A slip-and-fall accident can change daily life in seconds. One moment you are walking through a parking lot or grocery store in Wausau, and the next you are dealing with a fractured hip, missed paychecks, and mounting medical bills. A Wausau slip and fall lawyer from our team at PKSDcan evaluate your situation, explain your legal options under Wisconsin law, and help you understand what your claim may be worth.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Wausau
Wisconsin winters create dangerous conditions on sidewalks, parking lots, and entryways across Wausau, but hazardous conditions inside stores, apartment buildings, restaurants, and public facilities cause just as many injuries year-round. Common hazards may include:
Wet or freshly mopped floors without adequate warning signs
Uneven pavement, cracked sidewalks, or broken steps
Poor or failed lighting in stairwells, hallways, and parking areas
Loose or torn flooring and unsecured rugs or mats
Cluttered walkways and obstructed aisles in commercial spaces
Identifying the specific cause of a fall matters because it can determine how liability is established and what evidence is needed to support a claim.
Injuries Frequently Resulting From Fall Accidents
Falls are among the leading causes of serious injury for adults of all ages. The body’s instinctive response, reaching out to break a fall or twisting to avoid impact, often leads to fractures and joint injuries that require surgery and prolonged rehabilitation. Hip fractures, wrist fractures, and shoulder injuries are especially common.
Head injuries present some of the most serious risks. Even a fall that does not involve direct impact can cause the brain to shift inside the skull, resulting in a concussion or more severe traumatic brain injury. Spinal injuries, including disc herniation and nerve compression, can produce chronic pain and limit mobility for years. Soft tissue damage, sprains, and torn ligaments may not appear serious at first but frequently require ongoing treatment and can prevent a full return to work.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Incident
The actions taken immediately after a fall can have a direct effect on the strength of a future claim. Many property owners and their insurance companies begin gathering evidence quickly, and the injured person’s response in the first hours and days matters considerably.
Seeking medical attention is the most important first step. A prompt evaluation creates a documented connection between the fall and the injuries, which becomes critical when an insurance company attempts to argue that the harm existed before the incident. Speaking with a Wausau slip and fall lawyer as early as possible also helps protect your rights before critical evidence is lost or altered.
Steps to Protect Your Claim
Report the incident: Notify the property owner, manager, or supervisor before leaving the scene and request a written incident report.
Document the hazard: Photograph the exact location and condition that caused the fall, including any warning signs, or the absence of them.
Collect witness information: Names and contact details from anyone who saw the fall or can describe the condition of the property.
Preserve your clothing and footwear: Do not launder or discard what you were wearing, as these items can be relevant to the case.
Avoid recorded statements: Do not give a recorded statement to the property owner’s insurance company before speaking with a slip and fall attorney.
Every detail preserved early in the process can strengthen the foundation for a premises liability claim later.
Wisconsin premises liability law requires an injured person to demonstrate that the property owner knew, or reasonably should have known, about a dangerous condition and failed to correct it or provide adequate warning. This standard, known as constructive notice, is central to most slip-and-fall claims. Working with a Wausau slip and fall lawyer early in the process can help ensure that maintenance records, inspection logs, prior incident reports, and surveillance footage are identified and preserved before they disappear.
Wisconsin follows a modified comparative fault system under Wisconsin Statute 895.045, which means an injured person can still recover damages as long as their share of fault does not exceed 50 percent. Any award is reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to the injured party. This rule makes it particularly important to counter arguments from property owners or insurance companies who attempt to change blame onto the person who fell.
Timing also matters. Under the law, most personal injury claims in Wisconsin must be filed within three years of the date of the injury. Missing that deadline bars recovery entirely, regardless of how solid the underlying claim may be.
Compensation Available for Slip and Fall Victims
A successful premises liability claim can include compensation for the financial losses and the personal impact a fall injury produces. Economic damages cover measurable costs such as emergency room visits, surgical procedures, physical therapy, prescription medications, medical equipment, and wages lost during recovery. When injuries prevent a return to the same type of work, future earning capacity may also factor into the claim.
Non-economic damages address the less visible but equally real effects of a serious fall. Physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment in activities that were once routine, and the strain placed on personal relationships all fall within this category. In cases involving severe or permanent injury, these damages can represent a significant portion of the overall recovery. Our team at PKSD works to document every category of loss, so that nothing is left unaccounted for when evaluating the value of a claim.
Speak With a Slip and Fall Lawyer in Wausau Today
Our team at PKSD helps injured people across Wausau and central Wisconsin pursue the compensation they deserve after a fall caused by someone else’s negligence. Our attorneys evaluate your situation and explain what a Wausau slip and fall lawyer can do to support your claim. Contact us today at (414) 333-3333for a consultation.
Mr. Pitman is a member of the Nursing Home Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. Mr. Pitman was President of the Wisconsin Association for Justice in 2013 and is a current member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He lectures extensively on nursing home abuse and neglect and has authored numerous articles in the area of personal injury litigation.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, please fill out the form below or call us at (414) 333-3333.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Jeffery A. Pitman, who has more than 28 years of legal experience and handled thousands of personal injury cases while obtaining millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in Wisconsin.
About Us
PKSD is a Milwaukee personal injury law firm dedicated to helping injured individuals. We take a hands-on, client-focused approach and work closely with the people we represent from start to finish. We are committed to providing responsive service and strong legal advocacy when it matters most.
Areas We Serve
PKSD proudly serves clients throughout the state of Wisconsin. We represent individuals and families in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Appleton, Eau Claire, Wausau, and surrounding areas. No matter where you are located, our team is ready to help.
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