Murfreesboro Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers
A slip and fall can happen in a matter of seconds, but the consequences can follow you for months or years. A fall on a wet grocery store floor, a slick restaurant entrance, or another unsafe walking surface can lead to broken bones, head injuries, back injuries, surgery, time away from work, and an unexpected loss of independence.
When another party is legally responsible for those injuries, Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers helps people in Murfreesboro pursue the compensation they need to move forward.
Our Murfreesboro slip and fall accident lawyers understand that an injury claim is not simply about what happened on the day of the fall. It is about what the injury has taken from you and what you will need to put your life back together. We work to hold negligent property owners and businesses accountable while pursuing a recovery that reflects the full impact of the injury.
Slip and Fall Claims Under Tennessee Law
Property owners and businesses have responsibilities toward people who lawfully enter their premises. In Tennessee, an owner or occupier generally has a duty to exercise reasonable care and to address or warn about dangerous conditions that the owner knew about or reasonably should have discovered.
A fall on someone else’s property, however, does not automatically make that person or business liable. A successful claim generally requires showing that an unreasonably dangerous condition caused the injury and that the responsible party created the condition or had actual or constructive notice of it.
For example, a store employee might know that a cooler has been leaking onto the floor but fail to address the problem. In another case, a spill might remain in a heavily traveled aisle long enough that reasonable store procedures should have led to its discovery.
These distinctions matter because businesses and their insurers frequently resist slip and fall claims. They may contend that no dangerous condition existed, that no one had enough time to discover it, or that the injured customer should have avoided it.
Weir & Kestner focuses on overcoming those defenses and putting the client in the strongest possible position to obtain meaningful compensation.
Common Hazards That Lead to Slip and Fall Injuries in Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro residents encounter potentially unsafe property conditions in many everyday settings, including supermarkets, restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, apartment complexes, office buildings, and other commercial properties.
Some slip and fall cases involve a sudden spill. Others arise from a dangerous condition that has existed for considerably longer. Hazards may include:
- Water, beverages, food, grease, or other liquids on floors
- Recently mopped floors without adequate warnings
- Leaking refrigerators, coolers, or plumbing fixtures
- Rainwater tracked into entrances
- Slick flooring or excessively polished surfaces
- Ice or other slippery outdoor conditions
- Loose mats and rugs
- Poorly maintained walking surfaces
- Debris or merchandise in customer walkways
The particular hazard is only one part of the claim. What matters to an injured person is whether the law allows them to hold the responsible party accountable and, if so, how much compensation is available for what they have suffered.
Serious Injuries Can Follow an Ordinary Fall
The phrase “slip and fall” can make these accidents sound minor. The injuries sometimes are anything but minor.
Someone who instinctively reaches out to stop a fall can fracture a wrist, hand, or arm or suffer significant shoulder damage. Falling backward can cause a traumatic brain injury or serious neck and back injuries. Older adults can sustain hip fractures that require surgery and lengthy rehabilitation.
Other injuries can include knee damage, torn ligaments, spinal injuries, herniated discs, facial injuries, and soft-tissue damage.
For someone with a serious injury, the financial consequences can grow quickly. There may be emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, medication, specialist care, and months away from work. A catastrophic injury can affect future earning capacity or create a need for ongoing medical assistance.
A slip and fall claim should account for more than the bills that have already arrived. Weir & Kestner works to pursue compensation that reflects the client’s present losses as well as the long-term consequences of the injury.
Compensation After a Murfreesboro Slip and Fall
The value of a slip and fall case depends on the circumstances and the severity of the resulting injuries. There is no standard amount that applies simply because someone suffered a particular type of fall. Depending on the case, compensation may include medical expenses, future medical care, lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, disability, and other losses associated with the injury.
One of the most important roles an attorney plays is making sure an insurance company does not define the claim too narrowly. An offer that appears substantial at first can be inadequate if it fails to account for future surgery, permanent physical limitations, reduced earnings, or the ways a serious injury has changed someone’s everyday life.
Our goal is not simply to resolve a claim. It is to pursue the best available result for the person who has to live with the consequences of the injury.
