Lansing winters turn parking lots, apartment stairs and storefront entrances into hazards for months at a time, and spills, torn carpet and broken railings cause falls the rest of the year. A fall can mean a broken hip or wrist, a head injury or surgery, and the property owner’s insurer will often argue that you should have watched your step. A Lansing slip and fall lawyer can investigate who was responsible for the condition and whether the law gives you a claim.
Khamo Law represents people injured on unsafe property in Lansing, East Lansing and across Ingham County, including falls at stores, restaurants, rental housing and office buildings. Our offices are in Troy and Sterling Heights, and we meet with clients from the capital area by phone, by video or in person in Troy. Our attorneys and staff speak Arabic, Chaldean and English. To review your fall for free, contact us at (248) 466-0606. We charge no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
For statewide information, see our Michigan slip and fall lawyer page. For other injuries in the area, visit our Lansing personal injury lawyer page.
How a Lansing Slip and Fall Lawyer Can Help
Fall cases are won or lost on evidence that can disappear within days. Ice melts, spills get mopped and video gets recorded over. After you contact us, we can:
- Send a written request to the property owner or manager to keep surveillance video, incident reports and maintenance logs
- Find out who actually controlled the area where you fell, which may be a landlord, tenant business, management company or snow removal contractor
- Gather weather records and salting or plowing logs for winter falls
- Track down witnesses and employees who knew about the hazard
- Deal with the owner’s insurer and, if needed, file suit in Ingham County
Michigan Slip and Fall Law After the 2023 Supreme Court Ruling
For years, Michigan property owners could often get fall cases dismissed by arguing the hazard was “open and obvious.” That changed in 2023. In Kandil-Elsayed v F & E Oil, Inc., the Michigan Supreme Court held that whether a danger was open and obvious goes to whether the owner acted reasonably and how fault should be divided, rather than wiping out the owner’s duty altogether. Injured visitors now have a better chance of getting a fair hearing on what the owner should have done.
The basic questions remain the same:
- Why were you on the property? Customers and other business visitors are owed the most protection. Social guests are owed less, and trespassers very little.
- Did the owner know, or should they have known, about the hazard? A spill that sat for an hour is different from one that happened seconds before you fell.
- Did the owner act reasonably? That can include inspecting, cleaning, salting, repairing or warning.
- Did the hazard cause your injury?
Our page on premises liability laws in Michigan goes deeper into these rules.
Winter Falls on Ice and Snow in Lansing
Ice and snow cause many of the falls we hear about. Under the City of Lansing’s rules, property owners must clear snow and ice from public sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall and treat ice with salt, sand or a similar material, according to WILX. If they do not, the city may clear it and bill the owner. Whether that city requirement affects a particular injury claim depends on where you fell and who controlled the area.
Private parking lots, apartment walkways and store entrances raise different questions. Businesses that invite customers in generally have to take reasonable steps against snow and ice, and many hire contractors to plow and salt. A contractor that skipped a scheduled visit or did the job poorly may share responsibility. Read more in our article on who is liable for a Michigan winter slip and fall.
Falls at Apartments and Rental Homes
Renters in Lansing and East Lansing, including Michigan State University students, get extra protection under Michigan law. Under MCL 554.139, every residential lease includes the landlord’s promise that the premises and all common areas are fit for their intended use, and that the landlord will keep the premises in reasonable repair and follow state and local health and safety laws. Broken stairs, missing handrails, unlit hallways and icy common walkways can all raise claims under this statute and general premises law.
Falls on City Sidewalks and Public Property
Claims against a city for a defective sidewalk follow special rules. Under MCL 691.1402a, the city is presumed to have kept a sidewalk in reasonable repair unless the injured person shows a vertical difference of 2 inches or more, or another dangerous condition of a particular character, caused the fall. The person must also show the city knew or should have known about the defect at least 30 days before the injury. Written notice to the city is generally due within 120 days under MCL 691.1404. These cases are hard and time-sensitive, so measure and photograph the defect as soon as possible.
