Slip And Fall In A Store In Michigan: Do I Have A Lawsuit If Injured?
What Is Your Slip and Fall Case Worth?
Don’t let the insurance adjuster push you around. Request your free consultation today.
"*" indicates required fields
To determine whether you have a lawsuit after you were injured in a slip and fall in a store in Michigan, you need a lawyer who specializes exclusively in these types of premises liability cases, and has both a track record of winning million-dollar verdicts and settlements and a reputation for being a relentless litigator who won’t settle for less than the full value of your case.
If you’ve been injured in an slip and fall accident in a store in Michigan, the experienced premises liability lawyers at FallLaw.com are here to fight for you. Led by attorney Tim Holland, our team has a proven track record of securing million-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients across the state. A couple of secrets to their success are that they specialize exclusively in premises liability claims and intentionally take fewer cases than other personal injury law firms so that they can dedicate their full time and attention to their clients.
What happens if you slip and fall in a store in Michigan?
In Michigan, if and when you slip and fall in a store, you may be entitled to compensation if the property or shop owner failed to keep the premises safe. State law requires owners to maintain safe conditions for customers.
To have a strong slip and fall in a store claim in Michigan, you must show a dangerous condition existed, the owner knew or should have known about it, and failed to address or warn you, resulting in your injury. If you are partially at fault, your compensation may be reduced. You generally have up to three years from the date of your injury to take legal action. For expert guidance, consult a premises liability attorney.
What is a store’s liability for slip and fall accidents in Michigan?
In Michigan, a store’s liability for slip and fall accidents depends on whether it knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to fix or warn about it. The injured person must prove negligence, but damages may be reduced if they share some fault.
What to do after a slip and fall in a store in Michigan?
In Michigan, if you slip and fall in a store, your first step should always be protecting your health by seeking medical attention right away. Next, notify the store manager and make sure an incident report is filed—request a copy for your records. Be thorough in documenting the scene by taking photos or videos and gathering names and contact information from any witnesses. Keep key evidence, such as the shoes and clothing you were wearing, and avoid giving statements to insurance companies or posting about the accident online. Before taking any further steps, speak with an experienced Michigan slip and fall lawyer who can protect your rights and guide you through the process of pursuing a premises liability claim against the store. From getting medical treatment to reporting the incident and preserving evidence, following a clear plan helps ensure you don’t miss anything that could strengthen your case.
- Get medical attention right away – Seek prompt medical care, even if you feel fine, since some injuries take time to appear; your medical records will also serve as vital evidence.
- Report the incident – Tell the manager or an employee what happened, ask them to create an incident report, and request a copy for your records.
- Document everything – Take photos or videos of the hazard, gather witness names and contact information, and write down what happened while it’s still fresh in your memory.
- Preserve evidence – Keep the shoes and clothing you were wearing without washing or altering them, since they may show signs of the hazard.
- Avoid giving statements to insurers – Do not provide a recorded statement to the shop’s insurance company until you have spoken with an attorney.
- Track your damages – Save all medical bills, receipts, and records, note any missed work and lost wages, and document how your injuries affect your daily life.
- Consult an lawyer – An experienced attorney can evaluate negligence, guide you through Michigan’s premises liability law, and help you pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more
Can you sue a store for a slip and fall in Michigan?
In Michigan, you can sue a store for a slip and fall injury due to a dangerous condition the shop negligently failed to address or warn about. To win, you must prove the shop knew or should have known about the hazard and that it caused your injuries.
What key elements does an attorney have to prove?
In Michigan, to win a slip and fall case against a store, your lawyer must prove four key elements: the shop owed you a duty to keep the premises safe, breached that duty, caused your injury, and that you suffered damages. Premises liability law gives customers the right to a safe shopping environment.
Below are the legal terms for the four key elements and explanations of each:
- Duty – You must show that the shop owed you a duty of care. As a customer (legally referred to as an “invitee”), you are entitled to a safe shopping environment.
- Breach – You must show that the shop breached that duty. In other words, you must show that it failed to make the premises safe.
- Causation – You must show that the shop’s breach of duty caused your injuries. For example, that the shop’s lack of proper maintenance or warning led to your accident and resulting harm.
