Kim K’s Slip & Fall

What Happened?

One of the most common types of accidents, slip, and fall, happens quite often in the United States. Even celebrities like Kim Kardashian aren’t immune to such tragedies. She recently became a victim of a slip and fall, which led her to fracturing her foot. While this is unfortunate, and we wish her a speedy recovery, this provides an important reminder that this can happen to anyone, anywhere. We’re taking this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of avoiding slip and fall scenarios and the legal options available if becoming a victim of such a case. The following will show the causes of these types of accidents and look at how these cases can potentially be interpreted in the legal system. Whether you are a celebrity or just an everyday person, understanding your rights in the event of a slip and fall is very important. In such cases, you have a right to financial compensation. 

Common Slip and Fall Accidents

There are plenty of factors that can cause unsafe conditions and or environments in public or private spaces. Slip and fall accidents can literally happen anywhere, i.e., in the grocery store, on the sidewalk, in your house, at your work, or in your office. Common slips and falls include, but are not limited to: 

1. Wet or Slippery Floor: This is very common and speaks for itself, but is worth mentioning at all times. This could happen from a spill, recently clean floor, or possible weather conditions such as rain and or snow.
2. Uneven Ground: Sidewalks that have cracks, stairs that are uneven, or parking lots that can potentially trip and fall.
3. Bad Lighting: Sometimes, hallways, parking structures, or staircases have dim or insufficient lights that can potentially cause misstep from the person. Poorly lit areas increase the risk of tripping over potential obstacles or missing a step. Leading to serious harm.
4. Debris: Loose rugs, boxes, trash, anything on the floor are potential debris that can cause a tripping hazard. People walking through clutter increases their chance of slipping and falling, which result to more injuries.
5. Weather Conditions: It was previously stated, but worth mentioning in better detail. Snow, ice, or even rain, can create conditions for people to slip and fall. These are specifically in outdoor areas. Property owners are responsible for clearing walkways.
6. Stairs and Handrails: Loose stairs, broken handrails, or missing steps on staircases can contribute to dangerous falls. These need to be properly taken care to prevent any potential injuries.

Legal Implications

In slip-and-fall cases, legal consequences can fall on one or multiple parties. These cases typically fall under the category of personal injury law. Most of these cases will be civil lawsuits. The biggest factor is determining who is liable for the slip and fall. In other words, who do we blame for such an incident to happen in the first place? 

For instance, in Kim Kardashian’s matter, if her fall happened in a place where there was an unmarked wet floor in public, she could potentially have a claim against the property owner or whoever is responsible for allowing the floor to cause slip and fall. For anyone that might have experienced something similar, understanding the basics of slip and fall is important.

1. Premises Liability: It can be homeowners, someone who runs a business, or a government entity. They have a legal duty to maintain a safe premise.
2. Negligence: in order to make a solid case, the injured party needs to show proof that the property owner is negligent in some way. So, in this case, the argument is that the property owner was aware, or should have been, of the hazard but failed to address the matter.
3. Injuries & Damages: It can be from minor bruises to very serious harm such as fractures, head trauma, or even spinal injuries. Any victim of a slip and fall can pursue compensation for medical bills, loss of work, pain, and suffering. These types of claims have a limited window to file a lawsuit.

Conclusion

If you ever fall into such a tragedy, seek medical attention. Your health is very important above all. Even if you don’t feel anything right away, some injuries like fractures or concussions may not be right away. Secondly, you have to attempt to report the incident. If there was a slip and fall at someone’s property, the owner or a manager needs to be notified right away. Gathering evidence is also key for building your case. Pictures, videos, or even a witness can be very helpful. Lastly, seek legal help. Here at KAASS LAW, we can further assist and or legally represent you if you contact us right away! We have an experienced team and prestige attorneys who can assess the situation and help compensate for your financial losses.