Lehi Slip and Fall Lawyer: When Is a Property Owner Liable for Your Injuries?

A slip and fall can happen in seconds, but the injuries can last months or years. If you were hurt on someone else’s property in Lehi, you may be wondering whether the owner is responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain.

Property owners are not automatically liable every time someone falls. This guide explains when a property owner in Lehi can be held responsible and how to protect your claim. To reach our Lehi office, visit our Lehi personal injury attorney page.

When Is a Property Owner Liable?

A property owner in Lehi may be liable for your fall if:

• The owner owed you a duty of care
• A dangerous condition existed on the property
• The owner knew or should have known about it
• The owner failed to fix it or warn you
• The condition caused your injuries

In other words, you must show the owner was negligent and that the negligence caused your injuries.

How Your Status on the Property Matters

Utah premises liability law looks at why you were on the property.

Invitees are on the property for a purpose connected to the owner’s business, such as shoppers, diners, and patients. Owners owe invitees reasonable care, including inspecting for hazards and fixing or warning about them.

Licensees have permission to be there for their own purposes, such as social guests. Owners generally must warn licensees about known dangers that are not obvious.

Trespassers are on the property without permission. Owners owe them a much more limited duty, mainly to avoid willful or wanton harm, with special rules for children.

Most slip and fall cases in Lehi involve invitees, such as shoppers hurt in stores or visitors hurt in commercial buildings.

Proving Negligence in a Lehi Slip and Fall Case

Duty: The owner owed you a duty based on your status.

Breach: The owner allowed a dangerous condition to exist or failed to warn you.

Causation: The condition caused your fall and injuries.

Damages: You suffered real losses, such as medical bills, lost income, or pain and suffering.

Evidence includes photos of the scene, witness statements, incident reports, surveillance footage, and medical records. See our article on proving negligence in Utah premises liability cases.

What Counts as Notice of a Dangerous Condition?

Actual notice means the owner or employees knew about the hazard. For example, a store manager is told about a spill and does nothing.

Constructive notice means the hazard was there long enough that a reasonable inspection would have found it. Proving it often requires showing how long the condition existed before your fall.

If the owner or its employees created the hazard, such as mopping without a warning sign, that can also establish responsibility.

Common Hazards in Lehi Slip and Fall Cases

• Wet or slippery floors without warning signs
• Uneven pavement and sidewalks
• Torn carpet or loose mats
• Poor lighting in stairways and hallways
• Ice and snow on walkways and parking lots
• Clutter in walkways
• Broken or missing handrails

Utah winters add ice and snow. Property owners are generally expected to take reasonable steps to clear or warn about icy walkways, though bad weather alone does not automatically make an owner liable.

Where Falls Commonly Happen

• Retail stores and shopping centers: Spills, wet floors, and cluttered aisles
• Grocery stores: Produce sections, freezer aisles, and entryways
• Restaurants: Spills and grease on floors
• Parking lots and sidewalks: Cracks, potholes, ice, and poor lighting
• Apartment buildings and hotels: Stairways, lobbies, and common areas
• Office buildings: Unmarked steps and wet entryways

See also our article on slip, trip, and fall injuries.

Utah’s Comparative Fault Rule

Under Utah Code § 78B-5-818, you can recover if your share of fault is less than 50%, and your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are awarded $100,000 but found 20% at fault, you would receive $80,000. At 50% or more, you cannot recover.

Insurers often argue that injured people were distracted or wearing the wrong shoes. Evidence of the hazard and how long it existed helps answer those arguments.

Falls on Government Property

If you fell on a city sidewalk, in a public park, or in a government building, the Utah Governmental Immunity Act applies. You must file a written notice of claim with the proper government entity within one year. Government entities may also raise immunity defenses that private owners cannot, and the Act limits the damages available. These cases require strict attention to deadlines.

Damages You Can Recover

• Medical expenses: Hospital bills, surgery, therapy, medication, and future care
• Lost wages: Income missed while recovering
• Lost earning capacity: Reduced future earnings from permanent injuries
• Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life
• Property damage: Personal items damaged in the fall

How Long Do You Have to File?

Under Utah Code § 78B-2-307, you generally have four years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. Claims involving government property require a notice of claim within one year. Evidence disappears quickly: surveillance footage is often deleted and hazards get repaired, so starting early matters.

Steps to Take After a Slip and Fall in Lehi

• Get medical care: Some injuries are not immediately obvious.
• Report the fall: Notify the owner, manager, or landlord and ask for a copy of the incident report.
• Document the scene: Photograph the hazard, your injuries, the lighting, and any missing warning signs.
• Get witness information: Names and contact details.
• Preserve evidence: Keep your shoes and clothing.
• Avoid statements: Do not sign anything or give a recorded statement to the owner’s insurer without legal advice.

Common Mistakes

• Delaying treatment
• Not reporting the fall
• Posting on social media
• Accepting a quick settlement
• Apologizing or saying “I should have been more careful”
• Waiting too long to get legal help

How London Harker Can Help

An attorney can investigate the fall, identify every responsible party including tenants and maintenance companies, obtain footage and maintenance records, value your losses, negotiate with insurers, and go to trial if needed. London Harker handles slip and fall cases on a contingency fee basis, so there are no upfront fees.

If you fell elsewhere in Utah County or the Salt Lake Valley, see our Provo slip and fall lawyer and Sandy slip and fall lawyer pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a property owner liable for a slip and fall in Utah?

The owner owed you a duty, knew or should have known about a dangerous condition, failed to fix or warn about it, and that failure caused your injuries.

Do I have a case if I fell in a Lehi store?

Possibly. It depends on whether the store had notice of the hazard, whether it took reasonable steps, and whether you share any fault.

How do I prove the owner knew about the hazard?

Show that the owner or employees were told about it (actual notice), or that it existed long enough that a reasonable inspection would have found it (constructive notice).

What if I was partly at fault?

You can recover if you were less than 50% at fault, reduced by your percentage of fault.

Can I sue the city if I fell on a public sidewalk?

Possibly, but the Governmental Immunity Act applies. You must file a notice of claim within one year and follow strict procedures.

Are property owners always liable for falls?

No. You must prove duty, breach, causation, and damages.

Contact Our Lehi Office

If you were injured in a slip and fall in Lehi, London Harker Injury Law can review what happened and explain your options. Visit our Lehi personal injury attorney page to get started.