While no one expects to have an accident, slip and falls happen every day. While most of the accidents are due to everyday hazards such as spills or puddles of water, some result from negligence on the part of the business owner, which may also be a spill or puddle of water. If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident in a Charlotte grocery store, restaurant, or any property owned by someone else, there are certain steps you should take to protect your legal rights. Fortunately, you can rely on the experienced personal injury lawyers at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor to guide you through the process and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. At our firm, we have extensive experience handling slip-and-fall claims in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina. We understand the challenges you are facing, and we will fight to protect your rights. We will investigate your accident, gather evidence, and build a strong case on your behalf. We will also negotiate with the insurance companies to reach a fair settlement. If necessary, we will take your case to trial. If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. We will review your case and discuss your legal options with you.
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What is Premises Liability Law in Charlotte, NC?
In North Carolina, premises liability law outlines property owners’ and occupiers’ duties to those who lawfully visit their properties. Under this law, property owners and occupiers must take reasonable care to keep their premises safe from dangerous conditions. If they fail to do so and someone is injured as a result, they may be held liable for the victim’s damages.
For example, if you slipped and fell in the Northlake Mall, the mall’s management may be responsible for failing to maintain a safe environment. If you were to slip and fall on a wet floor that they failed to clean up in a timely manner, you may have a premises liability claim against the mall and/or their janitorial service.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall in Charlotte
If you or someone you love has been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, there are certain steps you should take to protect your rights. These include:
Report the incident to the property owner or manager as soon as possible
Get medical attention, even if you do not think you are seriously injured
Do not sign anything without speaking to an attorney
Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company
Save any evidence from the accident, including photos and witness contact information
Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer
The first step is to report the accident to the property owner or manager. This will ensure that there is a record of the incident and will help you later if you need to file a claim. This is also a crucial time where employees may spontaneously make statements about what happened that can be helpful to the notice requirement. For example, if the employee said, you’re the second person today to slip on that, their statement implies that they were on notice of the condition.
It is also important to get medical attention, even if you do not think you are seriously injured. Some injuries, such as concussions, may not be immediately apparent. A doctor will be able to diagnose and treat your injuries and will also provide documentation that can be used as evidence in your case.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall, contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our slip and fall lawyers. We will review your case and discuss your legal options with you.
Proving Negligence in a Charlotte Slip and Fall Case
Valid slip and fall claims must prove:
You were lawfully on the property (i.e. not trespassing)
A dangerous condition existed
The property owner knew or should have known about the condition
They failed to take reasonable steps to timely improve, repair or warn lawful visitors about the dangerous condition
You were injured because of the dangerous condition
The dangerous condition was not open and obvious
You sustained economic or non-economic damages
While property owners do not owe a duty of care to trespassers, they are still prohibited from willfully or intentionally injuring them (i.e. setting a trap). If you were injured while trespassing on someone else’s property, you might still have a case if the property owner acted negligently or intentionally caused your injuries.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Charlotte
To have a valid claim, you must show causation, meaning that the property owner’s negligence directly led to your injuries. Some of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents include:
Wet or slippery floors
Uneven surfaces
Potholes in sidewalks or parking lots
Loose carpeting or floor mats
Objects in walkways
Poor lighting
Lack of handrails
Uneven floors
Spilled liquids
This is a small sample of what can cause a slip and fall. If you have been injured in an accident on someone else’s property, it is important to speak with an experienced Charlotte premises liability lawyer to find out if you have a case.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries in Charlotte
Slip and fall accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, some of which may be serious or even life-threatening. Common injuries associated with these accidents include:
Head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries
Neck and back injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Broken bones
Sprains and strains
Lacerations
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Charlotte Slip and Fall Claim?
In most cases, the property owner or manager will be held liable for a slip and fall. However, there are some circumstances where another party may be held responsible. Other parties that may be held liable include:
The business that leases the property
The property management company
The builder or construction
Government agency that owns the property
To determine who can be liable for your injuries, it is important to speak with an experienced Charlotte slip and fall lawyer.
Types of Damages From a Slip and Fall Injury Case
The compensation you may be entitled to will depend on the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life. Some of the most common types of damages include:
Medical bills
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life
If you have been injured in a slip and fall, contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. We will review your case and discuss your legal options with you.
What Are the Statutes of Limitations for Filing a Slip and Fall Personal Injury Claim in Charlotte?
The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have to file a claim. In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, including slip and fall accidents, is three years from the date of the accident. This means that if you do not settle your claim or file a lawsuit to preserve the statute of limitations within three years of the date of the accident, you will be barred from recovering compensation. The statute of limitations in your specific case is something you should discuss with an attorney early on.
What Do Charlotte Personal Injury Law Firms Charge for Their Services?
Most personal injury law firms in Charlotte work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will not have to pay any upfront fees or costs for our services. We only get paid if we can recover compensation for you. If we are successful, we will take a percentage of the settlement or verdict as our fee and reimbursement for the costs expended to bring your claim to resolution.
Contact Our Slip and Fall Lawyers in Charlotte, NC.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a slip and fall, the experienced personal injury lawyers at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor are here to help. We have represented accident victims in Charlotte and North Carolina for over 25 years. We value the attorney-client relationship and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Let us put our experience to work for you.
Notice of Data Security Event Updated March 28, 2025
The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.
What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.
What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.
What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.
What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.
For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.
Sincerely,
The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION
Monitor Your Accounts
Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.
Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.
As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:
1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); 2. Social Security number; 3. Date of birth; 4. Addresses for the prior two to five years; 5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; 6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and 7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.
Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:
Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.
For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.
For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.
For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.
For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.
For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.
For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event. STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION
Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online: Equifax Experian TransUnion https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/ https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft
To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information: ● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.; ● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.; ● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate; ● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card; ● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.; ● The minor’s date of birth; and ● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.