Slip & Fall Lawyers

A slip and fall is not an embarrassing moment—it is a serious legal event. When you step onto a business's property—whether it is a Walmart in Corbin, a hotel in Louisville, or a grocery store in Knoxville—you have a right to be safe. The property owner has a legal duty to fix hazards, warn you of dangers, and keep their floors clean.

But when they prioritize profit over safety, people get hurt. Broken hips, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and spinal fractures are common consequences of a "simple" fall.

At Freeman Childers, we hold negligent property owners accountable across both Kentucky and Tennessee. We know how to fight the corporate lawyers who will inevitably try to blame you for "not watching where you were going."

The "Statute of Limitations" Trap (Read Carefully)

This is the most dangerous part of a slip and fall case.

• In Car Accidents (KY): You generally have 2 years to file suit.

• In Slip and Falls (KY & TN): You generally have only 1 YEAR.

In Kentucky, the statute of limitations for general negligence (like a fall) is one year (KRS 413.140). If you wait thinking you have the same time as a car wreck victim, your case will be thrown out of court. In Tennessee, the statute is also one year. Time is not on your side. You must call us immediately to preserve evidence before surveillance video is deleted.

Proving "Constructive Notice"

To win a slip and fall case, it is not enough to prove that the floor was wet. We must prove the owner knew (or should have known) it was wet.

• Actual Notice: An employee saw the spill and ignored it.

• Constructive Notice: The spill was there for so long (e.g., sticky, dried edges, footprints through it) that a reasonable employee should have seen it.

We demand the "Sweep Logs" and security camera footage to prove exactly how long the hazard existed before you fell.

The "Open and Obvious" Defense

Insurance companies love to argue that the hazard was "Open and Obvious"—meaning you should have seen it and walked around it.

• In Kentucky: The law has shifted (Shelton v. Kentucky Easter Seals). Even if a hazard was obvious, the owner may still be liable if it was foreseeable that you would be distracted or have no choice but to encounter it.

• In Tennessee: We must prove you were less than 50% at fault. If a jury decides you were 50% responsible for not looking down, you get $0.

Common Hazards We Investigate

• Retail Spills: Leaking freezers or smashed produce at big box stores.

• Uncleared Ice & Snow: Property owners in KY and TN must act reasonably to clear walkways after a storm.

• Parking Lot Potholes: Crumbled asphalt and uneven pavement that causes trip hazards.

• Inadequate Lighting: Dark stairwells in apartment complexes or hotels that hide steps.

• Broken Handrails: Stairs that violate building codes.

Local Premises Liability Teams

We have specialized teams ready to handle the local courts and police departments in your area:

• Louisville

• Lexington

• Frankfort

• Covington

• London

• Corbin

• Somerset

• Winchester

• Elizabethtown

• Cookeville

• Kingsport

• Knoxville

• Bowling Green

• Nashville

Hurt on Someone Else's Property?

Do not give a statement to the store manager. Do not sign an incident report without us seeing it. Call 606-528-1000 immediately.