When walking through a store, customers expect a safe environment where hazards are promptly addressed. However, inadequate lighting can obscure dangerous conditions, leading to slip-and-fall accidents. In New York City, if you’ve suffered a fall because of poor lighting, you may wonder if you have grounds to sue the store for damages. Read this blog and reach out to a seasoned New York City slip and fall lawyer from the Law Office of Richard M. Kenny to learn whether you can sue a store for a slip and fall caused by inadequate lighting.
What Are the Legal Grounds for Suing a Store After a Slip and Fall?
To pursue a lawsuit for a slip-and-fall accident caused by inadequate lighting in New York, you must prove that the store was negligent. Under New York’s premises liability laws, property owners have a responsibility to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors. This duty includes ensuring that areas are adequately lit so hazards, such as wet floors or obstacles, are visible.
To win a lawsuit based on poor lighting, you’ll need to demonstrate three key points:
- The store had a duty to provide safe conditions. This responsibility includes ensuring that areas where customers walk are adequately lit to identify potential dangers.
- The store breached this duty through negligence. For example, if lights were broken or a store area was intentionally dim, making it difficult to see potential hazards, the store may have failed in its duty to provide a safe environment.
- The inadequate lighting directly caused your fall and injuries. You’ll need to prove that the poor lighting was the reason you couldn’t see the hazard that caused you to slip and fall.
If all three elements are met, there is a basis for pursuing a slip-and-fall lawsuit against the store.
How Can I Prove That Inadequate Lighting Caused My Slip and Fall?
Proving inadequate lighting was responsible for your slip-and-fall can be challenging but not impossible. Collecting evidence as soon as possible after the accident is key. Photographs, witness statements, and even store security footage can play an essential role in showing that lighting conditions were substandard at the time of your accident.
In addition to physical evidence, you may need expert testimony. An expert can analyze the lighting conditions to establish whether they were below industry standards and contributed to the fall. In some cases, an investigator or lighting expert might visit the location to take measurements or test lighting levels.
It’s also helpful to gather witness statements from people who saw the fall or were aware of the poor lighting in that area of the store. Documentation of prior complaints or repairs made to lighting fixtures in the store can further strengthen your case. If the store had a known history of lighting issues, this could demonstrate a pattern of negligence.
CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED NEW YORK CITY FIRM
Our entire legal team is dedicated to providing the advice you need and the personalized attention you deserve. If you have been injured due to another party’s negligence, call (212) 421-0300 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation with a New York City personal injury lawyer. You may be entitled to financial compensation, which can help you on your road to recovery.
