Slip and Fall Accident Due to Leaking Air Conditioning Systems

Every year, more than 1 million people in the United States suffer harm because of slip and fall accidents. Tens of thousands of people die every year because of the injuries sustained in slip and fall accidents. By far, slip and fall accidents are some of the most common accidents that unsuspecting people could suffer.
A common cause for slip and fall accidents is due to leaking air conditioning systems. Air conditioners are everywhere; they’ve become part of our everyday routine. Because of this, many people – specifically property owners – forget that air conditioners must be routinely maintained to prevent any hazards from developing. Air conditioner leaks are very common hazards that often go unnoticed.

If you were injured because of a leaking air conditioner, you might have grounds to take legal action. Specifically, if you suffered a slip and fall accident because of an air conditioning leak – whether the leak was a result of a lack of maintenance or a product defect – you might have grounds to pursue a claim.

If you would like to learn more about your right to pursue a claim after suffering a slip and fall accident due to a leak in an air conditioner system, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts as soon as possible. The slip and fall lawyers at Normandie Law Firm are ready to represent you and provide you with all the information that you need to pursue a claim and fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve. If you would like to learn more about your right to sue for the slip and fall accident that you suffered, do not hesitate to contact us today.

The Severity of Slip and Fall Accidents – Understanding the Common Injuries

Slip and fall accidents are often disregarded as only minor accidents; however, slip and fall accidents have the potential to result in permanent and debilitating injuries. Some slip and fall accidents could even result in injuries so severe that death is imminent.

Some of the potential injuries that victims of slip and fall accidents could suffer include the following:

• Head injuries (such as concussions, which could have severe complications)
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Hip injuries
• Hand and wrist injuries (from trying to break the fall)
• Foot and ankle injuries
• Sprains and strains
• Nerve damage
• Torn ligaments
• Knee injuries
• Muscle damage
• Lacerations
• Abrasions and contusions

Regardless of the specific harm that you suffered because of your leaky air conditioner slip and fall accident, your injuries must be taken seriously. It is likely that different aspects of your life have been affected by the harm that you suffered – and someone should be held accountable.

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Leaking Air Conditioners in Different Locations

Many people seem to forget that air conditioners can leak without the proper attention. Air conditioners are everywhere – and many people forget that air conditioners need to be regularly maintained to keep them in working condition. Without proper maintenance, air conditioning systems can leak and pose a risk for innocent parties. Most indoor locations are now air conditioned; many living spaces (such as apartments and homes) are also air conditioned. Because air conditioners are practically everywhere, air conditioner leaks (and slip and falls associated to air conditioner leaks) are fairly common.

Consider the following common locations of leaky air conditioners and slip and falls:

Supermarkets

Most supermarkets are air conditioned for the convenience of shoppers and to keep products at a safe temperature (as many products can go bad if temperatures are too high or too low). Supermarkets are usually air conditioned by large commercial or industrial air conditioning systems. Supermarkets are laid out in a way in which shoppers don’t really have to look down – layouts are typically easy to navigate and access. This means that shoppers can focus on getting every item on their list rather that looking where they are going (specifically, looking down to the floor). Due to the influx of shoppers as well as the constant changes in personnel on duty, hazards can often go unidentified and unaddressed – putting innocent parties at risk. Even if an employee or manager becomes aware of the hazard, it could go ignored resulting in a preventable accident. It is also possible that air conditioning systems are defective and a leak caused an accident before anyone at the supermarket could have addressed the hazard.

Shopping Centers

Shopping centers are also air conditioned specifically for the convenience and shoppers of shoppers (no one would willingly shop in a shopping center that makes them uncomfortable in any way). There are outdoor and indoor shopping centers. The individual stores in outdoor shopping centers are air conditioned while the entire in-door premises is air conditioned indoor shopping centers. There is constantly foot traffic in shopping centers; there is also a constant change in personnel of shift. The foot traffic, changes of personnel, and even lack of communication between those in charge could contribute to the failure to identify and address an air conditioner leak – a significant hazard. Innocent shoppers are put at risk of injury – shoppers are focused on going between stores looking for their next purchase and not on looking out for random leaks. Although the negligence and recklessness of owners and managers could result in the failure to identify an air conditioning leak, a defective air conditioning system could also prove to be the issue.