- Damages – You must show that you suffered damages. These may include physical injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and other economic or non-economic losses.
Property owners are legally obligated to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for invitees. According to the State Supreme Court’s decisions in Kandil-Elsayed vs. F&E Oil, Inc., and Pinsky vs. Kroger Company of Michigan, this duty includes taking reasonable steps to protect customers from hazardous conditions that could cause injury. These cases provide the standard jury instruction in premises liability trials throughout the state.
More specifically, as outlined in Stitt v. Holland Abundant Life Fellowship, a retail shop’s responsibility includes three core duties:
- Inspect the premises for potential hazards
- Repair any unsafe conditions promptly and appropriately
- Warn customers about known dangers, such as spills, wet floors, or tripping hazards
In Michigan, to hold the store accountable for a slip and fall accident and obtain compensation, you must present evidence showing that the shop owner or management failed to exercise reasonable care in one or more of these areas. Without this proof, a negligence claim will not succeed under state law.
What duty of care does a shop owe to me?
The duty of care owed to you by a shop depends on your status relative to the property. There are 3 possible duties based on your status:
- Invitee – An invitee is entitled to the highest duty of care. As to an invitee, a shop must maintain its premises in a reasonably safe condition. Invitee status arises when someone is invited onto the owner’s property for the “commercial benefit” of the owner. (M Civ JI 19.01). When it comes to invitees, the property owner must “make the premises safe,” which means inspecting the property, repairing hazardous conditions, and warning of such conditions that visitors are unaware of. (Stitt v. Holland)
- Licensee – A licensee is owed a duty of care requiring property owners to warn of hazardous conditions that are unlikely to be discovered. Licensee status arises when someone enters the property “for any purpose other than a business or commercial one” and “with the express or implied permission” of the property owner. (M Civ JI 19.01). A social guest is an example of a licensee. As to licensees, Stitt provides that “[t]he possessor of land or premises is liable for physical harm caused to the licensee by a condition on the premises if, but only if the possessor (1) “knew or should’ve known of the condition, and should have realized that it involved an unreasonable risk of harm to the licensee, and should have expected that she would not discover or realize the danger;” and (2) “failed to exercise reasonable care to make the conditions safe or to warn the licensee of the condition and the risk involved;” and the licensee (3) “did not know or have reason to know of the condition and risk involved.”
- Trespasser – A trespasser is not entitled to a duty of care except in specific circumstances such as “willful and wanton misconduct.” Trespasser status arises when someone enters the property without the owner’s permission and for his or her own purposes. (M Civ JI 19.01). As to trespassers, MCL 554.583 explains that a property owner “owes no duty of care to a trespasser and is not liable to a trespasser for physical harm caused by the possessor’s failure to exercise reasonable care to put the land in a condition reasonably safe for the trespasser or to carry on activities on the land so as not to endanger trespassers.”
Can you sue the store if you slip and fall outside of it in Michigan?
A shop’s duty to maintain its premises in a reasonably safe condition extends to the entire premises, inside and out, including areas such as parking lots and sidewalks. In Michigan, if your slip and fall occurred outside the store, you will have to prove the same elements of negligence (duty, breach, causation, and damages) as you would if the accident occurred inside the shop.
What is the statute of limitations for suing a store for a slip and fall accident in Michigan?
In Michigan, you must file a lawsuit for your slip and fall in a store injury within 3 years of the accident—a deadline known as the statute of limitations (MCL 600.5805).If you don’t file your lawsuit within this time period, you lose your right to sue and seek compensation for your injuries.
What type of compensation is available?
The compensation available in a Michigan store slip and fall case can be significant, especially when you have an experienced attorney advocating for you. A knowledgeable lawyer will pursue the full range of damages allowed under state law, which may include:
- Economic damages – These cover the cost of medical care related to your injuries, such as doctor visits, diagnostic testing, surgeries, hospital stays, rehabilitation, and prescribed medications. You may also be entitled to recover lost income during your recovery, as well as compensation for any future loss of earning capacity due to long-term or permanent injuries.
