Maybe you slipped and fell on a wet floor while you were visiting an Oklahoma business or someone’s private property. When you tell someone about it later, they’ll probably ask you one question: “Was there a ‘wet floor’ sign?”
That’s because most people have the idea that a “wet floor” sign is like a magic shield for liability. They think all the owner has to do is put out a yellow plastic sign and their work is done, no matter how slippery or dangerous the floor is.
In reality, things aren’t that simple. If you’ve suffered an injury in a slip-and-fall accident (which is a type of premises liability case) and the owner had a wet floor sign on display, you may have a case and you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries.
In this article, we’ll talk about how wet floor signs and similar signage affect slip-and-fall cases and whether you can still have a valid case if there was a sign present.
Understanding Liability in a Slip-and-Fall Case
Slip-and-fall accidents and other premises liability cases can be very complex, but they usually hinge on one important question: Could the accident have been avoided if the property owner had been more careful?
To win your premises liability case in Oklahoma, your attorney will usually have to show one of three things:
- The property owner (or an employee) should have known about and fixed the dangerous condition that caused your accident.
- The property owner (or an employee) did know about the dangerous condition, but they didn’t bother to address it.
- The property owner (or an employee) created the dangerous condition through their own actions or inaction.
Oklahoma law says that property owners have a responsibility to keep their premises safe and free from obstructions or hazards that could harm people. However, the law also balances this against the reasonable caution anyone visiting their property should use, which means your actions at the time of the accident matter.
If you were dancing down the convenience store aisle in the presence of an obvious wet floor sign, that may hurt your case. However, if you tried to be as cautious as possible after seeing the sign and still slipped and fell anyway, that means the store owner probably needed to do more to ensure patrons’ safety. And they may be liable for your injuries.
Is Putting Out a Wet Floor Sign Enough?
So, where do wet floor signs and other types of warnings fit into all of this? If an owner put out a wet floor sign and tried to warn people about a hazardous condition, does that mean they lived up to their obligation to keep their property reasonably safe?
This might seem unsatisfying, but there’s only one possible answer: It depends. The circumstances of your accident and the conditions at the scene where it happened will determine whether the owner putting up a wet floor sign or other type of warning was enough care on their part or whether they should have done more to ensure the safety of their property.
For example, if you slipped and fell in the presence of a wet floor sign, questions that could affect your case might include:
- Did you have a right to be in the area where you slipped and fell?
- How slippery or dangerous was the area in question?
- How close was the wet floor sign to the area where you fell?
- Was the wet floor sign clearly visible and readable from your perspective as you approached the hazardous area?
Since the nature of your accident and the conditions at the scene matter so much, it’s very important to contact an experienced premises liability lawyer right away so they can start investigating your case. Statutes of limitations apply to all slip-and-fall cases, and details about the case might also be hard to remember or uncover later. The property owner might even try to cover up or alter the conditions at the scene of the accident, so you should always call a lawyer as soon as possible after suffering injuries.
While we can’t say for sure how the presence of a wet floor sign will affect your individual case, one thing we can tell you is that the owner putting out a wet floor sign doesn’t mean that they weren’t negligent, and it doesn’t automatically mean that you can’t receive compensation after a slip-and-fall accident.
Contact the AMA Law Team if You’ve Been Injured in an Oklahoma Slip-and-Fall Accident
If you’ve suffered serious injuries in a slip-and-fall accident or other premises liability incident, you may be dealing with medical bills, missed time at work, frustrating physical limitations, and other losses. You don’t have to suffer alone and in silence, though, because the team at AMA Law is here to help.
AMA Law is an Oklahoma law firm with more than 100 years of combined experience, including a track record of success handling premises liability cases. To talk with an experienced slip-and-fall lawyer and get a free assessment of your case, fill out our easy online contact form or call 405-607-8757. We handle all personal injury cases on a “no-win, no-fee” basis, so you won’t pay attorney’s fees unless we get you a settlement or win your case in court.
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.