Common Places People Fall
- Grocery and retail stores, from spills, produce on the floor or wet entryways
- Restaurants and bars, from greasy floors or poorly lit steps
- Apartment complexes, from icy walkways, broken stairs and loose railings
- Parking lots and garages, from potholes, ice and wheel stops
- Hotels and office buildings, from torn carpet, elevator misalignment or unmarked changes in floor height
Injuries From Falls
- Hip, wrist, ankle and elbow fractures
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries from striking the ground
- Back and neck injuries, including herniated discs
- Torn ligaments in the knee and shoulder
Older adults are especially vulnerable to serious injury from a fall, and a hip fracture can mean surgery and a long recovery.
Compensation and Shared Fault
A successful fall claim can include medical expenses, lost wages, future care and compensation for pain and suffering. Unlike car crashes, falls do not come with No-Fault benefits, so health insurance often pays first and may later claim reimbursement from a settlement. We account for those liens when evaluating your case.
Property owners almost always argue that the injured person was partly to blame. Under MCL 600.2959, your damages are reduced by your share of fault. If your share is greater than the combined fault of everyone else, you cannot recover noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, though reduced economic damages may still be available.
What to Do After a Fall in Lansing
- Report the fall to the manager or landlord and ask for a copy of the incident report.
- Photograph the hazard before it is cleaned up, including ice, water, the broken step or the uneven surface, from several angles.
- Get names and phone numbers of witnesses and any employees who responded.
- Keep your shoes and clothing as they were.
- See a doctor promptly and describe how the fall happened.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to the property owner’s insurer before getting advice.
Deadlines for Lansing Slip and Fall Claims
- Most premises injury lawsuits: generally three years from the fall (MCL 600.5805)
- Defective public sidewalks: written notice to the government agency usually within 120 days (MCL 691.1404)
- Video evidence: often kept only for days or weeks, which is the deadline that matters most in practice
Where Lansing Fall Cases Are Filed
Smaller claims from falls in the city can be filed in the 54-A District Court in Lansing City Hall, and falls in East Lansing go to the 54-B District Court. Larger cases go to Ingham County’s 30th Circuit Court, which has a Lansing courthouse at 313 W. Kalamazoo Street, according to the Ingham County courts.
Why Choose Khamo Law After a Fall
We move quickly to preserve evidence, identify every party that controlled the property and explain the post-2023 rules in plain terms. Khamo Law’s team has more than 40 years of combined experience, has recovered more than $40 million for clients, and holds a 5.0-star rating from more than 230 Google reviews. Founder Koro E. Khamo was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and for The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40. Our attorneys and staff speak Arabic, Chaldean and English, and Lansing clients can work with us remotely from start to finish.
Lansing Slip and Fall FAQs
How hard is it to win a slip and fall lawsuit in Michigan?
These cases are fact-heavy, and outcomes depend on evidence of the hazard, how long it existed and what the owner did about it. The 2023 Kandil-Elsayed decision removed the automatic open-and-obvious defense, which has made it easier for many injured people to have their case decided on the facts.
How do I choose a slip and fall attorney in Lansing, MI?
Look for a lawyer who handles premises cases regularly, explains the post-2023 law clearly, moves fast to preserve video and works on contingency. Our article on how to choose a personal injury attorney in Michigan lists questions to ask.
How long does it take to settle a slip and fall case?
Most cases are not ready to settle until your doctors understand your long-term prognosis. A clear-cut case may resolve within months after treatment; a disputed one can take a year or more if a lawsuit is filed.
Can I sue for pain and suffering after a fall in Michigan?
Yes. Unlike car crash claims, premises claims have no serious impairment threshold, so pain and suffering can be recovered if the owner was negligent, subject to the comparative fault rules.
I fell in my apartment building’s icy parking lot. Do I have a case?
Possibly. Michigan’s landlord-tenant statute requires common areas to be fit for their intended use, and a parking lot that cannot be used safely may violate that duty. The specific facts, including how much time the landlord had to clear it, matter.
Does Khamo Law handle slip and fall cases in East Lansing?
Yes. We represent people who fell in East Lansing, Lansing and throughout Ingham County.
Contact a Lansing Slip and Fall Attorney
If you were hurt in a fall on someone else’s property, the evidence may not last long. Call (248) 466-0606 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.
This page provides general information about Michigan premises law and is not legal advice for a specific situation. Results in earlier cases do not guarantee or predict a similar result in yours.