A Midwest City property owner can be liable for a slip and fall when it failed to fix, inspect for, or warn of a dangerous condition. You can still recover if you were partly at fault, so long as your negligence does not exceed the owner’s under 23 O.S. § 13, and Oklahoma generally requires suit within two years under 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3).
Who Is Liable for a Slip and Fall in Midwest City?
Slip and fall claims are usually premises liability cases: the property owner, not just the person who fell, may be responsible for an unsafe condition. Oklahoma law looks at whether the owner regularly inspected for hazards, repaired known defects within a reasonable time, warned visitors of dangers it could not fix right away, and took reasonable steps to prevent hazards it should have anticipated.
Midwest City’s retail corridors and apartment communities largely serve families connected to Tinker Air Force Base, and many of the slip and fall claims we handle happen in the parking lots, stairwells, and common areas of the stores and rental properties that serve that community. OSHA’s slip, trip, and fall guidance reflects the same inspect-and-repair standard Oklahoma law expects of commercial property owners.
Common Causes and Injuries in Midwest City Slip and Fall Cases
The hazards behind most of the slip and fall cases we see include wet or freshly mopped floors, loose rugs and mats, broken or uneven flooring and stairs, black ice in parking lots, clutter left in walkways, and leaking pipes or roofs.
These accidents can cause serious injuries, including broken bones, torn ligaments, a serious head or brain injury from the impact, and spinal cord damage. A hard fall can cause lasting cognitive harm even when the initial injury looks minor.
The CDC reports that falls are a leading cause of hip fractures and traumatic brain injury among older adults, consistent with what we see in cases involving Midwest City’s many senior residents. Treatment can mean surgery, months of therapy, and a lasting change in independence.
Can You Recover If You Were Partly at Fault?
Property owners and their insurers often argue that the person who fell was careless, distracted, or not watching where they were walking. Under Oklahoma’s comparative negligence law, that argument alone does not defeat a claim. You can still recover as long as your own share of fault does not exceed the property owner’s; your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than eliminated.
How Long Do You Have to File a Midwest City Slip and Fall Claim?
Oklahoma generally gives an injured person two years from the date of the fall to file a lawsuit for a personal injury claim. Missing that deadline typically means losing the right to sue no matter how strong the claim, so it is worth talking to an attorney well before it runs, while the property’s condition, witnesses, and any incident report are still easy to track down.
Talk to a Midwest City Slip and Fall Attorney
If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, help from a personal injury attorney serving Midwest City who also handles premises liability claims across Oklahoma can make a real difference. We can investigate what caused the fall, gather evidence before it disappears, and deal with the property owner’s insurance company on your behalf, including in claims against large retail chains.
Call Hasbrook & Hasbrook at (405) 605-2426 or get a free case review to discuss what happened and what your claim may be worth.
