100+ years of combined experience and over $200 million won for our clients in Missouri and Illinois. Contact a personal injury lawyer near you.
Free Consultation
(314) 500-HURTGary: Have you ever had it where someone doesn’t know why they fell at first?
Joel: Yeah, yeah.
Gary: What do we do about that?
Joel: In those types of situations when a client has ended up on the floor because they slipped and fell in a dangerous
condition, usually it is an intel after the fact that they realized that, “Hey, this was a dangerous condition. I didn’t
see it, it wasn’t there, it wasn’t open and obvious, and that’s why I’ve been hurt.” And so, those are the types of
claims that we usually would pursue.
Gary: Great point. And, that happens all the time because if they knew there was lettuce on the floor like the case we
talked to the client yesterday, if they knew it was icy, if they knew there was a shake on the floor, they would not
walk there. And Joel brought up, what does open and obvious mean?
Joel: If a particular dangerous condition is present and it would be open and obvious to a reasonable person, then
that’s something that a person should be made aware of just by being present around the dangerous condition.
Gary: And there are jury instructions on that. So, the jury instructions say that if you’re negligent, if you knew it
was there, or if you’re coming up to a hole in the sidewalk and there are barricades around it, you don’t keep going, so
you have to be aware of that, and so that’s right. And folks all the time fall and they don’t know what they fell on
until afterwards. They’re laying on the ground, and they see the piece of food that was on the ground, they see the ice,
they see the water. And, I’ve had these folks, I’ve been in depositions, like, “What did you fall on? ‘I don’t know.’
What do you mean you don’t know? ‘I was soaking wet after.’” So, then we know that they fell on water. And, I’ve had
this so many times where someone falls, and there’s ice in the parking lot, and then someone comes in and tries to help
him and slips on the same ice that they were on. Didn’t we have that, the person slipping on the same patch of water, or
is that the case you were working on with me where she was by the door and then the manager came by and slipped on the
same patch of water and got a towel and wiped it up?
Joel: Right. Yeah, I actually remember that particular case.
Gary: So, that happens all the time. So, it’s not necessarily that you know what is going into it, but you know about it
after.
Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO
Similar Blog Posts
If you've been injured by the negligent actions of someone else, bringing a personal injury claim with an insurance company is a key step in seeking legal recovery. However, not ev... read more.
Agreeing to a settlement offer in a personal injury claim can bring a sense of relief, but it also comes with important legal considerations and consequences. What happens after I ... read more.
If you have back pain after a car accident, don’t ignore it, even if it feels minor. Always seek a medical evaluation to diagnose any back injuries that are not immediately appar... read more.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
NO FEES UNTIL WE WIN YOUR CASE
We offer free consultations and are available 24/7 to take your call. Live chat, text, and virtual meetings are available.
or call us at
(314) 500-HURT