Slip and Fall Accidents in Ottawa increase during winter months

 
It is no surprise that our personal injury law firm receives many more calls during winter months from persons injured in slip and fall accidents. With snow, slush and ice everywhere, there are many opportunities for people to fall.
 
Other than motor vehicle accidents, accidents involving persons slipping, tripping or falling are the most common type of accident cases we see. We have handled hundreds, if not thousands of such cases over the years.  Slip and falls or trip and falls can cause a wide variety of injuries, ranging from soft tissue injuries to permanent head injuries. For some people, the injuries they sustain in what seemed to be a simple fall results in permanent disability requiring long term rehabilitation treatment and home care. In all cases, injury victims incur unexpected expenses associated with their injuries such as medical expenses, medication costs, travel expenses, assistive devices etc… Moreover, they often suffer income losses and lost opportunities.  All of theses losses and expenses can be recovered from the person or persons responsible for the fall. 
 
Falls occur during all areas of daily living, while walking on a municipal sidewalk, wile shopping at the mall or in a retail store, at work, at a friends home. Whether the fall occurred at a private residence or at a public place, the onus is on the injured person to prove that the owner, occupier or person responsible for the maintenance of the property was negligent.  The Ontario Occupier’s Liability Act imposes a positive duty on all owners and occupiers of property to ensure their property is safe at all times. Things like improper lighting, poor maintenance, slippery surfaces, pot holes, uneven surfaces, loose carpeting, no handrails, debris in stairs or ailes etc… are all ways to show the property owner or occupier did not take sufficient precautions to ensure the safety of the person using the property.  
 
As Ottawa slip and fall and trip and fall lawyers, we are trained and very experienced in determining who is responsible for the accident. In many cases there are 2 or three potential at fault persons to pursue. In some cases there ate many people to pursue on different legal grounds. It is often difficult at first to determine who is responsible. However, we review the circumstances and facts and conduct our own investigation, including various property and corporate searches to determine the proper parties who may be responsible at law. 
 
In most cases, the owner or occupier of the property will have liability insurance to provide compensation for injured victims. Our lawyers work very hard to maximize the amount of compensation our clients receive. Our Ottawa law firm provides free consultations and our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we do not charge a fee until we win your case. 
 
Sent from Marc Quinn’s iPad
QTMG Personal Injury Lawyers
613-315-4878