Hotel Rooms

Air conditioning is essential for the hospitality industry; no one would willingly stay in a hotel or motel room that was constantly at an uncomfortable temperature. In small hotels and motels, air conditioners are typically mounted on walls or windows. In larger hotels and motels, air conditioning systems are more complex. Many hotel and motel rooms are carpeted, meaning that a leak wouldn’t represent much of a hazard. However, hotels and motels usually have at least some flooring (tiles, for example) in which a leak could present a slip hazard. Because of the constant influx of guests, cleaning teams usually have a limited time frame to clean rooms and identify/address any hazards. Cleaning crews might also simply ignore the hazards in hopes that the next hotel or motel guests won’t take notice. In addition to the negligence of hotel and motel owners, management, and crews leading to slip and fall accidents because of air conditioner leaks, the negligence of companies that sell defective air conditioners could also contribute to accidents.

Apartments

Apartments are typically air conditioned; this allows the inhabitants of these apartments to live comfortably. Responsibility for air conditioning systems can vary depending on the situation. For example, landlords might be responsible for the maintenance of air conditioners; however, responsibility might transfer after signing a tenancy agreement. If the landlord is responsible for the upkeep of the air conditioning in the apartment, the landlord must respond to any complaints made by the tenant. However, if the tenant was aware of the issue but failed to make a complaint to the landlord, the landlord couldn’t have known of the issue and couldn’t have done anything to address it. If the tenancy agreement makes it clear that the tenant is responsible for keeping up with the air conditioning, the tenant would have to address all issues before any other guests are harmed. It is also possible for defective air conditioners to contribute to leaks and the following incidents.

Can I Sue? – Understanding Premise Liability and Product Liability

Can you pursue a claim if you suffered a slip and fall accident due to a leaking air conditioner? In general, injured victims have the right to pursue claims as long as the harm that they suffered was a direct result of the negligent actions of another party or entity.

If you suffered a slip and fall accident, your right to sue could be based on premise liability or product liability. Consider the following points:

• Premise liability – if your accident occurred in a supermarket, shopping center, hotel room, motel room, or apartment, you might have the right to sue based on premise liability. Based on premise liability, all property owners have the duty to keep their property free of any hazards that could put their visitors at risk of suffering any harm. In supermarkets and shopping centers, property owners and store owners (as well as the appropriate management teams and staff members) have the duty to keep all customers safe. In hotels and motels, owners and managers have the duty to keep their hotel/motel guests safe. In apartments, landlords and property owners have to keep their tenants safe; likewise, tenants have to keep any visitors safe. The failure to address hazards (a leaking air conditioning unit) represents a breach of duty. If a breach of duty causes any sort of harm, victims can sue based on premise liability.
• Product liability – regardless of the location in which your accident occurred, if the incident arose from a product defect, like a defective HVAC unit, you might have the right to sue based on product liability. Based on product liability, all companies have the duty to ensure that all their products are free of any hazards that could put their consumers at risk of suffering any harm. This means that companies must take thorough measures (inspections, tests, etc.) to ensure that their products are free of any hazards. When companies fail to address hazards present in their products (like leaks), they are breaching their duty of care towards their consumers and putting them at risk of harm. When this breach of duty results in an incident and causes harm, victims can sue based on product liability.

If you would like to learn more about your right to sue after you suffered a slip and fall accident because of a leaking air conditioning unit, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience – our slip and fall experts are ready to provide you with the representation that you need to take legal action against the party or entity that contributed to the harm that you suffered.

Can I Recover Compensation?

