A sudden fall on a wet floor or an icy sidewalk can instantly turn your day into a painful medical emergency. A Fort Lee slip and fall accident lawyer at Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C. can preserve evidence, investigate the dangerous condition, and build a claim on your behalf.
Our team handles the difficult work of proving fault and documenting how the injury has affected your life. Call (201) 585-9111 or complete our online form for a free case evaluation.
Why Choose Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C. for Your Fort Lee Slip And Fall Injury Claim
Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C. provides you with a powerhouse legal team that has secured over $300 million for injured clients since our founding in 1974.
Elite Local Experience
Our firm was founded right here in Fort Lee, giving us unparalleled insight into Bergen County courts. We actively leverage our more than 100 years of combined experience to dismantle corporate defense tactics.
This hyper-local advantage forces local commercial property owners to take your injury claim seriously.
Top Legal Recognition
Our advocates consistently receive top industry honors, including inclusion in Super Lawyers. We also hold an AVVO Rating 10.0 alongside recognition in The Best Lawyers in America.
Membership in both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum further signals to insurance adjusters that we are fully prepared for trial.
Proven Premises Victories
We have a documented history of winning complex premises liability claims against negligent businesses or irresponsible contractors. Our legal team secured $1,725,000 for a woman who slipped on a greasy floor in a supermarket.
We also recovered $1,100,000 for an architect who suffered a severe fall down an outdoor wooden staircase.
Immediate Scene Investigation
Unrepresented victims struggle to gather security footage from busy retail corridors before store managers erase the tapes. We instantly dispatch our investigative team to lock down this critical evidence. Building an unshakeable case starts as soon as you call.
Protect your rights right now by calling (201) 585-9111 or submitting your details through the online form.
We hired Chris DiGirolamo as our attorney after Mike suffered a life changing injury at work. From the time we met Chris we felt we can trust him to work in the best interest for Mike’s needs. Chris is very down to earth and we felt comfortable whenever we met with him. He spoke to us so we always understood what was going on. He never threw around legal jargon that we would not be able to understand. He was always willing to ensure we knew exactly how our case was proceeding. Chris showed humanity in dealing with Mike’s Injuries and understanding of Mike’s unwillingness to accept some of the changes in his life.
Chris’s high level of energy and desire to bring a case to the best possible results were evident from day one. Our case was settled but of court with the help of a mediator and Chris was by our side explaining what was going on every step of the way. His preparation throughout the case was evident as he spoke before the mediator. It was a pleasure to watch. Chris at work and know he was working for us. He is tough and stubborn when necessary. We were also impressed by the respect shown to Chris by the retired judge we worked with as well as other lawyers. Chris was only happy with this case when he knew we had a settlement that we were very impressed with.
I am writing this review on behalf of my mother, Darlene LaVella, who does not have a Facebook. ‘Chris DiGiralamo was an excellent advocate in my negligence case. His confidence, professionalism and kindness made this difficult process easier for my husband and myself. The same for his support team. Marisol Suarez was always there via phone, email or text helping me to navigate the difficulties of Workers Comp in addition to the negligence case and Karen Sanchez, who recommended the firm to me, was invaluable in helping with video & pictures. I thank you all here, publicly, and recommend this firm highly for any legal needs.’
Choosing Michael Maggiano and his firm was the best decision my husband and I made at a most horrific time in our lives. Multiple doctors, with whom we had trusting relationships, were confidently telling me that nothing was wrong when, in fact, that was not the case; allowing a cancer to grow over several years to an advanced stage.
Michael Maggiano and his incredible colleagues took our case, even though extremely complex. They patiently answered our endless questions, diligently pursued every aspect of our case, handled our anxieties; especially during trial preparation and settlement discussions. Due to their experience and skill, the final outcome was a sizable settlement.
We hope that this message helps you make the right decision during what is probably a difficult and trying time by speaking with Mike Maggiano.
Navigating the New Jersey Notice Doctrine in Premises Liability
A property owner can be held liable when they knew or reasonably should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it or provide a warning. In some cases, notice doesn’t need to be established when the owner or an employee created the hazard.
Examining the two types of notice:
- Actual Notice: The owner, manager, or employee knew about the hazard because someone reported it or staff observed it.
- Constructive Notice: The hazard existed long enough that a reasonably careful property owner should have discovered and corrected it through routine inspections.
Why Is Notice Difficult To Prove?
