#so why are we removing the handrails of validation?

[star-dust-n-astral-wind]

Miraculous: Redemption and Validation

So, what makes Chloe (before the events of the Season 3 finale) and Felix all that different?

Both were born to wealth. Both were raised to be generally bad people. Both did bad things. Both strove to be better. Both are blond(e).

So why is Felix's abuse and trauma validated and redeemed, while Chloe's is dismissed? What is actually different about them?

Another character who functionally achieves "redemption and validation" is Gabriel. He goes on to whatever comes next to be with Emilie (if that wasn't her alongside Nathalie), and is remembered as a hero who gave his life to stop Monarch. But he tormented Paris for months, is directly responsible for the trauma of countless people, and even his decision to die (potentially) leaves Adrien as an orphan and conveniently lets him escape from the consequences of his actions.

Or how about Zoe? She's basically got half of Chloe's backstory due to the fact that they share a terrible mother. But she's "nice", so her experiences are validated.

Kagami? Also rich, also abused (albeit in a different way than Chloe is), also does some questionable stuff. But she's validated.

Marinette? There's an entire episode dedicated to validating her stalking tendencies!

Adrien? Vaguely validated, but the show often doesn't care enough to do more than a "he's sad because his dad sucks and his mom is dead" about it before moving on to something else.

The story does more to validate Jessica Keynes than it does to validate Chloe! And I bet half of the people reading this had to look up who that even is!

I think the culmination of this is Miraculous Paris, where we get some glimpses into a "reverse world", where Gabriel is a hero and ChatBug are the villains. What's weird is that while Shadybug and Claw Noir have their issues validated (which also turns them to the side of good), Shadynette turning issues and trauma is that she was tormented by Chloe.

This tells me two things.

Validating people's issues and trauma, and then helping them over come them is a way to help others become better people.

Chloe is apparently evil in every timeline, even the ones where we clearly see she was trying to be better.

It's almost like Chloe is unfairly singled out as being "irredeemable", even as the series preaches that understanding and validation can result in people overcoming their trauma, turning their lives around, and becoming some of your most trusted companions.

[panda-noosh]

all my friends go to hell {Sokka x Reader}

Words: 8.8k

Summary: Sokka joins the army. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. 

Genre: angst 

Notes: ask me about commissions! - masterlist - yeehaw, have some unedited Sokka content because we die like men here at @panda-noosh

----

Sokka isn't meant to fight.

   You notice this from the moment you lay eyes on the boy, clambering onto that boat with his boomerang hanging from his shoulders, his body buzzing with excitement. That was the first red flag – how excited he was, how prepared he looked, how he grinned and bowed to every single person he passed, including you.

   It was sad, really, because you knew you were going to have to watch the realisation sink in eventually. At some point during his journey, it was going to become very clear to him that joining the ranks really wasn't all it’s made out to be. It's brutal work, torturous, tiring work, and anyone who thinks otherwise is going to get the shock of their life when the truth is revealed.

    Erin stands beside you, her buff arms folded over her chest. She narrows her dark eyes at Sokka as soon as he steps upon the boat, dressed in his oversized coat and a smile to go along with it. His blue eyes are alight with excitement as he hops up to the general and shakes his hand, bowing as he says, “It's an honour, sir, an honour. Do you remember my dad? He was part of the army too!”

   “Ah,” Erin mumbles. “So that's why he looks so excited.”

   You glance over. Erin, being six feet tall, is able to get a better view of the newcomer, but whether you can see him or not doesn't matter due to how loud his voice is, how well it carries across the deck.

  “We were all excited when we first joined,” you reply. “He's no different to the rest of us.”

   “But we all caught on pretty quick that this isn't the party we thought it was going to be.” She shrugs. “I just hate seeing the naivety, you know?”

   You purse your lips, because you do know. You know from experience, just as Erin does, just as every single person on the ship does.

  “Ah well,” you mumble, turning on your heel and heading back towards the workers deck. “He'll find out soon enough.”

  ----

  The wind is rowdy tonight.

