Practice Areas
View All
Were you injured in a slip and fall in Philadelphia? Call Flager Law for a free case evaluation: (215) 953-5200.
A Philadelphia slip and fall lawyer at Flager Law can hold a negligent property owner accountable for the injuries you suffered. Wet floors at a grocery store, broken stairs in a Center City apartment building, ice on a Northeast Philly sidewalk, or torn carpet at a hotel lobby all become serious legal claims when an owner ignored a known hazard. We have handled premises liability cases across Philadelphia for more than three decades, and we know how to prove what an owner knew and when they knew it.
Slip and fall cases are harder to win than people think. Property owners and their insurers fight these claims aggressively. They argue you were not paying attention, that the hazard was open and obvious, or that they had no notice of the problem. We anticipate these defenses and gather the evidence to defeat them before the insurer sees the file.
In addition, we know Philadelphia premises law cold. Business invitees, licensees, and trespassers each receive different levels of protection under Pennsylvania law. We classify your case correctly and pursue the right theory of liability. That framework matters from day one.
Report the fall to the property owner or manager before you leave. Ask for an incident report and request a copy. Then photograph everything. The hazard, your shoes, the lighting, any warning signs or the lack of them, and the surrounding area. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses.
Next, get medical care. Falls often produce delayed-onset injuries. A wrist that feels sprained may turn out to be fractured. A bruised hip may be a torn labrum. Go to Penn, Jefferson, Temple, or your closest urgent care. Document every visit. Save every bill.
Slip and fall injuries are often more serious than people realize. We handle hip fractures, especially in older adults, where surgery and rehabilitation often follow. We also handle wrist and arm fractures from outstretched-hand falls, torn rotator cuffs, herniated discs, concussions and traumatic brain injuries, knee injuries including ACL and meniscus tears, and chronic back pain.
These injuries can change your life. A broken hip in a 70-year-old can mean a permanent loss of independence. A traumatic brain injury can mean lost work, lost income, and lasting cognitive symptoms. We document the full impact and we present it to the insurer in terms that demand a real response.
We investigate the property and the hazard. We request maintenance logs, cleaning schedules, prior incident reports, and surveillance footage. Many businesses overwrite security video within 30 days, so we send preservation letters immediately. We interview employees who worked the shift when you fell.
Then we build the notice argument. Pennsylvania law requires that the property owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Cleaning schedules, prior complaints, and inspection records all help establish what the owner knew. Once notice is proven, the case becomes much stronger.
Pennsylvania has a unique rule for snow and ice cases. The hills and ridges doctrine generally protects property owners from liability when snow accumulates naturally and uniformly during an active winter storm. However, owners are liable when ice forms in dangerous ridges, when they fail to clear walkways within a reasonable time after a storm, or when an artificial condition like a leaking downspout creates ice.
We know how to work within this doctrine. Most slip and fall cases involve indoor hazards or artificial conditions where the doctrine does not apply at all. When it does apply, we focus on the timeline, the weather records, and the specific conditions to show why your case fits an exception.
Pennsylvania law allows injury victims to recover several categories of damages. The first is medical expenses, including emergency treatment, surgery, hospital stays, follow-up care, physical therapy, prescriptions, and assistive devices. Slip and fall injuries, especially fractures and head injuries, often need follow-up care for months or even years. We make sure those future costs are part of the claim.
Next, you can recover lost wages and lost earning capacity. If the slip and fall kept you out of work, that lost income is recoverable. If your injuries limit your future ability to earn, vocational economists can project that lost capacity over your remaining work life. We work with those experts on serious cases.
Finally, Pennsylvania allows recovery for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and in qualifying cases, loss of consortium for a spouse. These non-economic damages are real and substantial. We document them carefully so the insurance company cannot dismiss them.
In serious-injury cases, future damages often outweigh the immediate medical bills. Long-term physical therapy, future surgeries, home modifications, in-home care, and reduced earning capacity all need to be calculated and proven. We work with treating physicians and life care planners to project those future costs accurately. The insurer must pay for what your injury will cost over its full duration, not just what has been billed so far.
Insurance companies are businesses. Their goal is to close claims for as little money as possible. After a slip and fall, expect a quick call from an adjuster offering to settle for a small amount before you even know the full extent of your injuries. That first offer is almost always a fraction of fair value. Do not accept it without legal advice.
Adjusters also use recorded statements and social media surveillance to build a defense. They may ask seemingly friendly questions that are actually designed to lock you into a story that hurts your case later. They also scan public posts looking for photos or videos that contradict your reported injuries. We handle every communication with the insurer so these tactics cannot derail your claim.
In addition, insurers sometimes delay processing in hopes that injured victims will give up and accept less. We do not let delay become a weapon. We push the claim forward on a steady schedule, and we file suit when an insurer refuses to engage in good faith.
The general statute of limitations for personal injury in Pennsylvania is two years from the date of the fall. Claims against the City of Philadelphia, SEPTA, or other government entities may have notice deadlines as short as six months. Call us promptly to protect your rights.
Possibly. In Philadelphia, the property owner adjacent to a public sidewalk is generally responsible for maintaining that sidewalk. Liability depends on what caused the hazard, how long it had been present, and whether the owner knew or should have known about it.
Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence. You can still recover damages even if you were partly at fault, as long as your share of fault is not more than 50 percent. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. We push back on careless arguments with evidence.
Yes. We handle premises liability cases at every type of property in Philadelphia, including grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings, parking lots, schools, hospitals, and government facilities.
Nothing up front. We handle every injury case on a contingency basis, which means our fee comes only out of the recovery we win for you. If we do not recover anything, you do not owe a fee. The initial consultation is also always free.
Timelines vary widely. A clear-liability case with moderate injuries may settle in a few months once medical treatment is complete. A disputed case or one involving serious injuries may take a year or longer, especially if it has to go through litigation. We push for the fastest fair result, never the fastest result.
Property owners count on you giving up. We do not let that happen. Call Flager Law at (215) 953-5200 for a free case evaluation. There is no fee unless we win.
