At Steve Boyd, PC, we listen to you, fight for you, and we get results.
At Steve Boyd, PC, we listen to you, fight for you, and we get results.
Niagara Falls is a world-class destination, welcoming millions of visitors each year to its hotels, casinos, restaurants, and attractions. While most visits are safe and enjoyable, a slip and fall accident caused by a property owner’s negligence can turn a vacation or a simple outing into a nightmare. These incidents can cause severe injuries, from broken bones to traumatic brain injuries, leading to pain, medical bills, and ruined travel plans.
Whether you are a local resident or a tourist, property owners have a legal duty to keep you safe. The law firm of Steve Boyd, P.C., provides assertive and experienced legal representation for those injured in slip and fall accidents. We are committed to holding negligent hotels, casinos, and businesses accountable for their failures.
Injured in a Fall in Niagara Falls? Get a Free Case Review
Holding Hotels, Casinos, and Businesses Accountable
Businesses that invite the public onto their property for profit, such as hotels, restaurants, and casinos, are held to a high standard of care under New York’s premises liability laws. They must take active steps to ensure their property is reasonably safe for all guests. This duty includes:
- Regularly inspecting floors, stairs, and walkways for potential hazards.
- Promptly cleaning up spills and placing highly visible warning signs.
- Repairing torn carpeting, broken tiles, or defective handrails.
- Providing adequate lighting in hallways, stairwells, and parking lots.
- Taking reasonable security measures to protect guests from harm.
When a business fails in this duty and a guest is injured, they can be held financially liable for the resulting damages. A skilled slip and fall attorney in Niagara Falls knows how to prove that this standard of care was breached.
Injured While on Vacation? We Can Handle Your Case.
Being injured in a fall is difficult; being injured hundreds of miles from home is even more stressful. We are experienced in handling a tourist injury claim in Niagara Falls and have designed our practice to serve out-of-state and international clients seamlessly.
If you were hurt while visiting the area, we can:
- Manage Your Entire Case Remotely: We use video conferencing, email, and phone calls to handle all aspects of your case, so you do not need to travel back to New York.
- Investigate Immediately: We can act quickly to preserve crucial evidence from the hotel or business, such as surveillance video and incident reports, before it is lost or destroyed.
- Work with Your Home-State Doctors: We will coordinate with your medical providers at home to obtain the records needed to document the full extent of your injuries and their impact on your life.
- Act as Your Local Counsel: We handle all filings with the Niagara County courts and all negotiations with the New York-based insurance companies and corporate legal teams.
Common Causes of Falls in Hospitality and Entertainment Venues
As an experienced hotel injury lawyer, we have seen how negligence in the hospitality industry leads to serious injuries. We handle cases arising from all types of hazards, including:
- Wet and Slippery Floors: Spilled drinks in a casino or restaurant, water tracked into a hotel lobby on a rainy day, or freshly mopped floors without proper warning signs.
- Poorly Lit Areas: Dimly lit hallways, stairwells, and parking garages that conceal tripping hazards.
- Defective Stairs and Handrails: Broken steps, uneven risers, or loose handrails that fail to provide necessary support.
- Cluttered Walkways: Luggage carts left in hallways, extension cords running across floors, or poorly placed decor that creates an obstacle course for guests.
- Unsafe Conditions Outdoors: Icy sidewalks at a hotel entrance, potholes in a casino parking lot, or broken pavement on walkways between attractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I do immediately after a fall at a hotel or casino?
First, report the incident to management immediately and insist that they create a formal incident report. Second, use your phone to take pictures of the exact hazard that caused you to fall before it is cleaned up. Third, get contact information from any employees or other guests who saw what happened. Finally, seek medical attention right away and then contact an attorney.
2. The hotel manager was very apologetic and offered me a free stay. Should I accept?
You should not accept any offers or sign any documents from the property owner or their insurance company without first speaking to a lawyer. These initial offers are often a tactic to get you to sign away your rights to a full and fair recovery for a fraction of what your claim is actually worth.
3. How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in New York?
In most cases, the statute of limitations for a premises liability lawsuit in New York is three years from the date of the incident. However, it is critical to act much sooner to ensure that crucial evidence, like surveillance video, can be preserved.