  You hear it as you lay in bed, a dull whistle that mingles with the sound of footsteps thumping along the upper decks. It keeps you up sometimes, especially when it gets this bad, when the ship rocks back and forth and people are being told to stay in bed to keep themselves safe before the next stop. It makes this whole thing real. It makes you feel like a soldier, which is exactly what you are, but a fact you try and ignore as much as possible.

  You stare at the wooden ceiling, hands folded across your stomach. You try and focus on the days work you have ahead of you, how you're down in the weapons lounge for most of it, how you're going to have to polish and hold the weapons people will use to fight in due time. It's not exactly a pleasant thought, but it's a days work, and you long for the distraction.

  Eventually, however, these thoughts aren't enough to keep your hyperactive mind at peace. You stand up, knowing full well you're not supposed to leave your room after curfew, but you've been here for a while, so maybe the general will be a little easier on you.

  You head out onto the main deck, giving confused soldiers nods as you pass them. None of them stop to scold you, knowing full well there's no point in doing so – you don't listen. Not really. You take orders, and you do your job well, but you do what you want when it comes down to it. That's part of the reason you were sent off to join the army in the first place, but again, you don't think about that time.

  The wind really is bad tonight. Your hair blows in your face. Your face goes numb, fingers tingling from the wind burn. The deck is empty, though, as people fear the wind too much to step foot on it right now. You've seen it worse, though. Much, much worse.

  You head over to the handrails and look over. The water sways and bashes against the side of the boat. Fish leap from the water, making ripples in the waves. Up ahead, rocks protrude from the ocean. A little further ahead there are lights, civilisation, a life away from violence.

  Must be nice.

  You inhale the scent of salt water, heavy in the air as the wind lifts it to full attention. Nowadays it feels like the ocean is the only scent, the only sight, you've ever seen. You don't remember what else is out there, having been away from it for so long.

  A wooden board creaks behind you.

  You don't jump, merely glance over your shoulder with narrowed eyes, a silent warning for the culprit to just back away now; they aren't meant to be up here.

  “It's a bit chilly, don't you think?”

  You turn fully, hardly recognising the voice. Standing behind you is Sokka, dressed in a bath robe that you have no idea how he got his hands on. He's looking at you with a grimace, shoulders bunched up around his ears, teeth on the verge of chattering.

  “What are you doing up here?” you ask.

  “My room is boiling. I'm not used to the warmth.”

  “Enjoy it while you can. Once we dock, things like heat are gonna be few and far between.”

  Sokka shrugs, strolling to your side. His hands curl around the railing, making his knuckles pop. “I'm not too mad about that, to be honest; I'm from the Southern Water Tribe.”

  You know this.

  “Oh, really?” you reply.

  “Yep! Son of Chief Hakoda.” He leans in, lowering his voice to say, “You may have heard of him?”

  You stare blankly at the newcomers face. Of course you know Chief Hakoda, but you won't admit that.

  Sokka blushes at your look of confusion, quickly pulling away. “Oh. Well, he's my dad. He's my hero.”

  “He sounds like a . . . cool guy.”

  Sokka nods happily, staring out across the ocean. “I'm Sokka, by the way.”   “I know. I heard you tell the General.”

  “Really? I didn't see you there.”

  You shrug, not having the heart to tell him his voice carries. You could have been on land and still heard him. “Well, I was.”

   “Cool, cool.” Sokka nods again, tapping his fingers against the metal railing. You can't help but watch him; why is he still here? The conversation is dead, and you clearly have no interest in continuing it, so why is he still stood here?

   Finally, he turns to you and says, “Have you been here long?”

  Here. The army. Have you been a soldier long? Have you been witnessing death for a while now?

   You swallow the lump in your throat and say, “I was basically raised on this ship.”

   Sokka recoils like you've slapped him, though his face lights up with happiness. “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “So you're like. . . well known?”

  “I guess so.”

  “I'm surprised I didn't recognise you. What's your name?”

  “Y/N.”

   Sokka hums like your name is some kind of riddle he has to figure out. You don't expect him to recognise you, of course, considering you spend most of your time trying desperately to remove your name from the topic of war and battle, even though it's been your whole life.

  “It's really windy out here, isn't it?”

