What Happened
It had been raining throughout the day when the client entered a business in Western Washington. Water had been tracked across the hard floor, but there were no floor mats or warning signs near the wet area.
The client slipped and fell, fracturing the dominant wrist. The injury made it impossible to continue in a profession that required constant use of both hands, and for an extended period the client was unable to lift or hold young children in the family.
The Business Initially Disputed the Fall
The business initially denied that the fall had happened on its property. Although there were multiple cameras on-site, the business did not provide the requested footage. It eventually stopped disputing that the fall occurred, but then attempted to blame the client for wearing ordinary athletic shoes after walking outside in the rain.
That argument avoided the real question: What reasonable precautions had the business taken when rainwater was being tracked onto a slippery floor? There were no mats and no signs warning customers that the floor was wet.
Not every slip and fall makes a business legally responsible. Liability depends on the specific facts — what created the hazard, whether the business knew or should have known about it, and what precautions were taken to protect customers.
Showing the Full Effect of the Injury
A wrist fracture may sound straightforward, but the value of an injury claim cannot be determined by the diagnosis alone. I focused on how the fracture affected the client's actual life — the inability to continue working, lost income during recovery and a career transition, significant pain and disruption, an inability to lift or hold young children in the family, and permanent hardware in the dominant wrist following surgery.
The client eventually recovered and retrained for different work. However, working hard to rebuild did not erase the income lost, the pain experienced, or the time lost with family.
"A broken wrist may sound straightforward, but the value of an injury claim cannot be determined by the diagnosis alone."
— Amy C. Brown
The Result
I obtained a six-figure settlement without filing a lawsuit. The settlement paid outstanding medical expenses, compensated the client for lost income, and recognized the physical pain and emotional disruption the injury caused.
Resolving the claim before litigation was especially important because the client needed financial relief without a lengthy lawsuit, deposition, or formal discovery.
Without legal representation, the client would have faced the difficult task of locating the business's insurer and risk-management representatives alone. Even if that had succeeded in getting medical expenses paid, the compensation likely would not have reflected the full lost income, pain, and broader effect the injury had on the client's life.
What Other Injured Customers Should Understand
A fall inside a business does not automatically establish negligence. The surrounding facts matter.
Important evidence may include:
- Photographs or video of the dangerous condition
- Surveillance-camera footage
- Witness statements
- Weather conditions
- Incident reports
- Cleaning and inspection records
- The presence or absence of floor mats and warning signs
- Evidence showing how long the hazardous condition existed
- The shoes and clothing worn at the time
- Medical documentation and proof of lost income
Businesses and insurers may argue that the hazard was obvious, that the injured person was careless, or even that the incident did not happen as described. Preserving evidence and identifying the correct insurance representatives early can make a meaningful difference.
If you were injured after slipping on a wet floor at a business, I can evaluate what happened and explain your options.