Can you be compensated if you slipped and fell while drunk?

On Behalf of | Jun 9, 2022 | Personal Injury, Slip-And-Fall Accidents |

A slip-and-fall accident can turn your life upside down in a twinkle of an eye. Depending on the nature of the fall, you can sustain life-altering injuries like brain damage, broken bones or even soft-tissue injuries.

If you are hurt in a slip-and-fall accident while on another person’s property, you may pursue a premises liability lawsuit against the property owner or caretaker. It could be possible the accident was occasioned by the property owner’s negligence, such as failure to fix a damaged railing or clean up a spill on the floor. But what if you were intoxicated at the time of the incident?

It is important to understand that you have a certain degree of responsibility when it comes to your safety in a public area or while on someone else’s property. Thus, if you were reckless or negligent while encountering an obvious hazard, you may have a difficult time proving your premises liability lawsuit.

Can you be at fault if you were intoxicated at the time of the accident?

In litigating your case, you can raise the following issues with the property owner:

  • That a danger existed on the property
  • That the property owner did not warn the public about the danger
  • That your intoxication notwithstanding, you exercised adequate caution to avoid harm.

Recovering damages following your slip-and-fall accident

It is possible that you may be partially liable for the slip-and-fall accident and the resulting injury, especially if you were drunk. However, Connecticut applies modified comparative fault laws. This means that you can still recover damages if it is established that your contribution to the slip-and-fall accident that resulted in your injury was less than 50 percent.

A slip-and-fall accident can leave you will with serious injuries. Find out how you can pursue the claims you deserve during your premises liability lawsuit