A slip, trip, or fall on someone else’s property can cause injuries that change your life — broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and chronic pain that lingers for months or years. In Oklahoma City, these incidents happen in grocery stores, shopping centers, restaurants, parking lots, office buildings, apartment complexes, and public spaces throughout the metro. When a property owner’s failure to maintain safe conditions causes your injuries, you may have a legal right to compensation.
The slip and fall lawyers at Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys represent injured clients throughout the Oklahoma City area. We handle premises liability cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Free Consultation: (405) 931-0434
Why Slip and Fall Cases Are Challenging — And Why Legal Help Matters
Slip and fall cases are among the most difficult personal injury claims to win without experienced legal representation. Unlike a car accident, where a police report documents what happened, a slip and fall often comes down to competing accounts of the conditions that caused the fall and whether the property owner knew — or should have known — about the hazard.
Insurance companies and property owners regularly deny these claims, arguing that the hazard was obvious and you should have avoided it, that the condition existed for only a short time before you fell, or that your own carelessness caused the accident. Oklahoma’s modified comparative negligence law makes these arguments particularly dangerous: if the defense can argue that you were more than 50% at fault, your entire claim is barred.
Our attorneys gather evidence quickly — surveillance camera footage, maintenance logs, inspection records, incident reports, and witness statements — to build a case that establishes what the property owner knew, when they knew it, and what they failed to do about it.
When Is a Property Owner Liable for a Slip and Fall in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma premises liability law holds property owners and occupiers to different duties of care depending on the status of the person who was injured:
Invitees
Customers, clients, and other business visitors are classified as invitees. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care: they must regularly inspect the property for hazardous conditions, repair known hazards promptly, and warn visitors of dangers that cannot be immediately corrected. A grocery store that fails to clean up a spill within a reasonable time or a shopping center that doesn’t treat icy sidewalks has likely breached its duty to invitees.
Licensees
Social guests and others who enter with permission but not for the owner’s business benefit are licensees. Property owners must warn licensees of known hazards that are not obvious but are not required to actively inspect for hidden dangers.
Trespassers
Property owners generally owe no duty to trespassers, except to refrain from willful or wanton injury. An important exception applies to child trespassers under the attractive nuisance doctrine, which requires property owners to secure conditions that are likely to attract and endanger children, such as swimming pools, construction sites, and abandoned equipment.
Common Slip and Fall Hazards in Oklahoma City
Wet and Slippery Floors
Spills in grocery stores and restaurants, freshly mopped surfaces without warning signs, water tracked in from rain or irrigation, and leaking refrigeration units are among the most common causes of slip and fall injuries in commercial properties throughout Oklahoma City.
Ice and Snow
Oklahoma City’s winters bring ice storms that coat sidewalks, parking lots, entryways, and loading docks with a dangerous layer of ice. Property owners and managers are responsible for clearing ice and snow from walkways within a reasonable time and applying salt or sand to prevent accumulation. Failure to do so is a leading cause of fall injuries during Oklahoma’s winter months.
Uneven Surfaces
Cracked or buckled sidewalks, parking lot potholes, uneven flooring transitions, loose carpet or tiles, and damaged stairs create trip hazards that property owners are responsible for maintaining.
Inadequate Lighting
Poorly lit parking lots, stairwells, hallways, and entryways prevent visitors from seeing hazards in their path. Property owners are responsible for maintaining adequate lighting in areas where visitors are expected to walk.
Missing or Broken Handrails
Stairs and ramps without adequate handrails, or with handrails that are loose, broken, or improperly installed, contribute to falls — particularly for elderly visitors and those with mobility challenges.
Negligent Security
In some cases, a fall occurs in connection with a criminal act — an assault in a poorly lit parking garage, for example. When inadequate security measures contribute to the incident, the property owner may bear additional liability.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Broken bones and fractures — particularly hip fractures, wrist fractures (from bracing against the fall), and ankle fractures — are among the most common slip and fall injuries. Hip fractures in elderly victims are especially serious, often requiring surgery and extended rehabilitation, and can lead to a permanent loss of independence.
Traumatic brain injuries can result when the head strikes the floor, a curb, or another object during a fall. Even a seemingly minor bump can cause a concussion with lasting cognitive effects. More severe impacts can cause bleeding, swelling, and permanent brain damage.
Spinal cord injuries from a fall can cause herniated discs, compression fractures, and in severe cases, partial or complete paralysis.
Soft tissue injuries including torn ligaments, sprains, and strains can cause chronic pain and limited mobility that affects your ability to work and enjoy your daily life.
