Slip & Fall Attorneys in Reading, PA

Premises Liability Representation from a Firm Devoted to Wrongful Injury Since 1959

A slip and fall accident can leave you with broken bones, a head injury, or spinal damage that reshapes your life overnight. Since 1959, Liever, Hyman & Potter has represented wrongful injury victims throughout Reading and across Berks and Schuylkill counties. Our four attorneys handle only wrongful injury and death claims. No real estate closings, no business contracts, and no divided attention.

Every slip and fall case we take is reviewed and assigned to a civil trial attorney qualified to handle it. Your consultation is free, and you won’t pay fees or case expenses until we recover money for you.

If you were hurt in a slip and fall in the Reading area, call our attorneys today at (610) 885-1991 to schedule your free consultation. There’s no fee until we recover for you.

Who Owes You a Duty of Care in Pennsylvania

Under Pennsylvania’s premises liability law, property owners who fail to maintain safe conditions can be held responsible for resulting injuries. Invitees, which include customers, tenants, and members of the public on commercial property, are owed the highest duty of care. Licensees, such as social guests, are owed a duty to warn of known hazards. Trespassers receive minimal protection. When the duty is higher, so is the property owner’s obligation to inspect, correct, and warn.

Liability doesn’t fall only on property owners. A property management company or cleaning contractor responsible for maintaining the premises can also be named in a claim. Common hazards in premises liability cases include wet floors, uneven pavement, cracked sidewalks, inadequate lighting, missing handrails, and ice or snow left unaddressed on walkways. Pennsylvania courts don’t treat an “open and obvious” condition as an automatic defense. Even a visible hazard can give rise to liability if the property owner’s failure to address it was unreasonable.

Proving Negligence in a Pennsylvania Slip & Fall Claim

To succeed in your slip and fall case, you must establish four elements: the property owner owed a duty of care; the owner breached that duty by failing to maintain safe conditions or warn of a hazard; that breach directly caused the accident and injuries; and you suffered documented damages as a result. The breach element often turns on notice. You need to show the owner either knew about the hazard (actual notice) or that it existed long enough that a reasonable owner would have discovered it (constructive notice).

Evidence makes or breaks these cases. Photographs of the hazard, incident reports, witness contact information, surveillance footage, and maintenance logs all matter. Surveillance video is often overwritten within days, and spills get cleaned up quickly. Acting promptly gives us the best chance to preserve what exists.

One more thing to know before you talk to the property owner’s insurer: don’t. Insurance adjusters may contact you soon after the fall. Giving a recorded statement or accepting an early offer before speaking with an attorney can seriously damage your claim.

Pennsylvania’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule

Many slip and fall victims worry they were partly at fault. Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence rule addresses this directly. If you share some responsibility for the accident, your compensation is reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault. If you’re found 51 percent or more at fault, you can’t recover. At 50 percent or less, you can still recover, with the award reduced accordingly.

Property owners and their insurers routinely argue contributory fault to reduce their exposure. Documenting the hazard, your own conduct, and the absence of warnings is important to countering those arguments. Partial fault doesn’t automatically end a claim.

Damages Available to Slip & Fall Victims

Economic damages can include past and future medical expenses, costs of surgery and rehabilitation, lost income during recovery, and reduced earning capacity if the injury causes long-term disability. Non-economic damages cover physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the lasting impact on daily life and activities.

The full cost of a serious injury often exceeds what the initial medical bills show. Spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and hip fractures requiring surgery can generate substantial long-term needs. Accepting a settlement before understanding the full picture can leave significant compensation on the table. We assess long-term medical needs and lost earning potential before advising you on any offer.

Steps to Take After a Slip & Fall in Reading

What you do in the hours and days after a fall can determine the strength of your claim:

• Seek medical attention immediately. Concussions and soft tissue injuries may not appear for hours or days; a medical record connects the fall to your injuries.
• Report the accident. Notify the property owner, manager, or security personnel and request a written copy of any incident report.
• Document the scene. Photograph or video the hazardous condition, the surrounding area, any warning signs (or their absence), and your injuries.
• Collect witness information. Get contact details from anyone who saw the fall before leaving the scene.
• Don’t speak to the insurer. Decline recorded statements and don’t accept any settlement offer before consulting an attorney.
• Act within the time limit. The statute of limitations for a Pennsylvania slip and fall lawsuit is generally two years from the date of the accident. Evidence also deteriorates quickly, so prompt action matters on both fronts.

Why Berks County Clients Choose Liever, Hyman & Potter

Founded in 1959, Liever, Hyman & Potter has won thousands of awards and settlements for wrongful injury victims across Berks and Schuylkill counties. No other firm located in that area can claim a longer record of results. Our four attorneys have devoted virtually all of their combined 115-plus years of practice to wrongful injury and death law. That undivided focus is a deliberate choice, and it shows in the depth of preparation we bring to every case.

In a recent three-year period alone, we recovered more than 500 awards and settlements, including numerous million-dollar and multi-million-dollar results. Our documented firm-wide wrongful injury recoveries include a $12.75 million settlement, a $6.5 million settlement for a teenage client who suffered a brain bleed resulting in hemiplegia, a $3.5 million trucking crash settlement, and a $3.265 million drunk-driving wrongful death settlement, among many others. These results reflect the firm’s overall wrongful injury record across practice areas.

Lead attorney John R. Badal has devoted his entire career to representing wrongful injury victims. Admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1978 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991, he holds membership in both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and has served as Chairman of the Berks County Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section and Workers’ Compensation Section. The broader legal community refers clients to us regularly, earning us recognition as “The Lawyers’ Lawyers.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I File a Claim If My Injuries Seemed Minor at First?

Yes. Some injuries, including concussions and soft tissue damage, don’t become apparent for hours or days after a fall. A medical evaluation is the only way to rule out delayed-onset harm. We can evaluate whether a claim is worth pursuing once we’ve reviewed the facts.

What If the Property Owner Claims I Was Distracted by My Phone?

Partial fault doesn’t automatically bar a claim in Pennsylvania. Under the modified comparative negligence rule, you can still recover damages if you’re found 50 percent or less responsible, though the award is reduced by your share of fault. How fault is allocated depends on the specific facts of the case.

Can I File a Claim If I Fell on a Public Sidewalk or in a Public Building in Reading?

Claims against government entities involve different notice requirements and procedural rules than standard premises liability claims. The time limits can be shorter than the standard two-year window, making early legal consultation especially important if government property is involved.

How Long Does a Slip & Fall Case Typically Take to Resolve?

The timeline depends on the severity of the injuries, the complexity of the liability dispute, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. After reviewing the facts of your situation, we can give a more specific assessment of what to expect.

Talk to a Reading Slip & Fall Attorney at No Cost

Your consultation with Liever, Hyman & Potter is free. We’ll review your case carefully and advise you on your options before you commit to anything. If we take your case, you pay no fees and no case expenses until we recover money for you. That applies to clients and cases, without exception.

Contact Liever, Hyman & Potter today to speak with a slip and fall attorney in Reading, PA. Call (610) 885-1991 to schedule your free consultation.