Liability/Slip and Fall

If you suffered an injury, loss, or damages due to a slip and fall accident, consult with a skilled slip and fall attorney at Sammarro & Zalarick, P.A. in Bergen County. You may be entitled to compensation, but time is critical. In New Jersey, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim—and even less time for claims involving government entities.

If you suffer a slip, trip, and fall injury, your immediate priorities should be to seek medical attention, document the scene with photos, report the accident to property management, and gather witness information. Prompt action can protect your health and strengthen your legal case. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your next steps.

Slip, trip, and fall accidents are surprisingly common across Bergen County. They frequently occur in grocery stores, shopping malls, parking lots, apartment complexes, restaurants, office buildings, and even on public sidewalks. Dangerous conditions like wet floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, broken handrails, or icy walkways often create serious hazards for residents and visitors alike.

Property owners and businesses in New Jersey have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. When they fail to address known hazards or warn the public about them, they may be held responsible for injuries that occur.

When you are injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property in Bergen County, you may have grounds to file a premises liability lawsuit. These claims are based on the legal responsibility of property owners to maintain safe conditions and to fix or warn about dangerous hazards. To succeed, you must prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to take reasonable steps to address it.

Filing a lawsuit typically starts with gathering strong evidence, including accident reports, medical records, photos of the hazardous condition, and witness statements. It’s crucial to act quickly, as New Jersey generally imposes a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims.

Slip, trip, and fall accidents can happen almost anywhere and are often caused by unsafe property conditions. Some of the most common causes include wet or slippery floors, uneven sidewalks, poor lighting, broken staircases, loose floor mats, and obstacles or debris left in walkways. In colder months, untreated ice and snow on sidewalks and parking lots are major contributors to falls in places like Bergen County.

Slip, trip, and fall accidents are a significant concern in New Jersey, leading to numerous injuries and fatalities annually. Understanding the prevalence and impact of these incidents can help individuals take preventive measures and seek appropriate legal recourse when necessary.

Key Statistics:

Workplace Fatalities: In 2023, New Jersey reported 81 fatal work injuries, with falls, slips, and trips accounting for 19 of these deaths, representing 23% of all workplace fatalities in the state.

Older Adults at Risk: Falls are particularly hazardous for older adults. In 2023, 85.1% of inpatient fall admissions in New Jersey involved individuals aged 60 or older, with 47.7% being 80 or older.

Emergency Department Visits: Each day, an average of 287 older adults aged 60+ in New Jersey are treated in emergency departments or admitted as inpatients due to falls.

Common Injury Sites: Slip and fall accidents frequently occur in workplaces, retail stores, parking lots, sidewalks, and nursing homes. ​

Injury Types: Common injuries from slip and fall incidents include fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and shoulder dislocations. ​

Slip and fall accidents pose serious risks, especially to young children and older adults. Many of these accidents are preventable with proper care and maintenance. Some of the most common injuries resulting from slip and fall incidents include:

• Bone Fractures (especially wrist, arm, hip, and ankle fractures)
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) (including concussions and head trauma)
• Spinal Cord Injuries (herniated discs, nerve damage, or paralysis in severe cases)
• Back and Neck Injuries (sprains, strains, and soft tissue injuries)
• Shoulder Injuries (such as dislocations or rotator cuff tears)
• Knee Injuries (torn ligaments like ACL or meniscus damage)
• Cuts and Lacerations (requiring stitches or resulting in scarring)
• Internal Injuries (organ damage or internal bleeding in serious falls)
• Hip Injuries (particularly devastating for older adults, often leading to long-term disability)
• Emotional Trauma and PTSD (especially after serious or life-altering falls)

Not all injuries sustained in a slip and fall accident are immediately apparent. Seeking prompt medical evaluation is essential to identify hidden injuries. Additionally, maintaining thorough records of medical diagnoses, treatments, and all related expenses is critical to supporting any future legal claim.

At Sammarro & Zalarick, P.A., we are dedicated to helping slip and fall victims across Bergen County and throughout New Jersey recover the compensation they deserve. Whether through settlement negotiations or trial, we work aggressively to maximize your recovery.

In New Jersey, compensation for slip and fall injuries often includes:

• Medical expenses (hospital bills, surgeries, medication, etc.)
• Rehabilitation and therapy costs (physical therapy, occupational therapy)
• Out-of-pocket expenses (such as transportation to medical appointments)
• Pain and suffering (both physical pain and emotional distress)
• Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity

In some cases, if a property owner’s conduct was particularly reckless or egregious, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish and deter wrongful behavior. While many cases settle before trial, we prepare every case as if it will go to court, ensuring you have the strongest possible position.

At Sammarro & Zalarick, P.A., we bring extensive experience handling premises liability and slip and fall injury cases across Bergen County and beyond. While slip, trip, and fall accidents are unfortunately common, they are often entirely preventable. We fight tirelessly to hold negligent property owners accountable, advocating not only for full compensation for our clients but also for safer conditions in workplaces, businesses, and public spaces.

If you would like to learn more about your rights following a slip and fall accident, contact our office today to schedule a free consultation. Conveniently located in Bergen County, we proudly serve clients throughout Northern New Jersey.