Slip and Fall Lawyer in Rhode Island 

The physical and financial realities of a slip and fall accident can be overwhelming, which is why you need a personal injury lawyer in Rhode Island by your side. In Rhode Island, these types of accidents fall under a branch of law known as premises liability. This means property owners are held accountable when unsafe conditions cause harm to visitors. Understanding how Rhode Island addresses hazards, fault, and property owner obligations is the first step toward protecting your rights. The team at Inman & Tourgee is here for you every step of the way.

Common Slip and Fall Hazards

Slip-and-fall accidents rarely occur without an underlying cause. They are almost always the direct result of a property that has been poorly maintained or left neglected. These are some of the common slip-and-fall hazards we see in Rhode Island.

• Winter Weather Accumulation: New England winters are notorious for creating hazardous walking conditions. Fresh snowfall, melting slush, and “black ice” on sidewalks, stairs, and parking lots are leading causes of severe winter injuries.
• Liquid Spills and Wet Floors: Unmopped spills, leaks from commercial refrigerators, and tracking rainwater or snow into an entryway can all lead to slip-and-fall accidents.
• Structural and Walkway Defects: Broken concrete, uneven sidewalks, potholes in parking lots, or loose floorboards inside buildings are common causes of trip-and-fall incidents.
• Staircase and Railing Failures: If handrails are broken or loose, staircases become dangerous, increasing the risk of falls.
• Inadequate Lighting: Poorly lit stairwells, dark parking structures, and dim corridors in apartment buildings can hide otherwise visible structural defects or spills. 

Proving Negligence in Rhode Island

To win a slip and fall injury claim, simply proving that you fell on someone else’s property is not enough. You must establish that there was negligence on the part of the party responsible for maintaining the property. Under Rhode Island personal injury law, proving negligence requires establishing four core elements:

1. Duty of Care: You must show that the defendant (the owner, landlord, business occupier, or property manager) owed you a legal duty to keep the premises reasonably safe.
2. Breach of Duty: You must prove that the defendant failed to uphold that duty by allowing a dangerous condition to exist without fixing it or warning visitors.
3. Causation: There must be a direct link showing that the specific property hazard caused your fall, and that the fall caused your injuries.
4. Damages: You must document actual financial or personal losses resulting from the injury, such as medical records, bills, and evidence of lost wages.

You can’t talk about proving breach of duty without discussing the concept of notice. A property owner is generally only liable if they had notice of the hazard. This is broken down into two types:

• Actual Notice: The owner or an employee knew the hazard existed because they either created it, saw it, or received a direct complaint about it before your fall.
• Constructive Notice: The hazard existed for a long enough period that a reasonably prudent property owner should have discovered and fixed it.

Rhode Island’s Pure Comparative Negligence Rule

One of the most critical aspects of Rhode Island law is how it handles shared blame. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4, Rhode Island operates as a pure comparative negligence state.

What does this mean?

If a property owner claims you were distracted by your phone or wearing inappropriate footwear for the weather, the court or insurance company may assign a percentage of fault to you. 

However, unlike states that bar you from collecting money if you are 50% or 51% at fault, Rhode Island allows you to recover compensation even if you are 99% responsible. Your exact percentage of fault reduces your final financial recovery. For example, if a jury awards you $100,000 but finds you 20% at fault for texting while walking, your final payout will be $80,000.

As a premise liability lawyer in Rhode Island, the team at Inman & Tourgee has extensive knowledge of this rule and can further explain how it can apply to your specific case.

Property Owner Responsibilities

Rhode Island has largely done away with older, rigid common-law distinctions that dictated a property owner’s duties based on who visited.

A property owner’s standard responsibilities include:

• Conducting regular inspections of the property to spot developing dangers
• Clearing hazards within a reasonable time once they are discovered
• Placing prominent warning signs if a danger cannot be repaired immediately

Compensation for Slip and Fall Injuries

A severe fall can result in debilitating injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal damage. Rhode Island law allows slip-and-fall victims to pursue damages. These can be classified as economic and non-economic damages.

• Economic Damages: These are financial losses for medical bills, documented lost wages, or diminished future earning capacity.
• Non-Economic Damages: These are intangible personal losses such as emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of daily activities.

In instances involving reckless, intentional, or malicious conduct by a property owner, courts may also award punitive damages designed purely to punish the wrongdoer.

At Inman & Tourgee, our team fights to secure the compensation you deserve as a slip-and-fall victim. We have the experience you can trust.

Are You Looking for a Slip and Fall Lawyer in Rhode Island? Contact Us Today

At Inman & Tourgee, our team fights for victims’ rights. We have represented countless slip-and-fall injury victims and secured the results they deserve. Whether settling out of court or going to trial, we don’t stop. Call us today at 401-823-9200 or reach out to us online to schedule a consultation. Let us show you why more people in Rhode Island trust our team when they need a slip-and-fall lawyer.