Trip and Fall Claims

Trip and Fall Claims

Trip and fall claims involve uneven, raised, or otherwise defective walking surfaces that catch a pedestrian's foot. They are legally distinct from slip and fall (which involves a slippery surface), and the evidence is different.

The classic trip and fall hazards: uneven sidewalk slabs, raised pavement at construction transitions, broken floor tiles, exposed cords across walkways, mat edges curled up, wheel stops in walking paths, broken curb cuts, and asphalt patches that settled below the surrounding pavement. Each is documentable, and many violate building codes or municipal sidewalk standards.

Trip and fall recoveries track injury severity. Wrist fractures (broken when the claimant catches the fall) are the signature injury; hip fractures, TBI, and shoulder injuries are common in catastrophic-trip scenarios.

Lawsuit Legal's trip and fall attorneys handle uneven-surface and defective-walkway claims against property owners, contractors, and municipalities nationwide.

A raised sidewalk slab the property knew about for months is not an accident waiting to happen. It is a documented institutional failure to safeguard the surfaces the property was paid to maintain.

Call our trip and fall attorneys today. Sidewalk inspection records, contractor work orders, and municipal complaint logs all anchor the claim.

Call (888) 713-6653 for a free trip and fall case review.

Why Choose Lawsuit Legal for Your Trip and Fall Case

• Surface measurement and code analysis. Many trip hazards violate ADA, ICC, or local code thresholds. We retain experts to measure and document.
• Municipal claim handling. Sidewalk trip-and-falls often involve government defendants with strict notice requirements (often 6 months).
• Multi-defendant identification. Property owner, abutting landowner, prior contractor, municipality.
• You Win or It's Free. No upfront cost.

Common Trip and Fall Hazards

• Uneven sidewalk slabs. The most-litigated trip hazard. ADA and many local codes consider an unbeveled vertical change of 1/4 inch or more a violation.
• Raised pavement at construction transitions. Particularly common at curb cuts and driveway aprons.
• Broken or missing floor tiles. Indoor commercial trip hazards.
• Exposed cords and cables. Office settings, retail temporary setups, restaurant kitchens.
• Mat edges curled or uplifted. Particularly in entries.
• Wheel stops in walking paths. Parking lot trip hazards.
• Broken or non-compliant curb cuts. ADA-relevant; particularly affecting elderly and disabled pedestrians.
• Asphalt patches that settled below the surrounding pavement. Often forming a hidden ridge.
• Tree-root pavement uplift. Particularly common in older urban areas.
• Missing or non-functioning warning markings. At surface transitions, ramps, or grade changes.

Economic Damages and Compensation in Trip and Fall Claims

The damages framework mirrors slip and fall.

Economic damages: emergency and surgical care, rehabilitation, future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and funeral expenses in fatal cases.

Non-economic damages: pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of consortium, survival and wrongful death damages.

Punitive damages where prior incidents at the same hazard established notice.

Settlement value tracks injury severity: tens of thousands to low six figures for minor injuries; mid-to-high six figures for wrist or ankle fractures requiring fixation; seven figures for catastrophic injuries (hip fracture in elderly, TBI from head strike, spinal cord injury).