Broken bones. Shattered ankles. Spinal injuries. A fall on someone else’s property can result in surgery, lost work, and a difficult recovery. Property owners and their insurers often minimize what occurred. Meshbesher & Spence ensures your rights are protected.

For over 60 years, Meshbesher & Spence has been the advocate for slip and fall victims across Minneapolis. Whether the case involves property owners, school districts, or building managers whose negligence caused harm, our experience helps us fight for those injured.

Call a Minneapolis slip and fall lawyer at (612) 339-9121 or message us online. The consultation is free, and there are no fees unless we recover compensation for you.

“We hired Meshbesher and Spence, and from the beginning, they were an excellent team to have on our side. Their communication, empathy, and professionalism were top-notch. I am so thankful for their representation.”

— Amanda, Verified Client

Do Minneapolis Property Owners Have a Legal Duty to Keep You Safe?

Minnesota law requires property owners to keep their premises reasonably safe for people who enter them. When they fail to do that, and someone gets hurt as a result, the owner can be held liable for the injuries that follow.

The extent of the law’s protection depends on why you were on the property.

Invitees are people who enter a property for a purpose the owner has invited or permitted, like customers in a store, patients in a clinic, or tenants in a building. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care.

They are required to inspect for hazards, fix dangerous conditions, and warn visitors of risks they know about or should have found through reasonable inspection.

Licensees enter a property with the owner’s permission but for their own purpose, such as a social guest. Owners must warn licensees of known hazards they would not reasonably discover on their own.

Trespassers are people who enter a property without permission. They are generally owed the least protection under Minnesota law. However, owners cannot willfully or recklessly harm them.

Most slip and fall victims are invitees. If you were hurt as a customer, tenant, or visitor, the owner had a legal duty to maintain the space and warn you of dangers.

Why Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen in Minneapolis?

Slip and fall accidents happen because someone responsible for a property failed to address a hazard. Common causes include:

Ice and snow left unaddressed on walkways, parking lots, and building entrances,
Water, grease, or other liquids on floors with no warning posted,
Uneven or broken pavement, sidewalks, and parking surfaces,
Defective or missing handrails on stairs and ramps,
Stairways built or maintained in violation of building codes,
Poor lighting that obscures hazards,
Torn or bunched carpeting and flooring,
Unmarked elevation changes, and
Debris left in walkways and common areas.

Minneapolis winters require property owners to address ice and snow. Ice from roof drains, uncleared walkways, and hidden glare ice are not excusable. Owners who ignore known dangers are negligent.

Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen in Minneapolis?

Slip and fall accidents happen in places people visit every day. Our Minneapolis slip and fall attorneys have handled cases involving injuries at:

Grocery stores and retail shops,
Restaurants and bars,
Office buildings and commercial properties,
Apartment buildings and rental properties,
Hotels and parking garages,
Schools and government buildings,
Medical facilities and clinics,
Salons and service businesses, and
Outdoor walkways, stairways, and entryways.

How Serious Are Slip and Fall Injuries?

A serious fall puts people through surgery, months of rehabilitation, and recovery that takes longer than anyone anticipates. Our Minneapolis slip and fall attorneys represent people who have suffered:

Broken bones and complex fractures,
Ankle and knee injuries requiring surgery,
Hip fractures, particularly serious for older adults,
Spinal cord injuries and herniated discs,
Traumatic brain injuries and concussions,
Torn ligaments and soft tissue injuries,
Nerve damage, and
Injuries requiring multiple surgeries and extended rehabilitation.

Recovery from a serious fall takes time and is expensive. Surgery, therapy, and lost income often exceed early insurance settlement offers. Claims must reflect both current and future treatment.

Speak with a Minneapolis Slip and Fall Attorney: Meshbesher & Spence investigates slip and fall cases thoroughly and pursues every available avenue of recovery. If you were seriously injured on someone else’s property, call (612) 339-9121 or contact us online for a free case review.

How Do Insurance Companies Defend Against Slip and Fall Claims?

“You Weren’t Paying Attention.”

Insurers frequently argue that the injured person bears responsibility for the fall. They point to footwear, phone use, or anything else that suggests distraction. Minnesota’s comparative fault rules allow them to reduce or eliminate a payout if they can establish partial responsibility on your part.

We investigate the property’s condition, its maintenance history, and whether the owner had prior notice of the hazard, and we use that record to show where the responsibility actually lies.

“We Didn’t Know About the Hazard.”

Property owners are not only responsible for conditions they knew about. They are responsible for conditions they should have discovered through reasonable inspection. When a dangerous condition has existed long enough that regular maintenance would have caught it, the owner cannot claim ignorance as a defense.

“The Condition Was Open and Obvious.”

Insurers argue that if a hazard was visible, the injured person should have avoided it. This defense has limits under Minnesota law, and an experienced attorney knows how to challenge it, particularly when poor lighting or the nature of the hazard made it genuinely difficult to detect.

“Your Injuries Aren’t That Serious.”

