Were you injured in a slip and fall accident in Minnesota?
At Bennerotte & Associates, P.A., we provide dedicated slip and fall representation grounded in 161 years of combined plaintiff-side experience.
If you fell on an icy walkway, a wet store floor, or a broken stairway somewhere in Minnesota, you may be dealing with injuries and financial loss. Falls like these are rarely simple accidents. They usually trace back to a condition someone should have fixed. Bennerotte & Associates, P.A. has represented injured people for 19 years, and our attorneys bring 161 years of combined experience to premises cases. Our Minnesota slip and fall lawyer can review what happened and explain your options at no cost. Reach out today to get started.
Slip and Fall Lawyer Minnesota
A slip and fall claim is a premises liability case. The injured person argues that a property owner or occupier knew, or should have known, about a dangerous condition and failed to fix it, warn about it, or block it off. The owner argues the opposite.
The Minnesota Department of Health counted roughly 12,000 hospitalizations and 30,000 emergency department visits from falls among residents 65 and older in 2024, and from 2016 through 2024, slipping, tripping, or stumbling accounted for 70 percent of fall-related hospitalizations in that age group. Younger people fall too, and winter ice makes that far more likely. Whatever your age, a slip and fall attorney in Minnesota looks at the same three questions: what the hazard was, how long it existed, and what the owner did about it.
Types of Slip and Fall Cases We Handle in Minnesota
Slip and fall claims are one part of the broader premises liability work our firm handles across the state. The property might be a big-box store in Bloomington or a duplex in Duluth. Our slip and fall lawyers in MN ask the same question either way: did the person in control of that property act reasonably?
- Snow and ice falls. Property owners in Minnesota have a reasonable time to clear walkways and parking areas after a storm, and that window is where most disputes live. We gather weather records, maintenance logs, and contractor agreements to show what was done and when.
- Wet or slick floors. Spilled products, freshly mopped tile, and tracked-in slush at a store entrance cause a large share of indoor falls. Surveillance footage often shows how long the spill sat unattended. We send preservation letters quickly because many retailers overwrite video within days.
- Parking lot hazards. Potholes, unmarked curbs, missing wheel stops, and poor lighting cause icy parking lot falls and warm-weather falls alike. Control of a lot is sometimes split between a landlord, a tenant, and a management company. We identify every responsible party.
- Stairway and handrail defects. Uneven riser heights, missing handrails, worn treads, and dim stairwells violate basic safety expectations. We often retain a building inspector or engineer to document the defect before it gets repaired.
- Uneven or damaged walking surfaces. Cracked sidewalks, lifted carpet, loose floor mats, and sudden level changes trip people every day. The owner’s usual defense is that the hazard was open and obvious. We answer that argument with photographs, measurements, and witness accounts.
- Falls at restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores. Businesses that invite the public in owe their customers inspection and maintenance duties. Our attorneys examine inspection schedules, incident reports, and employee training records.
- Apartment and rental property falls. Landlords control common areas such as entryways, hallways, exterior steps, and shared parking. When a tenant or guest is hurt in one of those areas, the landlord’s maintenance history becomes central evidence.
- Falls causing serious injury. Hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal damage are among the most common fall injuries we see, and CDC fall data recorded about 4.5 million emergency department visits for older adult falls nationally in 2024. These injuries frequently require surgery and months of rehabilitation. We work with treating physicians and life care planners to document future care.
Why Choose Bennerotte & Associates, P.A. as my Slip and Fall Lawyer in Minnesota?
Results in Premises Liability Cases
Our clients have seen millions of dollars recovered across injury cases, and two premises liability matters show the range of what these claims can be worth:
- $3,100,000 in a premises liability claim
- $85,000 in a premises liability claim
A $3.1 million premises recovery does not happen by accident. Our personal injury lawyer in Minnesota treats every case with the same preparation and dedication.
Thomas R. Bennerotte’s Plaintiff-Side Record
Thomas R. Bennerotte founded our firm and has worked on the injured person’s side of personal injury law since 1991. He earned his J.D. cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law, now Mitchell Hamline, and has been admitted in Minnesota since 2000. His peers have selected him to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 every year since 2016, and he has held life membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2007, a group limited to attorneys who have obtained multimillion-dollar verdicts or settlements.
What Is Important to Understand About a Slip and Fall Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Slip and Fall Cases
Liability in a Minnesota fall case rests on negligence. You must show the owner or occupier owed you a duty of reasonable care, breached that duty by allowing a hazard to exist, and caused your injury through that breach. Sorting out who is liable is not always simple, because the owner, a tenant, a snow removal contractor, and a management company may each hold part of the responsibility.
Minnesota’s comparative fault statute matters here. If you were partly careless, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if your share is greater than the defendant’s. Owners lean on this rule heavily, which is why property owner defenses deserve attention from the first week of a case.
Compensation in a fall claim can include:
- Medical expenses, both past and future
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Out-of-pocket costs such as mobility equipment and home modifications
What Are Important Aspects of a Slip and Fall Case?
Notice is the center of these cases. The owner either created the hazard, knew about it, or had enough time that a reasonable inspection would have found it. Proving that depends on evidence in fall cases that tends to disappear within days, which is one reason an MN slip and fall lawyer should be involved early.
- Photographs of the hazard, taken before it is cleaned or repaired
- Incident reports and the names of employees on duty
- Surveillance video, which must be requested promptly
- Weather data for ice and snow claims
- Medical records tying the injury to the fall
What Is the Slip and Fall Case Timeline?
Most claims resolve without a trial, but every one is prepared as though it will not. Under section 541.05 of the Minnesota Statutes, a negligence claim for personal injury generally must be started within six years of the injury. Claims against a city, county, or the state carry separate notice requirements, so earlier is always better. A typical case moves through these stages:
- Free consultation and investigation of the property
- Medical treatment and documentation of the injury
- A written demand to the property owner’s insurer
- Negotiation, which resolves many cases
- Filing suit in Minnesota district court if the insurer refuses a fair offer
- Discovery, mediation, and trial if necessary
What Should You Bring to Your Slip and Fall Consultation?
Bring what you have of the following items to your consultation with us. The first attorney meeting is for sorting out what matters.
- Photos or video of the hazard and your injuries
- Any incident report, or the name of the manager you spoke with
- Medical records, discharge papers, and bills to date
- Contact information for witnesses
- Letters or emails from the property owner or an insurance adjuster
The consultation is free, and you’ll leave with an honest assessment from a slip and fall lawyer in Minnesota about whether you have a claim and what happens next.
Reach Out to Bennerotte & Associates, P.A. to Schedule a Consultation
A fall on someone else’s property is not something you have to sort out alone. Our Minnesota slip and fall attorneys review cases at no charge, and we take every case on contingency, so there are no fees unless we recover for you. During the consultation, we will listen, ask questions, and tell you what we think. Contact us today to schedule a time.