Property owners and managers often argue that they didn’t know about a spill, broken stair, or other unsafe condition. Our Fort Lee slip and fall attorneys can obtain maintenance records, inspection logs, incident reports, and surveillance footage to show what the business knew and when it knew it.
How Do Lawyers Investigate the Hazard?
Our Fort Lee slip and fall accident lawyers look for evidence showing what caused your fall, how long the hazard existed, and whether the property owner had a fair chance to fix it. That can include surveillance video, photographs, incident reports, inspection records, and maintenance logs.
Witness statements, employee testimony, and prior complaints about the same condition also help us build the story of your accident. We also examine whether the business preserved key evidence after the accident.
When needed, we send preservation letters to help prevent video footage, cleaning records, or other important materials from being deleted or destroyed.
When Does New Jersey’s Mode-of-Operation Rule Apply?
New Jersey’s mode-of-operation rule can remove the need to prove notice when a business’s self-service setup creates a foreseeable risk that customers will cause the hazard. The rule doesn’t apply to every fall inside a grocery store, restaurant, or other retail business.
How Can the Rule Help Your Claim?
The rule can apply when the dangerous condition is closely tied to how customers handle products or serve themselves. For example, a loose item or spilled liquid near a self-service display could support an inference that the business failed to take reasonable precautions.
Our slip and fall attorneys in Fort Lee examine where the fall happened, how the area operated, and whether the hazard was connected to the business’s self-service model.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen in Fort Lee?
Fort Lee’s busy retail corridors and mixed-use properties can create difficult questions about who controlled and maintained the area where you fell.
Common locations include:
- Main Street Retail Corridor: Claims can involve poorly maintained entrances, slippery floors, or hazards near self-service displays.
- Lemoine Avenue Commercial Spaces: Heavy foot traffic can contribute to spills, tracked-in water, and debris inside stores and shared entryways.
- High-Rise Apartment Complexes: Falls can result from icy walkways, broken handrails, damaged stairs, or poorly lit parking areas.
What Causes Serious Slip and Fall Injuries in Bergen County?
Slip and fall accidents often result from unsafe conditions that a property owner failed to repair, remove, or warn visitors about. Our Bergen County premises liability attorneys inspect the accident site and gather evidence showing exactly what caused your fall.
Common hazards include:
- Wet or Slippery Floors: Spills, leaks, cleaning products, and tracked-in rain can make walking surfaces unsafe inside retail spaces at Hudson Lights.
- Uneven Pavement: Cracked sidewalks, broken concrete, and raised pavement can cause sudden falls.
- Damaged Flooring: Torn carpeting, loose mats, and broken tiles can catch a person’s foot.
- Unsafe Stairs: Hidden step-downs, missing handrails, and damaged steps can lead to serious injuries.
- Ice and Snow: Untreated ice outside Fort Lee storefronts, apartment buildings, and parking areas can create dangerous walking conditions.
- Poor Lighting: Dim stairwells, hallways, and parking garages at properties such as The Modern can make hazards difficult to see.
Documenting Long-Term Medical Needs
After a serious accident, our team coordinates directly with local healthcare facilities such as Englewood Health to document the true severity and expected duration of your physical trauma.
Without a comprehensive medical review, defensive insurance companies will drastically undervalue your future healthcare needs.
If your fall caused a permanent disability or another catastrophic injury, our team documents your long-term medical needs and the ways the injury could affect your future.
Overcoming Insurance Adjuster Tactics in a Fort Lee Premises Liability Claim
Insurance adjusters routinely use deceptive recorded phone calls to trick unrepresented victims into admitting partial fault, permanently destroying the financial value of their claim. A Fort Lee slip and fall attorney shields you from these conversations by routing all official communication directly through our law office.
We shut down manipulative interview questions designed to shift the blame onto your chosen footwear or your walking speed.
Rejecting Unfair Lowball Settlements
Commercial liability carriers employ large teams of defense lawyers whose sole corporate directive is to minimize your financial recovery. They quickly offer insulting lowball settlements mere days after your accident. These companies hope you’ll accept a fraction of what your case is worth out of sheer financial desperation.
Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C. thoroughly values your entire claim to prevent you from absorbing massive out-of-pocket medical debts.
Exploring Additional Avenues of Recovery
Every accident involves a unique set of circumstances that may implicate multiple negligent parties. A third-party snow removal company might share liability alongside a retail manager. We’ll carefully analyze your incident to see if it perfectly fits within broader Fort Lee premises liability claims.
