Who Is Liable When You Slip & Fall at a Houston Business?

Slip and fall accidents at Houston businesses leave people hurt and facing real bills. Medical costs pile up fast. Some injuries never fully heal. Figuring out who pays isn’t always clear. It comes down to what happened, where, and how the business handled it.

Hazards That Trip People Up

Walk into a store or restaurant and you’ll spot the usual suspects. Wet floors with no warning sign. Stairs with loose handrails. Parking lots where bulbs have burned out and shadows hide potholes. Aisles where a spilled drink sits for hours. These aren’t rare. They’re everywhere. And they’re not just accidents; they’re signs that someone stopped paying attention.

• Wet floors with no sign in sight
• Walkways and stairs that crumble or crack
• Parking lots where darkness hides hazards
• Handrails that wobble or break away
• Flooring that shifts or changes without warning
• Spills that get ignored

These problems don’t fix themselves. When a business skips basic checks or ignores repairs, people get hurt. Our slip and fall attorneys see the same patterns again and again: simple steps skipped, safety pushed aside, and customers left to deal with the fallout.

Who Holds the Keys

Property owners can’t dodge responsibility. They own the building, the lot, the walkways. Their job is to keep those spaces safe. That means regular checks, fast repairs, and clear warnings when something’s wrong. But owners don’t always run the day-to-day. Management companies step in, handling cleaning, repairs, and inspections. When that happens, the lines blur. Both sides sign contracts spelling out who does what. Missed repairs or skipped inspections? Both owner and manager can end up on the hook.

Sorting out who’s responsible takes more than a quick look. Contracts, maintenance logs, and emails tell the real story. Our personal injury professionals dig into the paperwork, tracking down every party that played a role. No one gets a free pass just because their name isn’t on the front door.

What Proves Negligence

Businesses don’t get a warning before someone falls. But they do get plenty of chances to spot and fix hazards. Proving negligence means showing the danger was there long enough for someone to notice, and that nothing got done. Surveillance cameras catch spills that sit for hours. Safety logs show skipped inspections. Witnesses remember seeing a broken step week after week. Workplace safety records and maintenance reports fill in the gaps. The evidence stacks up, piece by piece, until the situation is clear: the risk was obvious, and no one acted.

Evidence That Makes a Difference

Winning a slip and fall case isn’t about luck. It’s about proof. The right evidence turns a story into a solid claim. Photos taken right after the fall show puddles, broken tiles, or missing signs. Incident reports lock in the details while memories are fresh. Medical records connect the injury to the fall. Maintenance logs reveal a pattern: repairs delayed, hazards ignored. Our premises liability attorneys know what to look for and how to get it. They track down every scrap of evidence, building a case that stands up in court.

• Clear, time-stamped photos of the scene
• Copies of incident and accident reports
• Medical records from the first doctor visit onward
• Maintenance and cleaning logs
• Witness statements from employees or other customers
• Surveillance footage, if available

Every detail matters. A missing sign, a skipped inspection, a repair that never happened; these aren’t small things. They’re the difference between a denied claim and a fair settlement.

Acting Fast After a Fall

Time doesn’t wait. Evidence disappears. Security footage gets erased. Spills get mopped up. Witnesses forget. Texas law sets strict deadlines for filing a claim. Miss the window, and the chance for compensation is gone. Our injury professionals move quickly. They lock down evidence, contact witnesses, and make sure every deadline gets met. Waiting only helps the business and their insurance company. Fast action protects your rights and keeps your case strong.

What to Do Right After a Slip and Fall

Every step after a fall matters. Get medical help, even if the injury seems minor. Report the incident to the business and get a copy of the report. Take photos of the scene, your injuries, and anything that looks out of place. Write down names and contact information for witnesses. Save every medical bill and doctor’s note. Don’t talk to the business’s insurance company without legal advice. Their job is to pay as little as possible. Yours is to get what you deserve.

• Seek medical attention immediately
• Report the fall to the business and get documentation
• Photograph the area and your injuries
• Collect witness information
• Keep all receipts and medical records
• Contact a legal team before speaking to insurance

Get Help With Your Houston Slip and Fall Case

Call Leo & Oginni Trial Lawyers at 713-280-3204 or contact us to discuss your case with our experienced premises liability team.