Your Dedicated
Indianapolis Slip and Fall Lawyer

How much does a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer cost?

At Tandy Law Firm, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid if we recover money for you. There are no upfront costs, and your initial consultation with us is completely free. We believe that we should only earn our fee if we achieve a successful outcome for you. Contact our Indianapolis office today to find out more about our fees and start your journey towards recovery.

How Indiana Premises Liability Law Applies to Slip and Fall Cases 

Premises liability is the area of Indiana law that holds property owners responsible when they fail to keep their property reasonably safe, and someone gets hurt as a result. It covers falls in grocery stores, apartment complexes, parking lots, and nearly anywhere else you might visit. 

It’s worth understanding one distinction early on: premises liability isn’t the same as ordinary personal injury law, which usually centers on someone’s direct action, like a driver running a red light. Premises liability instead asks whether a property owner or manager acted reasonably in maintaining, inspecting, and warning visitors about hazards on their property. That distinction shapes how your case gets built, and who can be held responsible. 

Falls like these aren’t rare. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and fall accidents account for more than one million emergency room visits every year in the U.S. If you’re one of them, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to handle the aftermath by yourself.

What You Must Prove in an Indianapolis Slip and Fall Claim 

To recover compensation in a slip and fall case, Indiana law requires you to prove four elements: 

• Duty: The property owner owed you a legal duty of care, which depends largely on why you were on the property (more on that below). 
• Breach: The owner breached that duty by failing to maintain safe premises or fix a known hazard. 
• Causation: There’s a direct link between that breach and your injury. 
• Damages: You suffered real, documented losses — medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, or lasting disability. 

We take the time to gather the facts and evidence needed to prove all four elements, so your claim stands on solid ground. 

How Visitor Status Affects Your Claim: Invitee vs. Licensee vs. Trespasser 

Your rights after a fall depend largely on why you were on the property in the first place. Indiana law recognizes three categories of visitors; each owed a different duty of care. 

Invitees 

Invitees are people invited onto a property for reasons related to the owner’s business — shoppers at a store, patrons at a restaurant, or ticket holders at an event. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care, including actively inspecting for hazards and fixing them promptly. 

Licensees 

Licensees are on the property with the owner’s permission, but for reasons unrelated to the owner’s business, like a social guest visiting a friend’s home. Owners must warn licensees of hidden hazards, but aren’t required to routinely inspect the property the way they must for invitees. 

Trespassers 

Property owners owe trespassers the lowest duty of care, generally just the duty not to intentionally cause them harm. One important exception: Indiana’s “attractive nuisance” doctrine can hold a property owner liable if a child is injured after wandering onto a property with an enticing hazard, like an unfenced pool. 

Determining which category applies to you is one of the first things we look at when we take on your case. Insurance companies often argue you don’t qualify for the protection you deserve; we know how to push back.

Where Slip and Fall Accidents Commonly Happen in Indianapolis 

We’ve represented injured Hoosiers hurt in falls all over the Indianapolis area, including: 

• Retail stores and shopping centers, from downtown Circle Centre to shopping districts like Castleton and Keystone at the Crossing 
• Grocery stores and pharmacies 
• Apartment complexes and condominium common areas 
• Parking lots and parking garages, especially downtown and near entertainment districts 
• Sidewalks along high-foot-traffic areas like Mass Ave, Broad Ripple, and Meridian Street 
• Restaurants, hotels, and event venues near the Indiana Convention Center 
• Office buildings and other commercial properties 

Wherever your fall happened, we can help you figure out who’s responsible and what your claim may be worth. 

Evidence Preservation Challenges in Slip and Fall Cases 

Slip and fall cases move fast, often faster than people realize. A wet floor sign gets picked up within minutes. A spill gets mopped away. Store surveillance footage is frequently overwritten within days or weeks if nobody requests it in time. 

That’s exactly why documenting everything you can at the scene, and getting a lawyer involved quickly, matters so much. The sooner we’re involved, the sooner we can send preservation letters, request footage, and lock down the evidence your claim depends on. 

How Indiana’s Comparative Fault Rule Can Reduce Your Slip and Fall Compensation 

If the property owner argues you were partly responsible for your own fall, don’t panic — that doesn’t mean you walk away with nothing. 

Under Indiana’s modified comparative fault rule (Indiana Code § 34-51-2-5), you can still recover compensation as long as you’re found less than 51% at fault for the accident. If you’re found partially at fault, your compensation is simply reduced by that percentage. 

For example, if you’re found 10% at fault and your total damages are $50,000, your compensation would be reduced to $45,000. The key is making sure fault is calculated fairly, and that’s exactly what we fight for. 

Can a Landlord or Business Be Held Liable for Your Fall? 

Often, yes. Property owners, landlords, and business operators all have a legal duty to keep the spaces they control reasonably safe for visitors and tenants. Depending on the details of your case, liability may fall on: 

• A store or restaurant owner who failed to clean up a spill or fix a hazard 
• A property management company responsible for maintaining common areas 
• A landlord who ignored a tenant’s complaint about broken stairs or poor lighting 
• A commercial tenant responsible for maintaining the interior of a leased space 

Sometimes more than one party shares responsibility. We investigate every angle to make sure everyone who contributed to your fall is held accountable. 

Two-Year Statute of Limitations 

In most cases, Indiana law gives you two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your fall happened on government property, that window can be much shorter, so don’t wait to get legal advice. 

Waiting also makes it harder to preserve the evidence discussed above. The sooner you reach out, the stronger your case will be. 

Common Injuries We See in Slip and Fall Cases 

Serious falls can cause injuries far beyond bumps and bruises, including: 

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) 
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis 
• Hip, pelvis, and other complex fractures 
• Neck and back injuries 
• Internal organ damage 
• Severe soft tissue injuries 

Documenting your injuries, treatment, and how they affect your daily life is essential to pursuing full compensation. Try keeping a written journal or starting a note on your phone. The more detailed and consistent you can be, the better. 

What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Indianapolis 

Here’s what you should do in the hours after a slip and fall accident. If you’re able to: 

1. Get medical attention right away to document your injuries and begin treatment. 
2. Report the accident to the property owner or manager and make sure an incident report is completed. 
3. Take photos of the hazard, your injuries, and the surrounding area immediately — hazards like spills and ice get cleaned up fast. 
4. Collect contact information from any witnesses. 
5. Preserve records related to your injury, including medical bills, lost wages, and how your injuries affect your daily life. 
6. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible, before surveillance footage or other case-crucial evidence disappears. 

Insurance companies aren’t in the business of doing right by you — they’re in the business of paying out as little as possible. That’s exactly why we’re here: to stand in your corner, fight for what you’re actually owed, and make sure you’re never facing them alone. 

Why Choose Tandy Law Firm for Your Indianapolis Slip and Fall Case? 

We’re not the oldest law firm, and we’re not the biggest. We’re a small, local team that believes you deserve to be treated like a person, not a claim number. 

When you work with us, you’ll always know what’s happening with your case and why. We communicate the way that works best for you: phone, text, email, or an in-person visit to our Indianapolis office. And because we’re proud to be part of this community, we support local causes and organizations year-round.