A slip and fall can cause far more than embarrassment. Falls often lead to broken hips, head injuries, torn ligaments, back trauma, and lasting mobility problems. When a property owner or business fails to correct dangerous conditions or warn visitors about known hazards, they may be legally responsible. If you were hurt in a fall on someone else’s property, you may have a claim under South Carolina premises liability law. At Whetstone Perkins & Fulda, our firm helps injured people across the state pursue compensation after preventable falls.
Unsafe Property Conditions That Cause Falls
Many fall injuries happen because a hazard was ignored long enough for someone to get hurt. Our South Carolina slip and fall attorneys investigate whether the owner, manager, or tenant had notice of the danger and failed to act reasonably.
Common causes include:
- Wet grocery store floors
- Spilled drinks in restaurants
- Uneven sidewalks
- Broken stair rails
- Poor lighting in parking lots
- Loose flooring or torn carpet
- Slippery entryways during rain
- Cracked pavement
- Hidden cords or obstacles
- Missing warning signs after cleaning
Conditions at retail centers, apartment complexes, hotels, office buildings, and public-facing businesses can all create liability issues.
Where Slip and Fall Injuries Happen in South Carolina
Falls happen in busy public spaces and private properties throughout the state. Our firm handles claims arising in urban and rural areas alike.
Frequent locations include:
- Shopping centers in Columbia and Lexington County
- Historic sidewalks and hospitality properties in Charleston
- Coastal hotels and boardwalk areas near Myrtle Beach
- Grocery stores in Greenville and Spartanburg
- Apartment communities
- College area businesses
- Parking garages and stairwells
- Medical offices and clinics
Local weather, foot traffic, and maintenance practices often play a role.
Why Property Owners Are Not Automatically Liable
Slip and fall cases usually require more than showing you were injured. You must often prove that the property owner or occupier failed to use reasonable care.
That may involve showing:
- A dangerous condition existed
- The owner created it, knew about it, or should have known about it
- The hazard was not fixed in a reasonable time
- No adequate warning was provided
- The condition caused your injuries
Video footage, incident reports, maintenance logs, witness statements, and photographs can be critical evidence.
Compensation After a Serious Fall
A fall injury can interrupt work, independence, and daily life. Our firm seeks damages that accurately reflect the incident’s true impact.
Recoverable compensation may include:
- Emergency treatment
- Surgery and hospitalization
- Physical therapy
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Future medical care
- Permanent impairment
Older adults may face especially serious complications after fractures or head trauma.
Comparative Fault in South Carolina
Property owners often argue that the injured person was distracted, wearing improper footwear, or failed to watch where they were going. South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence principles under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-38-15. As such, a claimant’s percentage of fault may reduce compensation, and recovery may be barred if the claimant is more than 50% responsible.
Injured on Unsafe Property? Let’s Discuss Your Options
A preventable fall can lead to painful and costly consequences. Our slip and fall attorneys represent injured people throughout South Carolina and work to hold negligent property owners accountable.
Call Whetstone Perkins & Fulda today at 803-799-9400 or contact us online to discuss your slip and fall accident case.
