Surrounded by vehicles slowed to a crawl and people going about their business, you usually wouldn’t consider a Utah parking lot hazardous. However, not every parking lot or garage is kept up to the same standard. Some garages are bereft with perils like uneven asphalt, poor lighting, and excessive debris, which can lead to visitors falling and sustaining serious injuries.
After you’ve been injured from encountering a parking lot hazard, it’s understandable to want to know who can be held liable for the negligence that led to you slipping and falling. Depending on the specific details of your accident, you may have options for determining who is liable for your slip-and-fall. With help from an experienced Feller & Wendt Utah slip-and-fall lawyer, you will likely improve your odds of successfully recovering fair compensation for your injuries.
Who Is Held Liable for a Utah Parking Lot or Garage Slip-And-Fall Accident?
It’s trickier than you may think to figure out who is at fault in a parking lot slip-and-fall accident. Customers of specific commercial establishments may use parking lots that are either privately owned or accessible to the public. Because of this, multiple parties could be held accountable for slip-and-fall incidents in parking lots or garages.
You might be able to seek compensation from the following parties:
- The commercial property owner: the proprietor of a company or governmental body that provided the parking lot and is the actual owner of the premises.
- The operators of a business near the lot: those who rent the property to house their restaurant, store, or other business and have a lease requiring them to maintain and repair the parking lot
- The owners of an apartment complex: the apartment complex owner is responsible for any incidents that happen in the complex parking lot due to their neglect
- Government entity: the city or other governmental body in charge of maintaining a public parking lot or walkway and may require unique procedures to pursue compensation and enjoy some insulation from lawsuits
A thorough investigation will likely reveal which party should be held accountable for your slip-and-fall accident. However, the work doesn’t end there. For your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit to successfully recover fair compensation, you must prove that this party was negligent in some way.
Proving Liability in Utah Slip-And-Fall Claims
In premises liability cases, establishing liability can be difficult, and the burden of proof rests on the injured party. Your responsibility is to demonstrate that the parking lot owner’s negligence contributed to or caused your damages and injuries. You must make a solid argument that the parking lot owner neglected to take the reasonable precautions expected of them.
Without legal counsel, your personal injury claim can be more difficult, given that the duty of care involved in premises liability cases is frequently open to interpretation. An experienced attorney will likely have experience with issues involving premises liability. Using their knowledge and skills, they will gather the evidence required to establish liability and secure the compensation their clients are due.
Partner With an Experienced Utah Slip-And-Fall Lawyer to Establish Liability
Usually, we intend our time spent in parking lots and garages to be brief moments where we’re just passing through. When these spaces are so poorly maintained that they cause injuries, whoever is responsible for maintaining the premises should be held liable for their negligence. After being injured in a parking lot slip-and-fall, partner with an experienced lawyer to pursue compensation.
The legal counsel of Feller & Wendt can help you understand your rights and how to pursue the compensation you deserve. With the help of an attorney from our firm, you can be confident that your case was carefully evaluated to determine the best course of action for recovering damages caused by a slip-and-fall accident. To schedule your initial consultation, contact us by completing our contact form or calling (801) 499-5060.
