You can file a lawsuit for pain and suffering compensation as well as economic damages if you’ve been in a slip and fall at an airport in Michigan and been seriously injured. All airports, anywhere in the U.S., have the same duty to protect invitees and travelers. When airports create dangerous conditions that can cause a fall, or fail to make conditions safe for visitors by not timely addressing dangers, whether it’s a spilled drink or an accumulation of ice, an airport can be sued.
In a lawsuit, your economic damages may include past and future medical bills as well as reimbursement for the wages you’ve lost because your injuries have prevented you from working. This also includes income you won’t be able to earn in the future.
Common causes of slips, trips and falls at an airport
- Slippery floors (due to being recently polished)
- Freshly mopped floors (especially with no “Wet Floor” sign)
- Liquid or beverage spills
- Poor lighting
- Poor maintenance
- Uneven pavement and walking surfaces
- Loose carpeting
- Luggage and other obstacles
- Lack of handrails
- Electrical cords
Elements of negligence for a slip and fall at an airport in Michigan
In Michigan, to be able to sue and win for your slip and fall injury at the airport, you must be able to prove that the airport and the other at-fault parties were negligent. This requires showing four elements:
- Duty – The airport authority, the airport owner, the airlines and the owners of the businesses within the airport owe a duty to airport customers and the customers that come into their businesses to protect them from dangerous conditions and to anticipate the harm and take action when a hazard appears open and obvious.
- Breach – If any of the above parties fails to protect their customers by either keeping the premises in a safe condition or warning customers of the dangers, then those parties have breached their duty.
- Causation – There is causation when a responsible party’s breach of duty causes a person to slip and fall and become injured.
- Harm – Proving the harm that you suffered as a result of your fall will require presenting evidence that establishes your pain and suffering, your medical expenses, your lost wages, and other noneconomic and economic damages.
What happens if I slip and fall at an airport in Michigan?
In Michigan, as soon as you are able after your slip and fall at an airport, you should take the following actions to protect your health and your legal rights:
- Seek medical care – Getting medical care as soon as possible to diagnose your injury, start treatment, and refer you for further diagnostic testing and an examination by a specialist is crucial. It will help you heal and recover. And it will help you document and establish a connection between your injury and your fall at the airport. Fortunately, many airports now have first-aid stations and dedicated staff who can help or call for emergency care.
- File an incident report with the airport manager – Make sure you file an incident report with the airport manager, or if your injuries are too serious, have someone do so on your behalf as soon as possible. An incident report is proof that your accident occurred. It becomes important to defeat attempts by the airport’s claims adjusters or lawyers who are inclined to deny your accident ever occurred, or even of accusing people of fabricating an accident if it is not documented and if there is not a close temporal relationship between the date and the filing of the incident report.
- Get photos or video of what caused your accident – It’s very important to try to record with photos or video the hazardous condition that caused you to fall. It will be crucial to your case against the airport and other at-fault parties for compensation and damages for your injury.
- Collect witness information – If possible, try to take the names of any eyewitnesses who can confirm the conditions as they existed before the airport cleans or removes the dangerous condition.
What should I do for a slip and fall at an airport outside Michigan?
For a slip and fall at an airport outside Michigan, you should: (1) get medical care, (2) report your fall to the airport manager, (3) take video and photos of what caused your fall, (4) collect witness contact information, and (5) contact Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyers for the best attorney for your case.
Attorney Timothy A. Holland, a recognized national legal expert in the area of premises liability law, co-counsels with some of the best lawyers around the country and can be available to help directly or help direct you to an excellent, experienced slip and fall lawyer in your state if we cannot help.
Our attorneys stand ready to help injured victims anywhere in the U.S. We can be wherever you need us.
Who is liable for a slip and fall at an airport in Michigan?
For a slip and fall at an airport, under Michigan law, the owner or possessor of property is liable to make it reasonably safe for all guests and business invitees. If the party was negligent, and this negligence caused your injuries, then they are responsible for your damages. Be sure to check with an experienced slip and fall lawyer to confirm that your state does not have specific notice requirements, or governmental immunity laws that may need to be specifically addressed. Notice requirements can be strictly enforced, so you want to talk to a lawyer who understands this specialized area of premises liability law as soon as possible.