Insurance Companies May Try to Shift Blame
Slip and fall claims frequently involve disputes over the injured person’s own conduct. Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault system, where an injured person who is found partially responsible has their compensation reduced according to their percentage of fault, and a person who is 50% or more at fault cannot recover anything. That system makes allegations of comparative fault especially important.
An insurer might argue that a customer was looking at a phone, walking too quickly, wearing inappropriate footwear, or simply should have seen the hazard. It may also characterize the dangerous condition as “open and obvious,” even though an open and obvious condition does not automatically eliminate a property owner’s duty under Tennessee law. Nevertheless, arguments about what the injured person could or should have seen can affect the outcome of a claim.
Weir & Kestner’s attorneys understand these tactics from both sides. Before representing injured people, both of the firm’s partners worked in insurance defense. They saw firsthand how insurers evaluate claims, assess potential payouts, develop defenses, and protect the financial interests of the companies they insure.
Today, they use that experience on behalf of injured people.
A Murfreesboro Law Firm Built Around Its Clients
After a serious fall, dealing with an insurance company can become one more burden at a time when you already have enough to manage.
Weir & Kestner is committed to making the legal side of an injury easier on our clients. Every case has a dedicated case manager, giving clients a consistent point of contact throughout their claim. When you come to the firm, you also speak with a lawyer right away so that your situation can receive appropriate legal attention from the beginning.
That service-oriented approach continues throughout the case. We want our clients to understand what is happening, know where their case stands, and feel comfortable contacting us when they need help.
Weir & Kestner also has roots that run particularly deep in Rutherford County. The firm was born here rather than expanding into Murfreesboro from another market. We are proud to represent injured people in the community that helped shape our firm.
Tennessee Gives Injury Victims Limited Time to Act
Tennessee generally provides only one year to file a lawsuit for personal injuries, including injuries arising from many slip and fall accidents. Certain circumstances can affect the applicable deadline, but waiting can put valuable legal rights at risk.
There is another practical reason to seek legal advice early. A significant injury may take time to understand medically. What initially appears to be an injury that will resolve within weeks may ultimately require surgery or cause lasting limitations. Resolving a claim before its long-term effects are understood can leave an injured person responsible for losses that should have been included in the case.
Speaking with an attorney early does not obligate you to pursue a lawsuit. It can help you understand your options and make informed decisions about what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions About Murfreesboro Slip and Fall Accidents
Is a store automatically responsible if I slip and fall inside it?
No. A business is not automatically liable simply because someone falls on its property. Liability depends on factors such as whether an unsafe condition existed and whether the business created it or knew or reasonably should have known about it in time to address the danger.
Can I recover if the insurance company says the hazard was obvious?
Possibly. Under Tennessee law, a condition being open and obvious does not automatically eliminate the property owner’s duty. The circumstances surrounding the hazard and the conduct of both parties can still matter. An insurer may also use the argument to try to assign part of the fault to you.
What if I do not know how long the spill was on the floor?
Not knowing how long a spill existed does not mean you have no case. The circumstances surrounding the condition and the business’s responsibility for it must be evaluated. A lawyer can determine whether there is a viable basis for pursuing compensation.
How much is a Murfreesboro slip and fall case worth?
There is no fixed settlement amount. Case value can depend on the seriousness and permanence of the injuries, medical expenses, lost earnings, future treatment needs, pain and suffering, available insurance coverage, disputed fault, and other factors. A severe injury requiring surgery or causing permanent disability can have substantially different consequences from an injury that heals completely within a short period.
How long do I have to bring a slip and fall claim in Tennessee?
Tennessee has a one-year statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits, but because exceptions and special circumstances can affect particular cases, it is wise to speak with an attorney well before the one-year anniversary of the fall.
Talk to a Murfreesboro Slip and Fall Lawyer at Weir & Kestner
A serious fall can leave you hurting, unable to work, and uncertain about what your future will look like. You should not have to take on an insurance company by yourself while trying to recover.
Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers represents people injured because of unsafe property conditions in Murfreesboro and throughout Middle Tennessee. Our attorneys bring former insurance-defense experience to the fight for injured clients, along with the personal attention and service of a firm rooted in Rutherford County.
Contact Weir & Kestner today for a free consultation about your slip and fall claim. There are no attorney’s fees unless we obtain a recovery for you.