- Noneconomic damages – These address the personal and emotional toll of your injuries. They may include compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, fright and shock, denial of social pleasures and enjoyments, embarrassment, humiliation or mortification. (M Civ JI 50.02)
- Wrongful death damages – If you lost a family member in a slip and fall accident in a store, Michigan’s Wrongful Death Act allows family members to seek damages that include: (1) “reasonable medical, hospital, funeral, and burial expenses for which the estate is liable”; (2) “reasonable compensation” for “pain and suffering”; and (3) loss of the deceased’s financial support, society and companionship. (MCL 600.2922(6).
Why choose the lawyers at FallLaw.com for your Michigan store slip and fall injury claim?
When you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in a store in Michigan, you need a legal representative who knows exactly how to win these cases and that is what you get when you choose FallLaw.com. Here’s why our law firm is the right choice for you:
- We focus exclusively on premises liability cases – Unlike most personal injury firms in our state that handle a wide range of unrelated legal matters, we specialize in just this one area. This focus allows us to deliver exceptional results for our clients.
- We have a proven record of success – Our attorneys have won million-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients. These outcomes are a direct result of our deep expertise and relentless advocacy.
- Our team includes some of the state’s most experienced attorneys – We’ve litigated hundreds of these and other types of premises liability cases across the state, giving us hard-won, experience-based insight into what it takes to win.
- We are nationally recognized for excellence – Our lawyers are respected across the country for maximizing the value of premises liability claims and are frequently invited to speak at legal conferences and seminars, teaching other attorneys how to succeed in this highly specialized field.
- We hold negligent property owners fully accountable – Our experience, legal knowledge, and trial skills allow us to build strong cases that force insurance companies, shops, and property owners to take responsibility for the harm they’ve caused.
Examples of our settlements
With FallLaw.com, we achieve faster, higher-value slip and fall settlements for accident victims in Michigan stores than general personal injury firms. This is because our area of premises liability law isn’t just part of what we do, it’s all we do. By limiting our caseload and focusing solely on this complex area of law, we’re able to devote the time, attention, and strategic expertise each case demands. This focused model consistently delivers better outcomes for our clients.
Our specialized approach has resulted in numerous million-dollar recoveries, including:
- $7 million – For a construction site injury caused by serious safety violations
- $5.5 million – In a case involving major injuries from a hazardous property condition
- $4.6 million – For a traumatic brain injury caused by an unsafe merchandise display at a national pharmacy
- $3.6 million – From dangerous conditions on commercial property
- $2.5 million – For injuries resulting from a hidden hazard on private premises
Our results speak for themselves. When you need skilled, focused, and proven representation after a slip and fall accident in a store in Michigan, FallLaw.com is here to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call now and get a free consultation from our attorneys today!
You do not have to go it alone if you are injured in a slip and fall accident in a store in Michigan Let the experience that attorney Tim Holland and his legal team have on these types of premises liability cases along with their track record of getting the highest settlement amounts possible for their victims give you peace of mind, while they help to pick you back up and get you the compensation that you need and deserve to start rebuilding your life.
We pride ourselves on treating every client with care, compassion, and respect. We pride ourselves on communication and we will always be there when you need us. We will ALWAYS return your calls and emails and answer your questions.
To speak with an experienced lawyer about your injury case, call us now, or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
We will help you understand the law and answer all of your questions about how we can make the law work for you. There is absolutely no cost or obligation. We’re here for you now.
Published:
Get help from our FallLaw.com lawyers today
You do not have to go it alone after your slip and fall accident. With a proven record of securing top settlements in Michigan slip and fall cases, attorney Tim Holland and his team of lawyers at FallLaw.com give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your case is in experienced hands — while they fight for the compensation you need and deserve.
We pride ourselves on treating every client with care, compassion, and respect. We pride ourselves on communication and we will always be there when you need us. We will ALWAYS return your calls and emails and answer your questions.
To speak with an experienced slip and fall accident attorney about your injury, call us now, or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
We will help you understand Michigan’s slip and fall law and answer all of your questions about how we can make the law work for you. There is absolutely no cost or obligation. We’re here for you now.
Meet Our Attorney
Tim Holland is arguably Michigan’s most experienced and successful slip and fall lawyer. You can read more about Tim Holland’s experience and success here.
What Is Your Slip and Fall Case Worth?
"*" indicates required fields