The following potentially responsible people and entities may be liable for your accident-related injuries:
- The airport authority – The operation and management of many public airports is conducted by a governmental entity that is called the “airport authority.”
- The owner or operator of a private airport
- An airline
- A restaurant, shop, or kiosk located in the airport terminal
- A negligent airport customer
Liability for public airports versus private airports
In Michigan, when it comes to holding an airport liable for a customer’s slip and fall injury, the big difference between public airports and private airports is government immunity, which as the name suggests gives public airports (because they are owned by the government) immunity from liability under some circumstances.
It is important to know that governmental immunity is by no means absolute and, depending on the facts of the case, governmental actors can be held liable for the slip and fall injuries they negligently cause.
Private airports do not have governmental immunity because they are owned by private people or entities – not a governmental agency.
Can I sue for a slip and fall at an airport in Michigan?
In Michigan, you can sue for a slip and fall at an airport but you will need to establish that the responsible party had possession and control of the area where you fell. You will also need to prove that their failure to protect you from a dangerous condition caused your fall and injuries.
What if I work for the Michigan airport and I slip and fall and get injured?
Under Michigan’s Workers’ Comp law, an airport employee cannot sue the airport for pain and suffering compensation. The law’s “exclusive remedy” provision limits an employee to collecting only medical and wage loss benefits from their employer after a workplace injury.
Recoverable damages
The money you receive in a settlement may pay for the following recoverable damages:
- Pain and suffering compensation
- Medical expenses for current and future care, treatment and procedures
- Lost wages that you haven’t been able to – and won’t be able to – earn now and in the future
- Expenses for attendant and nursing care
- Expenses for transportation to and from doctor appointments
- Emotional distress
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
Statute of limitations
The statute of limitations for a slip and fall at an airport in Michigan is three years from the date of the accident that resulted in your injuries. Although the statute of limitations applies to both public and private airports, there are other, much shorter deadlines when you’re suing a public airport.
In order to file a lawsuit against a public airport or airport authority – one that is run by a municipal, county or state office or agency – you may be required to file a notice of intent to sue within either 120 or 6 months of your injury.
Here are more details about two such notice requirements:
- For a slip and fall accident that occurs as a result of “any dangerous or defective public building,” your notice of intent to sue must be filed within 120 days of your injury. (MCL 691.1406)
- If you will be suing the State of Michigan for your slip and fall injury, then your notice of intent to sue must be filed within 6 months of the accident that caused your injuries. (MCL 600.6431(1) and (4))
If you miss either the statute of limitations or the notice deadlines, your case will be “time-barred” and you will not be able to seek or receive compensation for your injury.
When should I hire an attorney?
If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a slip and fall at an airport in Michigan or anywhere in the U.S., you should hire an experienced slip and fall attorney right away. An attorney from Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyers will help you to protect your legal rights and preserve valuable evidence.
We work with some of the top attorneys in states across the country. Frequently, we co-counsel cases with them. Other times, depending on the circumstances, we will direct a client to a lawyer who practices law according to the same high standards that we at Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyers hold ourselves to.
Timing is everything when it comes to building up your case to get you the best possible settlement.
What you need is a lawyer who has the experience and skill to jump in immediately and ensure that valuable and essential evidence from the accident scene at the airport is preserved. This can include anything from securing the video footage, getting copies of the airport’s maintenance and cleaning records, and interviewing and taking statements from witnesses, to making sure that the necessary “preservation” letters and notices of intent to sue are properly filed and served.
Injured in a slip and fall accident at an airport in Michigan? Call an experienced lawyer now!
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured as a result of a slip and fall accident at an airport in Michigan or anywhere in the U.S., our lawyers can help. The attorneys at Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyers will fight to get the best possible legal settlement for you and your family.
No matter what state your accident occurred in, we can be there for you. Call now for a no-cost, no obligation, free consultation with one of our experienced slip and fall lawyers to discuss your legal rights under the law to pain and suffering compensation and to money damages to help you and your family pay your medical bills and make up for the wages you’ve lost because your injuries have disabled you from working. To speak with us about your injury, call us now, or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.