Injured in a Slip & Fall in Cincinnati?

Falls can cause serious injuries — broken hips, fractured wrists, herniated discs, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage. Even if you think the injury is minor, get checked by a doctor. Many fall injuries, including concussions and hairline fractures, don't produce full symptoms immediately.

If you're in severe pain or can't move, call 911. Otherwise, visit an emergency room or urgent care as soon as possible — ideally within 24 hours. The University of Cincinnati Medical Center (234 Goodman Street) is the region's only ACS-verified Level I adult trauma center. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center handles pediatric emergencies. The Christ Hospital, TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital, and Mercy Health facilities throughout Hamilton County provide emergency and orthopedic care for fall injuries.

Your medical records will establish the direct connection between the fall and your injuries. Without this documentation, the property owner's insurance company will argue your injuries were pre-existing or caused by something else.

Tell the property owner, store manager, building supervisor, or landlord what happened. Ask them to create a formal incident report. If they have a written form, fill it out — but stick to the facts of what happened and avoid speculating about fault or downplaying your injuries.

Ask for a copy of the incident report before you leave. If they refuse to give you one, write down the name and title of the person you reported to, the date and time, and what you told them.

Before anything is cleaned up or fixed, photograph the exact spot where you fell. Capture the hazardous condition — whether it's a wet floor, cracked sidewalk, icy parking lot, torn carpet, poor lighting, missing handrail, or uneven surface. Take wide shots showing the area and close-ups showing the specific hazard.

Photograph the absence of warning signs if none were posted. If a 'Wet Floor' sign was missing, that fact matters. Also photograph your injuries as soon as possible and again over the following days as they develop.

Get names and phone numbers of anyone who witnessed the fall. Witness testimony is especially valuable in slip and fall cases, where the property owner will likely dispute that a hazard existed or that they knew about it.

Don't wash, repair, or throw away the clothing and shoes you were wearing at the time of the fall. The property owner's insurance may argue that your footwear was inappropriate or that your clothing caused the fall. Preserving these items allows your attorney to counter those claims.

The property owner's liability insurer will contact you. Like any insurance company, their goal is to minimize what they pay. They'll ask detailed questions designed to shift blame to you — did you see the hazard? Were you looking at your phone? Were you wearing appropriate shoes?

You are not required to give a recorded statement. Politely decline and tell them you want to speak with an attorney first.

In Ohio, property owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition and to warn visitors of hazards they know about (or should know about). To recover compensation in a slip and fall case, you generally need to show that a dangerous condition existed on the property, the property owner knew about it (or should have known with reasonable care), the property owner failed to fix it or warn you, and you were injured as a result.

Ohio classifies visitors into categories that affect the duty of care owed: invitees (customers, clients — highest duty of care), licensees (social guests — moderate duty), and trespassers (lowest duty, with some exceptions for children under the 'attractive nuisance' doctrine).

Under Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10, you have two years from the date of the fall to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline applies whether you fell at a grocery store, a restaurant, a parking lot, or someone's home.

Ohio's modified comparative fault rule (Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33) also applies. If you're found partially at fault — for example, if the property owner argues you weren't paying attention — your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you're 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Ohio's bar is at 50%, not 51% — the tie goes to the defense, making it stricter than most comparative fault states.

Slip and fall cases can be difficult to prove because the property owner will argue they didn't know about the hazard or that you were careless. An experienced premises liability attorney knows how to build a strong case — preserving surveillance footage before it's deleted, identifying maintenance records, gathering witness testimony, and working with medical experts to document your injuries.

Most premises liability attorneys work on contingency — no upfront costs, and you pay nothing unless they win. The initial consultation is free.