Lake County Slip & Fall Lawyer

A slip and fall may seem like a minor mishap, but for many victims, it marks the beginning of a painful, expensive, and life-changing journey. Falls can cause serious injuries, long-term disability, and emotional distress. If a property owner’s negligence caused your fall, Indiana law allows you to hold them accountable. But holding them accountable without the proper legal representation can be quite difficult. That why you need our Lake County slip and fall lawyers on your side.

At Theodoros & Rooth, P.C., we help injured people across Northwest Indiana seek justice after preventable falls. Our team of Lake County slip and fall lawyers have decades of experience standing up to corporations, insurance companies, and negligent property owners, and we’re ready to help you, too.

Why Choose Theodoros & Rooth, P.C.?

Since 1988, Theodoros & Rooth, P.C. has been a trusted advocate for injury victims throughout Lake County. We’ve earned the confidence of families across Gary, Schererville, Hammond, Crown Point, and beyond by providing skilled, compassionate legal representation rooted in deep local experience.

Our legal team brings more than 75 years of combined experience to every case. We’ve been recognized by respected organizations such as Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell for our dedication and results. Clients benefit from our in-depth knowledge of local court procedures and our collaborative, team-based approach to building strong claims. We are available 24/7 to answer your questions and offer free consultations because we believe help should never be out of reach.

Our Lake County slip and fall attorneys are not only seasoned professionals, they’re also proud members of the Northwest Indiana community. We care deeply about the people we serve and fight hard to ensure our neighbors are treated with the dignity, justice, and financial recovery they deserve.

What Is a Slip and Fall Accident?

A slip and fall accident occurs when someone is injured after slipping, tripping, or losing their footing due to unsafe conditions on another person’s property. While the term sounds simple, these incidents often involve challenging legal questions about liability, maintenance obligations, and safety standards.

Under Indiana’s premises liability law, property owners and occupiers have a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for guests, customers, and even some trespassers. When they fail in this duty, and someone gets hurt, they can be held legally and financially responsible.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Injuries in Indiana

Wet or Slippery Floors

Slip and falls often happen in grocery stores, gas stations, or restaurants where spills are not cleaned up quickly or where warning signs are missing. Chains like Walmart, Meijer, and Strack & Van Til in Schererville or Crown Point are common locations for these incidents.

Icy or Snowy Walkways

In Indiana, winter weather is a significant hazard. Business owners must shovel, salt, and de-ice their sidewalks and parking lots. When they don’t, falls happen, especially during lake-effect snowstorms common in Gary and Hammond.

Uneven Sidewalks or Pavement

Tripping hazards are often found on public sidewalks or near older homes and schools. Raised pavement, broken concrete, or crumbling curbs can catch a foot and send someone crashing to the ground.

Poor Lighting or Visibility

Dark stairwells, parking lots, and apartment hallways often conceal dangerous conditions. Without proper lighting, people can’t see steps, puddles, or cracks in the ground.

Obstructed Walkways

Boxes, cords, merchandise displays, or cluttered aisles in retail stores or offices are another frequent cause of trips and falls.

Unmarked Hazards

Construction zones, wet paint, broken tiles, or loose carpeting must be clearly marked with cones or signage. When they’re not, injuries can happen.

Common Slip and Fall Injuries

Slip and fall injuries are often underestimated, but they can lead to serious, long-term consequences, especially for older adults or individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Some of the most common injuries we see include:

Hip Fractures: One of the most devastating outcomes of a fall, particularly among older adults. These injuries often require surgery, hospitalization, and months of rehabilitation. Many victims never fully regain their mobility or independence.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): A seemingly minor fall can result in a concussion or even a brain bleed, particularly if the victim hits their head on concrete, tile, or another hard surface. TBIs may lead to cognitive decline, memory issues, and long-term neurological damage.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries: Falls on stairs, uneven surfaces, or hard ground can cause serious spine-related injuries such as herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, or nerve compression. These can result in chronic pain, mobility issues, or, in severe cases, partial paralysis.
Fractures in Wrists, Arms, or Ankles: As victims instinctively attempt to catch themselves during a fall, these areas are especially vulnerable. Such fractures can interfere with work and daily activities, and may require surgery, casting, or extended physical therapy.
Knee and Ligament Injuries: Falls can result in torn ligaments (like the ACL or MCL) or meniscus damage. These injuries are painful, may require surgery, and often involve long-term rehabilitation. They can also significantly limit an individual’s ability to stay active.
Soft Tissue Damage and Chronic Pain: Even if no bones are broken, the fall can result in sprains, bruising, and other soft tissue injuries that cause ongoing discomfort. Long-term pain or reduced mobility can diminish a person’s overall quality of life.

At Theodoros & Rooth, P.C., we work to ensure that every aspect of your medical condition is fully documented, including future needs. This allows us to pursue the maximum compensation possible for your recovery and long-term well-being.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Slip and Fall Case?

Slip and fall liability often extends beyond just the property owner. Multiple parties may be responsible depending on where the fall occurred, the condition of the property, and who was in charge of maintaining it.

