Slip & Fall Attorney O'Fallon

After a Slip & Fall in O'Fallon, You Do Not Have to Navigate This Alone

A slip and fall on a grocery aisle, icy sidewalk, or dim stairwell can result in serious injuries, medical bills, and lost wages. Determining whether a property owner is liable or if the incident was unavoidable requires a clear understanding of premises liability law. If you were injured on someone else’s property in O'Fallon, the attorneys at Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC can help evaluate your legal options and identify the best path forward.

Our firm has served St. Charles County for over 30 years, bringing 117 years of collective legal experience to every case. Based in Lake St. Louis, we provide O'Fallon residents with dedicated support in navigating complex insurance and legal claims. We offer free initial consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Contact Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC today to schedule your free consultation and discuss your legal options with an experienced attorney. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t pay a dime unless we secure the compensation you deserve.

How Our Attorneys Help With Your Slip & Fall Claim

After a fall, navigating insurance adjusters, paperwork, and liability questions can be overwhelming. As slip and fall lawyers in O'Fallon, we handle these burdens to provide clarity and guidance during your recovery.

We begin by investigating the incident, your injuries, and your medical treatment to determine if you have a premises liability claim under Missouri law. Our attorneys evaluate whether a dangerous condition existed and if the property owner failed to address it, explaining these legal concepts in plain language.

From there, we develop a strategy tailored to your goals, whether that involves negotiating with insurance companies or preparing a lawsuit in a state trial court. You will work directly with an attorney who provides regular updates and firm advocacy, ensuring your case benefits from our team's extensive experience in injury and insurance disputes.

What To Do After a Slip, Trip, or Fall on Someone Else’s Property

In the moments and days after a fall, you may not be thinking about legal issues at all. You may simply be trying to get through medical appointments and daily tasks. Still, certain steps can help protect both your health and your potential claim.

Consider taking these steps after a slip or trip and fall:

• Seek medical attention promptly. Even if you think you are only bruised, it is important to have a medical professional evaluate you. Injuries like concussions, internal damage, or soft tissue injuries may not show their full impact right away, and medical records can later help connect your symptoms to the fall.
• Report the incident. If your fall happened at a store, restaurant, or other business in or near O'Fallon, ask to speak with a manager and request that an incident report be created. If the fall occurred at an apartment complex or office building, notify the landlord or property manager as soon as possible. Try to obtain a copy of any written report or at least the name of the person you spoke with.
• Document the scene and your injuries. If you are able, or if a family member can assist, take photos of the area where you fell, including any liquid, debris, uneven flooring, or lighting issues. Also, photograph visible injuries, such as bruising or swelling. Conditions at places like parking lots or store aisles can change quickly, so this documentation can be important later.
• Gather witness information. If anyone saw your fall, politely ask for their names and contact information. Their recollection of what happened, or of the condition of the floor or walkway, may help confirm your version of events.
• Be cautious with insurance communications. Property owners and their insurers may contact you for a statement or to discuss a settlement. It is usually wise to speak with an attorney before giving a detailed recorded statement or signing paperwork, because what you say early on can affect your claim.

Not everyone can take all of these steps. You may have been taken from the scene by ambulance or only realized the severity of your injuries later. That does not automatically mean you do not have a case. If you were hurt in a fall, we encourage you to contact us so we can review what happened and talk about what evidence may still be available.

Who May Be Responsible for a Slip & Fall Injury

In Missouri, premises liability law focuses on whether a property owner or manager allowed a dangerous condition to exist without repairing it or providing an adequate warning. Potential defendants include businesses, landlords, or property management companies. Common hazards involve unattended spills, loose handrails, or uncleared ice. Liability depends on whether the owner knew or should have known the risk existed long enough to address it.

Missouri’s comparative fault rules can reduce a recovery amount if the injured person shares responsibility for the fall. Property owners and insurers frequently argue that a hazard was obvious or that the individual was distracted. Effective legal review examines the full context, including lighting, weather, and area desig,n to counter these defenses and ensure blame is not unfairly assigned.

In O'Fallon and St. Charles County, claims are typically resolved through insurance negotiations or the local civil court system. Identifying all responsible parties and understanding how liability is shared is essential to determining the strength of a claim. Local attorneys familiar with these processes can help navigate the specific legal requirements of the region.

Why Injured People in This Area Turn to Our Firm

Selecting an attorney is a critical decision when balancing medical care, work, and financial pressure. At Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC, we have served the St. Charles County and O’Fallon communities for over 30 years. With more than 117 collective years of experience across personal injury, workers' compensation, criminal defense, and family law, we understand how a single injury impacts your employment, childcare, and long-term financial stability.