The first settlement offer arrives before you have finished treatment, sometimes before you know whether you need a second surgery. A Minneapolis slip and fall settlement accepted at that stage cannot be reopened, regardless of what your recovery ultimately requires.

Case Results

Confidential Settlement | Negligently Constructed Stairway at Dog Grooming Shop

Our client fell on a defective outdoor stairway at a dog grooming shop. Meshbesher & Spence demonstrated that the stairs were built with risers of different heights, creating an uneven surface that violated building codes.

The stairway also lacked a handrail. When our client lost her balance, there was nothing to grab. She fell and broke her ankle, ultimately requiring a second surgery to remove surgical hardware. A confidential settlement was reached to compensate her for her injury, pain, and disability.

Confidential Settlement | Icy Walkway on School District Property

Our client was injured on school district property, where roof drains caused a large, thick ice buildup to form over the only walking path. She fell and sustained a complex ankle fracture.

Meshbesher & Spence demonstrated that the school district had been aware of the drainage problem for years and had failed to correct it. A confidential settlement was reached to compensate her for her injury, pain, disability, and a second surgery to remove surgical hardware.

$250,000+ Settlement | Hair Stylist Injured on Glare Ice Outside Salon

Our client, a hair stylist, slipped on glare ice outside the building where she worked. Her ankle bones were shattered and dislocated, requiring complex surgery. She was unable to return to work for nearly a full year. The building owner denied responsibility, claiming the walkway had been cleared and salted before a light dusting of snow fell.

Meshbesher & Spence located security footage from a camera mounted outside the building. The footage showed clearly that the maintenance crew had not addressed the ice accumulation that caused the fall. The case settled for over $250,000.

Can You Recover Compensation After a Minneapolis Slip and Fall?

Minnesota law allows slip and fall victims to pursue compensation for what the injury has cost them, including:

Medical expenses: Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment;
Lost income: Wages missed during recovery and any reduction in future earning capacity;
Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has altered daily life;
Property damage: Personal items damaged in the fall;
Loss of consortium: The effect of the injury on a spouse or family relationship; and
Punitive damages: Available when an owner’s conduct was particularly reckless or willful

A Martindale-Nolo survey found that those who hired an attorney recovered three times more compensation than those who pursued claims without legal representation.

How Can a Minneapolis Slip and Fall Attorney Help You?

Property owners have insurance companies, adjusters, and legal teams working on their behalf from the moment a fall is reported. Meshbesher & Spence puts that same level of attention on your side of the case.

Our Minneapolis slip and fall lawyers:

Investigate the scene and gather evidence before it disappears,
Obtain surveillance footage, maintenance logs, and incident reports,
Work with experts to document code violations and establish negligence,
Handle all communications with the property owner’s insurer,
Calculate damages that account for future treatment and long-term impact, and
Take cases to trial when a fair resolution is not offered.

Konstandinos (Gus) Nicklow - a Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer

“I represent individuals, like you, injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. I fight to get what you deserve: payment of all your medical bills, reimbursement of all your lost wages, and a fair settlement for your pain and suffering.”

— Konstandinos (Gus) Nicklow, Attorney, Meshbesher & Spence

Why Minneapolis Slip and Fall Victims Choose Meshbesher & Spence

At Meshbesher & Spence, we believe every client deserves more than legal representation. They deserve a team that truly cares, something many people are surprised to still find in a law firm today.

Watch: More Than Lawyers: A Look Inside Meshbesher & Spence

Injured in a Slip and Fall? Contact Us Today

Meshbesher & Spence has spent 60+ years fighting for people hurt by property owners who failed to keep their premises safe. Our attorneys have recovered more than $1.1 billion for clients across Minnesota. We have five office locations and are available to meet at our offices, at your home, or at the hospital.

FAQs

• How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in Minnesota?

Minnesota law gives most slip and fall victims six years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Claims against government entities, such as a school district or a city, carry much shorter deadlines and require written notice before a lawsuit can be filed.

Physical evidence does not last, and surveillance footage gets overwritten. Contacting a Minneapolis slip and fall lawyer early gives your case the best chance of recovering what you need.
• What if I slipped and fell at an apartment building where I live?

Landlords in Minnesota are required to maintain rental properties in a reasonably safe condition. When a landlord knows about a dangerous condition and fails to address it, they can be held liable for injuries that result. Tenants have the same standing to pursue compensation as any other invitee injured on someone else’s property.
• Can I still recover compensation if I was wearing unsuitable footwear?

Minnesota follows a modified comparative fault rule. Your compensation may be reduced if you are found partially at fault, but you can still recover as long as you are less than 51% responsible.

Footwear is one argument insurers use to assign blame to the injured person. A Minneapolis slip and fall attorney can put that argument in the proper context relative to the severity of the hazard that caused the fall.
• What if I did not report the fall to the property owner before leaving?

Reporting the fall creates a record, but the absence of a report does not eliminate your claim. Medical records, witness statements, and photographs can establish what happened and where it occurred. If you did not report the fall at the time, contact our Minneapolis slip and fall lawyers before taking any further steps.

Minneapolis Slip and Fall Lawyer

Get a Free Consultation!