Property owners and tenants have a legal obligation to maintain reasonably safe conditions for guests and visitors. If a homeowner fails to clear ice from their front steps or a tenant ignores a leaking pipe that causes water to pool, they may be liable if someone gets hurt. Liability can also extend to commercial tenants who rent retail or office space but are responsible for maintaining the premises.
Business operators, such as restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls, and hotels, are held to a high standard of care. They must conduct regular inspections, clean spills promptly, use warning signs when necessary, and train employees to identify and address potential hazards.
Property managers and landlords, particularly in apartment complexes or office buildings, must ensure that shared areas such as hallways, stairwells, and parking lots are safe. Failure to replace burnt-out lights, repair broken handrails, or address icy walkways can expose them to liability, which is common in high-traffic rental properties.
Local governments may be liable when injuries occur on public property. This includes city sidewalks, parks, public buildings, and bus stations. However, claims against government entities involve special procedures, notice deadlines, and damage caps. Our slip and fall attorneys have the experience to handle them properly.
Contractors and maintenance crews who were performing work on the premises may also bear fault. If a cleaning company left a slick floor without warning signs, or if a snow removal crew failed to salt a dangerous sidewalk, they can be held responsible for contributing to the hazard. In these cases, we investigate service contracts and vendor records to determine who had control and failed in their duty of care.

Our Lake County slip and fall lawyers thoroughly investigate every serious accident case to identify all parties who may bear responsibility and hold them fully accountable.

Proving Liability: The Four Legal Elements

To succeed in a slip and fall case in Northwest Indiana, your slip and fall attorney must establish four key legal elements. These form the backbone of your claim and determine whether the property owner or another party can be held legally and financially responsible.

Duty of Care

The first step is proving that the defendant owed you a duty of care. Property owners, business operators, and landlords have a responsibility to maintain safe premises for people who are lawfully on their property. This duty may vary slightly depending on whether the injured person was a customer, guest, or tenant, but in general, they must take reasonable steps to keep the area safe.

Breach of Duty

Next, we must show that the defendant breached that duty. A breach occurs when a property owner or responsible party fails to take appropriate action to fix or warn about a known hazard. This might include ignoring a leaking roof that creates slippery floors, failing to repair broken tiles or loose carpet, or not placing warning signs near a cleaning area. Even a delay in addressing the issue can be considered a breach if it was foreseeable that someone might get hurt.

Causation

It’s not enough to show that a hazard existed; you must also prove that it directly caused your injury. This step requires connecting the breach of duty to the harm you suffered. We often use surveillance footage, accident scene photos, eyewitness statements, and expert opinions to draw a clear link between the unsafe condition and your fall.

Damages

Finally, you must demonstrate that you suffered real, measurable harm as a result of the fall. This can include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, or long-term disability. Without damages, there is no basis for a financial claim, even if the property owner was clearly negligent.

Our slip and fall lawyers build each case from the ground up using medical records, expert testimony, safety inspections, and maintenance logs to prove every element. Our goal is to position your case for maximum compensation, whether through settlement or trial.

The Indiana Statute of Limitations

In Indiana, personal injury claims, including those for slip and fall accidents, are governed by a strict legal deadline known as the statute of limitations. Generally, you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit in civil court. This deadline applies to most slip and fall cases that occur on private or commercial property. If you miss this deadline, your case may be dismissed, and you can permanently lose your right to recover compensation, even if your injuries are severe.

However, special rules apply when a government agency may be responsible for your fall. If you were injured on public property, such as a cracked sidewalk near a city park in Crown Point or a poorly maintained government building in Gary, you must file a notice of tort claim within a much shorter timeframe. In many cases, this notice must be submitted within 180 days of the incident for municipal or county entities, or 270 days for state-level claims.

Compensation in a Slip and Fall Claim

If you were injured because of a property owner’s negligence, you may be entitled to a wide range of financial compensation, also known as damages. The purpose of these damages is to help you recover, restore your quality of life, and hold the negligent party accountable for the harm they caused.

Medical Expenses

One of the most immediate categories of compensation is for medical expenses. This can include emergency room visits, hospital stays, imaging tests, surgery, physical therapy, prescriptions, and future medical care. Slip and fall victims often require extensive rehabilitation, and in some cases, lifelong treatment.

Lost Income

You may also recover lost income if your injury forced you to miss work. If you cannot return to your job or can only work in a reduced capacity, your claim may include diminished earning potential to reflect the long-term impact on your career and financial security.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering refers to non-economic losses related to the physical pain and discomfort caused by your injury. You may also be compensated for emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, or PTSD caused by the trauma of the fall.

In severe cases, you may be awarded damages for loss of quality of life or permanent disability. This can include limited mobility, chronic pain, disfigurement, or an inability to participate in daily activities or hobbies you once enjoyed.

Punitive Damages

In rare but egregious situations, punitive damages may be available. These are not meant to compensate the victim, but rather to punish the wrongdoer for especially reckless or intentional misconduct. For example, if a business repeatedly ignored safety violations or falsified maintenance records, the court may impose punitive damages to send a message and deter similar behavior.

Our slip and fall lawyers work closely with medical experts, economists, and life care planners to ensure that every dollar of your damages is properly documented and pursued. We leave no stone unturned when fighting for the compensation you deserve.

Contact Our Lake County Slip and Fall Lawyers Today

Don’t wait for medical bills or insurance headaches to overwhelm you. Let us help you hold the negligent party accountable. Contact us online for a free consultation with one of our reputable slip and fall lawyers today. At Theodoros & Rooth, P.C., we are your guardians of justice, here to lift the burden and fight for what you deserve.