Our clients receive direct attorney involvement and a strategy tailored to their specific recovery goals. We utilize a team-based approach to prepare every case for settlement or trial in St. Charles County courts. To prioritize accessibility and reduce financial stress, we offer clear communication, free initial consultations for personal injury matters, and a contingency fee structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know If I Have a Slip & Fall Case?

Whether you have a slip and fall case generally depends on how the fall happened and what the property owner did or did not do to keep the area reasonably safe. In Missouri, these claims usually require showing that a dangerous condition existed, that the owner or party in control knew or should have known about it, and that they failed to take reasonable steps to fix it or warn about it. Examples might include a spill that was left on a store floor for an extended time, a broken step that was not repaired, or ice in a parking lot that was not treated after other areas had been cleared. During a consultation, we review the specific facts of your situation, your injuries, and any available documentation so we can give you a clearer sense of whether a claim may be appropriate.

What Does It Cost To Hire Your Firm for a Slip & Fall Injury?

For slip and fall and other personal injury matters, we offer free initial consultations and work on a contingency fee basis. That means you do not pay attorney fees at the beginning of your case, and you do not owe attorney fees unless there is a successful recovery. There can be other costs associated with a case, such as fees for obtaining medical records or court filing fees, and we explain how those may be handled in your situation. Before you decide to hire us, we review the fee agreement with you so you understand how it works and can make an informed choice.

What Should I Bring To My First Meeting About a Fall?

It is helpful to bring any documents or information you already have, but you can still contact us even if you do not have everything collected. Items that can be useful include medical records or discharge papers, photos of the scene or your injuries, contact information for any witnesses, and any incident report or correspondence from a store, landlord, or insurance company. If the fall happened at a business or property in O'Fallon, any notes you made about the date, time, and conditions can also be helpful. During the consultation, we will ask questions to fill in any gaps and discuss what additional records we may seek if we decide to work together.

Will I Have To Go To Court for a Slip & Fall Claim?

Many slip and fall claims resolve through negotiations with insurance companies without a trial, but some do proceed to court. Whether your case goes to court can depend on factors such as how clearly liability can be shown, the extent of your injuries, and whether the insurer is willing to make a settlement offer that reasonably reflects your losses. If a lawsuit is filed for an incident in O'Fallon, it is often handled in the state trial court that serves St. Charles County. Our attorneys prepare cases with both settlement and the possibility of litigation in mind, and we discuss these possibilities with you as your case develops, so you know what to expect.

What If I Was Partly at Fault for My Fall?

In Missouri, you may still be able to pursue compensation even if you were partly at fault for your fall, because the state follows comparative fault rules. A court or insurance company may consider whether you were distracted, whether warning signs were present, or whether the hazard was obvious, and may assign percentages of fault to each party. Any recovery could then be reduced by your share of responsibility. That is one reason it is important not to assume you are entirely to blame before all the facts are examined. We review the circumstances of your fall, including lighting, layout, and how long the hazard appears to have existed, before advising you about how comparative fault might affect your claim.

How Long Do I Have To File a Slip & Fall Claim in Missouri?

Slip and fall claims in Missouri are subject to specific time limits set by state law, which can vary depending on the type of claim and the parties involved. If you miss the applicable deadline, you may lose the right to pursue compensation through the courts. The precise time limit in your situation can depend on details such as the nature of your injuries and whether a governmental entity is involved. Because of this, we encourage you to contact an attorney as soon as you reasonably can after a fall in or around O'Fallon. During your consultation, we can discuss which deadlines appear to apply and how acting promptly can also help with preserving evidence.

Who Will I Work With If I Hire Your Firm?

If you choose to hire Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC, you will work directly with our attorneys on the key legal aspects of your case. Our firm uses a team-based approach, so you may also interact with staff members who help gather records, coordinate information, and keep the process moving. We believe that direct attorney involvement leads to better communication and a stronger understanding of your goals. Throughout your case, we strive to be accessible, to return calls and emails, and to keep you informed about significant developments, whether your claim is moving through negotiations or the court system.

Talk With Our Slip & Fall Lawyers About Your Options

If a fall on someone else’s property in or around O'Fallon has left you dealing with injuries, medical bills, and uncertainty, you do not have to sort through the legal issues by yourself. Our attorneys at Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC are here to review what happened, explain how Missouri premises liability law may apply, and discuss possible paths forward.

We offer free initial consultations for personal injury matters and handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, so you do not pay attorney fees unless there is a successful recovery. When you contact us, we take the time to listen, answer your questions, and help you make informed decisions about your next steps. Reaching out for legal guidance can feel like a big step, but it can also give you a clearer picture of your rights and options.

To talk with a slip and fall attorney O'Fallon residents can turn to for local guidance, call (636) 561-5599 today.