Shoulder injuries including rotator cuff tears and dislocations are common when a person reaches out to catch themselves during a fall.
Oklahoma Law in Slip and Fall Cases
Modified Comparative Negligence
Oklahoma’s modified comparative negligence rule under Title 23, Section 13 is particularly relevant in slip and fall cases, where the defense will almost always argue that the injured person bears some responsibility. If the property owner can establish that you were more than 50% at fault — for example, by arguing you were distracted by your phone, wearing inappropriate footwear, or ignoring a warning sign — your entire claim is barred. Even below that threshold, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.
Notice Requirements
To establish liability, you generally must show that the property owner knew about the hazardous condition (actual notice) or that the condition existed for a long enough period that the owner should have discovered it through reasonable inspections (constructive notice). This is why evidence preservation is critical — surveillance footage showing how long a spill sat on the floor before you fell, or maintenance logs showing that the owner knew about a broken step but failed to repair it, can make or break a case.
Statute of Limitations
Oklahoma’s two-year statute of limitations under Title 12, Section 95(A)(3) applies to slip and fall claims. If you fell on government property — a city sidewalk, a public building, a state park — you must file a written notice of claim within one year, and a lawsuit must be filed within 180 days of the claim’s denial or deemed denial.
Government Property Claims
Slip and fall claims against government entities in Oklahoma are subject to the Governmental Tort Claims Act. This statute imposes shorter deadlines, specific notice requirements, and damage caps that do not apply to claims against private property owners. If you were injured on city, county, or state property, consulting an attorney promptly is especially important.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall in Oklahoma City
1. Report the Incident
Notify the property owner or manager immediately and ask that a written incident report be created. Get a copy if possible. The report documents the time, location, and conditions of your fall while the details are fresh.
2. Photograph the Scene
Use your phone to photograph the hazard that caused your fall — the wet floor, the icy sidewalk, the broken step, the poor lighting. Photograph your injuries as well. Take wide shots that show the surrounding area and close-ups of the specific hazard. Note whether any warning signs or barriers were present.
3. Collect Witness Information
If anyone saw you fall, get their name and phone number. Witness testimony can corroborate your account of the conditions and counter the property owner’s version of events.
4. Seek Medical Treatment
See a doctor as soon as possible, even if your injuries seem minor. Falls can cause injuries that worsen over time — a hairline fracture that becomes displaced, a concussion whose symptoms emerge days later. Prompt medical treatment also creates a documented connection between the fall and your injuries.
5. Do Not Sign Anything
The property owner’s insurance company may contact you quickly with a settlement offer or ask you to sign a release. Do not sign anything or give a recorded statement before consulting with an attorney. Early settlement offers are almost always far below the true value of your claim.
6. Call a Slip and Fall Lawyer
Contact Monge & Associates at (405) 931-0434. Time is critical — surveillance footage is routinely overwritten within days, and evidence of the hazardous condition may be repaired or cleaned up before it can be documented.
Oklahoma City Slip and Fall FAQs
How do I prove the property owner was responsible for my fall?
You need to show that a hazardous condition existed, that the property owner knew or should have known about it, and that their failure to address it caused your injuries. Evidence such as surveillance footage, maintenance logs, prior incident reports, and witness testimony can establish these elements. Our attorneys know how to identify and obtain this evidence.
What if I fell in a store and there was no “wet floor” sign?
The absence of a warning sign is strong evidence that the property owner failed to meet its duty of care. However, the lack of a sign alone does not automatically prove liability — you still need to establish that the hazard existed and that the owner knew or should have known about it. Conversely, the presence of a warning sign does not automatically defeat your claim, particularly if the sign was inadequate or improperly placed.
Can I sue if I fell on a public sidewalk in Oklahoma City?
Yes, but claims against government entities in Oklahoma are subject to the Governmental Tort Claims Act, which imposes specific notice requirements (a written claim within one year) and damage caps. The process is more complex than a claim against a private property owner, making legal representation especially important.
What if I was partially at fault for my fall?
Under Oklahoma’s comparative negligence rule, you can still recover compensation as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50%. Your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies frequently argue that the injured person was distracted, wearing inappropriate footwear, or should have seen and avoided the hazard. Our attorneys work to counter these arguments and minimize the fault assigned to you.
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Our Oklahoma City Office
11212 N May Ave, Ste 401-A
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
Local: (405) 931-0434
Contact an Oklahoma City Slip and Fall Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property in the Oklahoma City area, the premises liability lawyers at Monge & Associates can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win.
Call (405) 931-0434 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys
11212 N May Ave, Ste 401-A
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
Phone: (405) 931-0434