If you suffered a fall on another party’s property in Tulsa, Oklahoma, you may be entitled to financial damages for your personal and economic losses. The Tulsa slip and fall accident lawyers at Parrish DeVaughn can help you pursue full accountability. Call (918) 503-9047 to set up a free consultation to discuss your claim.
Slip and fall accidents can result from hazards such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, or damaged walkways. Determining whether a property owner or another party may be liable often depends on how the dangerous condition developed and whether they knew or should have known about it.
Why Choose Parrish DeVaughn for Help After a Slip and Fall in Tulsa, OK?
Establishing liability in premises liability cases requires investigating whether the landowner knew or should have known of the dangerous condition. Our firm has the resources to take on property owners who deny responsibility for hazards they knew about.
Clients across Tulsa, OK, rely on our legal team because:
- We have recovered over $300 million for past clients
- We are proud to be the official personal injury lawyers of the Oklahoma City Thunder
- Our attorneys are recognized by respected legal services like Super Lawyers and the National Trial Lawyers
- Our Tulsa slip and fall accident attorneys know Oklahoma premises liability law and regularly go up against large property owners and insurers
- We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we secure a financial recovery
Contact us today to schedule a free case review with an experienced Tulsa personal injury lawyer.
Legal Duties Owed to Property Visitors Under Oklahoma Law
Under state law, property owners owe a duty of care to keep their premises safe for guests. The duty of care owed by a property owner depends on what the visitor was doing on the premises.
Invitees
An invitee enters the property for a business benefit to the owner. Examples include a customer in a retail store, grocery store, or dining establishment. Owners owe invitees the highest standard of care, requiring them to maintain safe premises, conduct reasonable inspections, and warn of hidden dangers. Most slip and fall claims involve business invitees injured on commercial property.
Licensees
A licensee enters the property with express or implied permission for their own convenience or social purposes. The typical example is a houseguest. Property owners owe a lower duty of care to licensees, mainly to warn them of known dangerous conditions that are not obvious. These cases may involve slips and falls on private property, usually covered by home or renter’s insurance.
Trespassers
Landowners generally owe minimal duties to individuals entering land without permission. Generally, they are only required to avoid intentionally harming the trespasser. Certain exceptions exist for child trespassers attracted to a dangerous feature on the property, like a swimming pool.
An experienced lawyer can evaluate your accident to determine your legal status and whether the owner breached their duty of care before your fall.
Determining the Value of a Tulsa Slip and Fall Claim
Every accident involves distinct circumstances and damages. Therefore, there is no fixed settlement amount. Your total recovery will vary depending on the severity of harm you suffered and how it has affected your health and finances.
Key factors tending to affect claim value include:
- The injury severity and type
- Your current and future medical costs
- The lost wages and reduced earning capacity you may experience
- Permanent disability or impairment
- The impact to your daily life
- The strength of your liability evidence
- Comparative fault claims alleging you share fault
- Insurance policy limits of the property owner
An attorney can assess your damages during a free consultation and later work to establish their full value by working with medical and financial experts (when necessary).
Available Compensation in an Oklahoma Slip and Fall Case
Premises liability claims allow injured victims to seek economic and non-economic damages to address the range of damages experienced after an accident.
Economic damages compensate for financial losses, including:
- Past and future medical bills
- Physical therapy expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages cover personal, non-financial impacts, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
An experienced attorney can help you determine the damages you can recover and whether caps will apply to your award.
Common Injuries Caused By Slips and Falls in Tulsa
Fall incidents frequently result in significant trauma. In fact, falls are among the leading causes of accidental injuries for adults.
Our personal injury lawyers represent clients suffering from:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord trauma
- Bone fractures
- Herniated discs
- Neck injuries
- Torn ligaments
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Permanent disability or impairment
Prompt medical evaluation following an accident protects both your health and your legal remedies.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Dangerous property conditions arise across various facilities and establishments, both public and private. However, most falls are preventable when property owners exercise reasonable safety precautions.
Common hazards that lead to slips and falls include:
- Wet flooring lacking adequate warning signs
- Uneven or damaged walking surfaces
- Poor lighting conditions that obstruct a visitor’s ability to see
- Unexpected obstacles blocking pathways
- Damaged or missing handrails
- Torn or upturned carpeting
If a property owner had actual or constructive notice of a danger and failed to remedy it, they may be liable for the falls that result. In some cases, other parties may share liability for a fall, especially contractors hired to clean or maintain the property.
Comparative Fault Rules in Oklahoma
Under 23 O.S. § 13, Oklahoma follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you share some responsibility for your slip and fall accident, you may still recover compensation as long as your percentage of fault does not exceed the combined fault of the parties responsible for your injuries.
Your compensation will be reduced according to your share of fault. For example, if your damages total $150,000 and you are found 30% responsible, your recovery would be reduced to $105,000. However, if you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally cannot recover compensation.
Insurance companies may argue that you were partly responsible because you failed to notice or avoid the dangerous condition. Our legal team can challenge unsupported allegations of fault and work to protect your claim.
Statute of Limitations for Oklahoma Premises Claims
Under 12 O.S. § 95, injured individuals generally have two years from the date of a slip and fall accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Waiting too long could prevent you from pursuing compensation, even if you otherwise have a valid claim.
If you miss the applicable filing deadline, you may lose your right to seek financial recovery through the legal system. Contact us today to learn more about the deadline that applies to your case.
How an Attorney Can Help With Your Case
Navigating a premises liability matter requires showing more than just a fall resulting in injury. You must establish that the landowner possessed actual or constructive notice of the danger and failed to remedy the condition within a reasonable timeframe.
Hiring a skilled lawyer helps strengthen your claim by:
- Obtaining security camera footage before video records are deleted or overwritten
- Evaluating inspection records, cleaning schedules, and maintenance logs to prove how long a hazard persisted
- Reviewing prior incident reports and safety complaints to show previous awareness of the dangerous condition
- Questioning eye witnesses while their recollections of the incident remain fresh
- Preserving photographic evidence of the scene prior to repairs or altered property conditions
- Compiling comprehensive medical records that link your physical harm directly to the incident
- Consulting with safety engineering or industry standards experts when complex liability issues arise
- Challenging comparative fault arguments raised by insurance adjusters attempting to shift liability
Reach out to us today to learn more about how an attorney can help.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Slip and Fall Lawyer?
Most law firms represent injury victims on a contingency fee basis, where clients owe no upfront retainer or hourly costs for legal help. Instead, legal fees are based on a percentage of the final injury award via a trial verdict or settlement. If your attorney does not secure compensation on your behalf, you pay no attorney fees.
Your firm will also advance all necessary case expenses to pursue your claim and only recover them once they secure a financial outcome for your claim. This payment arrangement allows injured individuals to take legal action and seek representation without facing out-of-pocket costs for legal bills.
Parrish DeVaughn provides contingency fee arrangements to all personal injury clients. We also offer free consultations.
Contact a Tulsa Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you suffered injuries on another party’s property in Tulsa, you deserve dedicated legal representation. Parrish DeVaughn has won over $300 million for past clients and is prepared to put that track record behind your claim.
Contact our law firm today to set up a free consultation with an experienced Tulsa slip and fall attorney. Our firm represents injury victims on a contingency fee basis. Clients owe no upfront retainer or hourly costs for legal help.