Sometimes an injury on someone else’s property overlaps with your professional duties. Workplace slip-and-fall claims complicate the legal landscape, but our team can help navigate the maze of insurance requirements.
If your injury occurred while you were officially on the clock for your employer, we also investigate your immediate eligibility for workers’ compensation.
Pursuing Compensation With a Bergen County Slip and Fall Lawyer
A Bergen County premises liability claim can seek compensation for the financial and personal harm caused by your injuries. Our attorneys document each loss and build a damages claim that reflects both your current expenses and the impact the accident could have on your future.
Calculating the value of a serious injury claim can be difficult when future treatment, reduced earning ability, or permanent limitations are involved. We review medical records, employment information, and expert opinions to measure the full effect of the injury.
Depending on the facts of your case, compensation can include:
- Medical Expenses: This can include ambulance bills, emergency care, hospital treatment, surgery, medication, and physical therapy.
- Future Medical Care: Your Fort Lee slip and fall accident lawyer documents expected treatment, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and other ongoing healthcare needs.
- Lost Income: You can seek compensation for wages and other earnings lost while you were unable to work.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: A serious injury can limit the type or amount of work you can perform in the future.
- Out-of-Pocket Costs: Transportation, home assistance, medical equipment, and other injury-related expenses can add up quickly.
- Pain and Suffering: The claim can account for physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Permanent Disability or Disfigurement: Lasting mobility limits, scarring, or other permanent changes can affect the value of the claim.
Verdicts and Settlements
$750,000 - Injury Aggravation
The crash caused a self-employed bagel store owner to suffer an aggravation of low back injury, resulting in surgery, urinary incontinence, and post traumatic stress disorder.
$650,000 - Inadequate Building Security
A young single woman was abducted and raped in a dimly lit, insecure hotel parking lot in 1994 and suffered severe and disabling post traumatic stress disorder.
$2,000,000 - Motorcycle Struck by Truck
A 45 year old motorcyclist was struck by a rented box truck making a left turn against traffic. Client sustained multiple leg fractures and ruptured Aorta and had multiple leg surgeries.
FAQ for Fort Lee Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
What Does a Fort Lee Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Do?
A Fort Lee slip and fall accident lawyer investigates the property condition, preserves surveillance footage, interviews witnesses, and gathers records showing who was responsible. Our team documents your medical expenses, lost income, and other costs related to the injury.
We negotiate on your behalf and prepare the case for court if a fair resolution can’t be reached.
How Do I Prove the Property Owner Was at Fault?
You generally must show that the property owner created the dangerous condition or knew—or reasonably should have known—about it and failed to respond. We can obtain maintenance logs, inspection records, surveillance video, prior complaints, and employee testimony.
This evidence helps establish notice and challenge attempts to blame you for the fall.
Can I Recover Compensation if I Was Partially at Fault for a Slip and Fall?
In New Jersey, your recovery can be reduced by your percentage of responsibility and barred if your fault exceeds 50%. Our Fort Lee premises liability attorneys gather objective evidence to challenge unsupported claims that distraction, footwear, or another action caused your fall.
What Should I Do After a Fall in a Fort Lee Store or Apartment Building?
Report the fall to the property owner or manager if you haven’t already done so, and request a copy of any incident report. Keep any photographs that you have, as well as witness information, medical records, damaged clothing, and the shoes you were wearing.
Avoid giving a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer who can protect your claim.
Why Is the Mode-of-Operation Rule Important in New Jersey Slip-and-Fall Claims?
New Jersey’s mode-of-operation rule can help when a self-service business practice creates a foreseeable risk of the type of hazard that caused your fall. When the rule applies, you don’t have to prove that the business had actual or constructive notice of the specific condition.
The business is not automatically liable, however, and our attorneys must still connect the hazard to its method of operation and show that it failed to take reasonable precautions.
Get the Legal Representation You Deserve
You don’t have to manage the legal system alone while also dealing with medical care and the disruption caused by your injuries. Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C. can investigate what caused your fall, identify the responsible parties, and handle the legal work required to move your claim forward.
Call us today at (201) 585-9111 or submit our online contact form for a free case evaluation. You can also stop by our office, located at 201 Columbia Avenue, Fort Lee, NJ 07024.
Fort Lee Office
Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi, P.C.
201 Columbia Ave
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (201) 585-9111
