Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident? Know Your Rights.
Slip and fall accidents are among the most common causes of personal injury claims in Massachusetts. While they may seem minor or even embarrassing, the consequences can be serious and long-lasting. Victims often suffer from back injuries, fractures, concussions, and other complications that affect their ability to work, care for themselves, or enjoy daily life.
At Briones Law Group, we help clients across Massachusetts hold negligent property owners accountable for unsafe conditions. If you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, whether residential, commercial, or public, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Understanding Liability in Massachusetts Slip and Fall Cases
In the U.S., slip and fall claims fall under tort law, meaning the injured party must prove that someone’s negligent action or inaction caused the hazardous condition that led to their injury. In Massachusetts, establishing liability in a slip and fall case can be complex, because both the property owner and the injured party may share some level of responsibility.
Massachusetts premises liability law requires that property owners maintain reasonably safe conditions on their premises—including walkways, stairs, entrances, and parking lots. This includes removing snow and ice, fixing structural hazards, and addressing any dangers that could foreseeably cause harm. At the same time, visitors are also expected to exercise reasonable caution when walking on potentially slippery or uneven surfaces.
A landmark 2010 case, Papadopoulos v. Target Corp., 457 Mass. 368 (2010), changed the landscape of Massachusetts slip and fall law by holding property owners responsible for injuries caused by both natural and unnatural accumulations of snow and ice. This decision overturned over a century of legal precedent and expanded the responsibility of property owners to proactively address hazardous weather conditions.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
We have represented clients injured due to a wide range of hazardous conditions, including:
- Snow and ice: Failure to shovel, sand, or remove ice in front of homes, apartment buildings, or businesses
- Defective pavement: Cracked, uneven, or depressed sidewalks and walkways
- Water accumulation: Leaking pipes, downspouts, or poor drainage that causes slippery surfaces
- Building code violations: Unsafe stairways, missing handrails, poor lighting, or loose flooring
Injuries can occur in stores, restaurants, apartment buildings, office complexes, private residences, and public spaces such as malls or sidewalks. The key question is whether the property owner knew—or should have known—about the dangerous condition and failed to take reasonable steps to fix it.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall, taking the right steps immediately after the incident can help protect your health and your legal claim. We recommend the following:
- Do not admit fault or make detailed statements about what happened before speaking with an attorney
- Report the incident to the property owner, store manager, or landlord and request a written copy of the report
- Take photos of the location, hazardous condition, and any visible injuries
- Seek prompt medical attention to document your injuries
- Do not speak to insurance adjusters or sign any forms without legal counsel
Slip and Fall at Work? You May Have Multiple Claims
If you were injured in a slip and fall at your place of employment, your primary source of compensation may be through Massachusetts workers’ compensation. However, if your injury was caused by someone other than your employer—such as a property owner, subcontractor, or maintenance company—you may also have a valid third-party personal injury claim.
Our attorneys can evaluate the circumstances of your injury to determine if both a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party lawsuit may be pursued.
Why You Need an Experienced Slip and Fall Attorney
Insurance companies often downplay the severity of slip and fall injuries or try to shift blame to the victim. At Briones Law Group, we fight back. We thoroughly investigate each case, identify all liable parties, gather supporting evidence, and advocate for the full compensation you are entitled to receive.
Compensation in a slip and fall case may include:
- Medical bills and ongoing treatment costs
- Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
Let Us Help You Recover
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in Massachusetts, contact Briones Law Group today for a free consultation. We will review your case, explain your rights, and develop a legal strategy to help you secure the compensation you need to move forward.