Without a doubt, you could pursue a claim if you suffered a slip and fall accident due to a leaking A.C. If your claim reaches a successful outcome, you could also be eligible to recover compensation. How much compensation could you receive? For many victims of slip and fall accidents, understanding the compensation that they could possibly recover plays a significant role in making the decision to sue – after all, the stress of pursuing a claim should be worth it.

You could be eligible to recover some of the following types of compensation:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of consortium
• Punitive damages

For more information about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our lawyers as soon as possible. Our lawyers will evaluate your claim and provide you with the information that you need to fully understand the value of your claim and the compensation that you could recover. Our lawyers could also provide you information on past settlements and verdicts for slip and fall cases to help you understand how the values of claims are determines (although you should never make assumptions regarding the value of your claim based on past cases).

Our lawyers are ready to fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim – do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. We are ready to help you recover the compensation that you deserve.

Who Do I Sue?

You suffered a slip and fall accident due to a leak in HVAC; who can you sue? The answer to this question essentially depends on the circumstance of your accident.

If your slip and fall accident falls under premise liability, you could sue the party or entity that was responsible for ensuring that the premise was free of any hazards. For example, in supermarkets and shopping centers, you could sue property owners and store owners. If your slip and fall accident occurred in a hotel room or a motel room, you could sue the hotel or motel owners. If your slip and fall accident occurred in an apartment, you could sue the landlord (property owner) or even the tenant (if you were a visitor and the tenant failed to warn you).

If your slip and fall accident falls under product liability, you could sue the entity that was responsible for making the defective product available for consumers. That is, you could sue the company that manufactured the defective air conditioning system for failing to ensure that there air conditioning systems were safe before releasing them to the public.

If you would like to learn more about who you could sue for the harm that you suffered, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers will evaluate your claim and provide you with the necessary information to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of who you can sue for the harm that you suffered.

You Must Be Aware of Filing Deadlines

If you are exploring the possibility of filing a claim after you suffered a slip and fall accident because of a leaking air conditioner, you must be aware of the deadlines that apply to your claim. All claims, including personal injury claims, are subject to deadlines. In the state of California, injury claims are generally subject to a two-year deadline – or a statute of limitations. The statue of limitations that applies to your claim determines the specific length of time that you will have to file your claim.

What happens if you fail to file within this deadline? Unfortunately, failing to file within the time established by the statute of limitations will result in losing the right to sue (and the right to receive any compensation). However, based on case-specific details (e.g. the defendant going out of state, the victim being underage, the victim being in a coma, etc.), exceptions could apply – meaning that the applicable deadline could be affected. Because claims are time-sensitive and different factors could affect the time that claimants have to sue, it is always essential for claimants to discuss deadlines with their attorneys to ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the time that they have to pursue legal action.

Contact a Trustworthy Lawyer

If you suffered a slip and fall due to air conditioning leak, you might have grounds to pursue an injury claim – you might even be eligible to recover some sort of compensation for the harm that you suffered. If you are considering the possibility of pursuing a claim, it is essential that you seek legal assistance and find a lawyer that you could trust. At Normandie Law Firm, we are dedicated to representing all injured victims and surviving family members. Regardless of the specific harm suffered, we firmly believe that all parties deserve access to the appropriate legal representation. Our attorneys have many years of experience handling personal injury claims, including slip and fall claims, successfully and helping victims and their families recover the compensation that they are owed.

If you contact our firm, you could benefit from our free legal services. Our firm offers free consultations and free second opinions. Whether you want to start your claim or continue it after starting it with an incompetent attorney, you can be certain that our experts will provide you with the representation that you need to move forward with your claim towards a successful outcome. During our free legal services, our lawyers will provide you with all the information that you need to pursue a claim against the parties liable for the harm that you suffered.

Our free legal services are available through a Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients will never be required nor expected to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our firm is also based on a contingency structure; therefore, our clients will never be required to pay anything until their claims are successful – if you do not win, you will not pay anything.

If you are ready to discuss your slip and fall claim with our experts, do not hesitate to contact Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are here to represent you.