyWheel Myrtle Beach
• Soar + Explore
• Splashes Oceanfront Water Park
• Tanger Outlet Center
• The Track
• Wild Water & Wheels
• WonderWorks

Slip and fall accidents can be the result of various hazards. Some of the most common causes include, but are not limited to:

• Poor lighting
• Wet, slippery flooring
• Dirty or trash covered floors
• Pavement defects
• Exposed electrical cords and wires
• Cracked or uneven flooring
• Torn floor mats
• Broken handrails
• Potholes

Victims in these cases can suffer any one of a number of possible injuries. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Internal organ damage
• Soft tissue injuries
• Neck injuries
• Lacerations
• Fractures
• Sprains
• Pulled muscles
• Facial injuries including broken teeth

When a slip and fall accident occurs in a public place such as a business, file a report with the manager or other supervisor and ask for a copy of the report. When a slip and fall accident occurs on private property, try to take pictures of the danger that caused your accident.

Your first step after a slip and fall accident should be to seek medical attention—even if you do not think that you suffered injuries. Then you should contact an attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an invitee, licensee, and trespasser?

The duty of care a property owner owes a guest depends on the guest’s legal classification.

• Invitee – A person who is on a property by the expressed or implied invitation. They are usually there for the benefit of the business owner. Examples are delivery people, maintenance workers or customers. Invitees are owed the highest duty of care. Property owners are required to inspect the property, warn of defects and fix any hazards.
• Licensee – A person who is permitted by the owner to be on their property, often for the licensee’s own purposes. Examples are friends, family, neighbors or unsolicited salespeople. The property owner owes a lesser duty of care to licensees. They are just required to warn of known dangers that the owner is aware of and are unlikely to be discovered without warning.
• Trespasser – A person who is unlawfully on another person’s property. Trespassers are not owed a duty of care when they are an adult. Trespassers who are children can be owed a duty of care, specifically to avoid “attractive nuisances,” or objects such as swimming pools or trampolines that can be enticing to children and involve significant dangers that they might not appreciate.

What happens if I was partially to blame for my slip and fall accident?

In South Carolina, a plaintiff in a negligence action could recover damages if their negligence is not greater than that of the defendant. The amount of recovery would be reduced in proportion to the amount of the plaintiff’s negligence. In other words, you can recover compensation in a truck accident case as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault. However, your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault. In other words, a person who is awarded $100,000 in a commercial truck accident case but is found to have been 20 percent at fault will have their award reduced by $20,000 and ultimately receive $80,000.

What kind of damages can be recovered in a slip and fall accident?

Most slip and fall cases are resolved through settlements that are intended to provide all of the compensation a victim will need for the full lifetime of care relating to their injuries. When a case does go to trial, the jury could award a victim compensatory damages, including both economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are costs that can be calculated and proven such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Noneconomic damages are much more subjective and commonly include pain and suffering,disfigurement or even the effects suffered by a family as a result of the victim’s injury.

Slip and Fall Statistics

According to the National Institute on Aging, 30 percent of people over the age of 65 sustain falls every year, and 10 percent of these cases result in serious injuries. The Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets 5th edition stated that 85 percent of workers’ compensation claims result from employees slipping on slick floors. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), employee slip and fall accidents lead to $70 billion in compensation and medical costs every year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over 15,000 people older than 65 years of age died as a result of falls, and about 1.8 million people in the same age group were treated in emergency rooms for falls. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), floors and flooring materials directly contribute to over 2 million fall injuries annually.

According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), a third of people over the age of 65 experience a fall every year in the United States. The NFSI states that half of these victims have fallen before

The NFSI reported that falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for those who are 85 years of age or older, and the second leading cause of injury-related death for people between the ages of 65 and 84. According to the NFSI, 60 percent of deaths associated with falls involved people 75 years of age or older.

The NFSI reported that falls account for 87 percent of all fractures among people over 65 years of age and are the second leading cause of spinal cord and brain injury. According to the NFSI, falls represent the sixth leading cause of death among people 70 years of age or older.

Contact a Myrtle Beach Slip and Fall Attorney Today

Were you or a loved one injured in a slip and fall accident caused by another party’s negligence in Myrtle Beach? As real as the effects of your injury may seem to you, the insurance company for the negligent party is all but certain to question the severity of your injuries and attempt to pay you as little as possible. You should seek the help of an attorney to protect your rights. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers is here to help you. Our team of experienced and compassionate attorneys is here to guide you through this difficult time and get work to get you the compensation you deserve. Call (843) 839-4795 or contact us online to have our lawyer review your case and help you understand all of your legal options during a consultation.