  You look over and nod.

  Sokka shakes his head and mumbles, “We'll probably get in trouble if we're caught out here, won't we?”

  “You, maybe. I think I'll be fine.”

  “You didn't tell me off.”

  You shrug. “It's not my place. I'm nothing more than your common soldier.”

 “A common soldier who doesn't have to play by the same rules as everyone else.”

  You pout. Sokka chuckles, knowing full well he's hit the nail on the head.

  “It's cool,” he says. “But you should probably head back to your room, just so you don't get blown overboard.”

  He's right, of course. You glance back at the ocean you have grew up on and nod once. Sokka grins, following you to the stairs where the both of you will part and go your separate ways. You turn to him, wondering if he has anything left to say, wondering what he possibly could say, but he's standing there with his hands tucked into the pockets of his fluffy bath robe, and you're curious to hear what he's thinking.

  Finally, he says, “It was lovely meeting you, Y/N.”

  Your stomach flips as you nod back and mumble, “Nice meeting you, too, Sokka.”

  And with that awkward interaction finally pulled to a close, Sokka says goodnight, bows, and heads down the opposite staircase, leaving you to stare at his back as he leaves to get some rest for another hard days work.

  ----

  The next few days pass slowly, as they tend to do when you have little work to get done, and no land to explore. You sit on the deck of the ship, staring out at the ocean with an axe leaning against your leg, ready to grab if something happens.

  Nothing happens.

  Sokka talks to you in passing every now and then, giving you excited waves that you never know how to respond to; you're never exactly excited to see him, but you're curious. The son of a Head Chieftain should surely have a trick or two up his sleeve when it comes to weaponry, but so far, you haven't seen Sokka lift anything other than his boomerang. He's good with that, but how good can it be on a battle field?

  Besides that, Sokka is far too busy getting comfortable in his new ranks to stop and have long, valid conversations.

  Today, however, you are due back in the weaponry lounge. From the moment you woke up, you have been slaving away on the lowest level of the ship, sharpening swords and axes, listening to the Benders overhead practice their powers, as they always have permission to do.

  The door to the lounge opens shortly after midday. Sweat lashes from your skin, and you wipe it away with the back of your hand before turning to look at Sokka as he slowly closes the door and sneaks inside, looking around like he's going to get in trouble.

  “You can come in, you know,” you yell across to him, making his head snap up and his eyes widen in surprise. “You're not banned from the weaponry lounge or anything.”

  Sokka sighs, wiping a hand over his forehead. “It's so warm in here.”

  “Warm in here, cold out on deck. You're good at picking up on the climate.”

  Sokka scowls, strolling to your side. He looks down at the axe laid across the wooden desk, the one you have been busy sharpening to perfection for the past ten minutes. He pokes the point and flinches away.

  “That's sharp. Good job.”

  “Thanks.”

  He tucks his hands in his pockets and goes quiet; he actually looks awkward, or perhaps more secretive, like he has something to say but doesn't know quite how to word it.

  You glance at him, trailing the rock over the axe's edge. “You good, soldier?”

   He flicks his eyes up, offering you a forced, bright grin. “I'm fine. Why?”

  “You just look a little tense. That's not like you.”

  “What's that supposed to mean?”

  You shrug. “It's the truth. Things been getting difficult for you?”

    Sokka sighs, shifting from one foot to the other. “I just needed a break. It's exhausting out there sometimes.”

   “Yeah, you'll find that never changes. I'm tired, and I've been here for eighteen years.”

  “I just didn't expect it to be so. . .”

  “Challenging?” you suggest.

  Sokka nods. “Exactly.”

  You sigh, setting the rock down. You turn to him, wiping your hands on a towel you have clipped in the waistband of your trousers. “It gets easier, don't get me wrong. But you have to go through the transitional faze first.”

  Sokka raises a brow. “'Transitional faze?'”

  “You come in here thinking it's going to be the best time of your life, that you're gonna go to war and save lives and come home to a hero's welcome.” You shake your head. “It's not like that. It's far from that, actually. It sounds like you're in the stage of finding out it's not all sunshine and rainbows on this ship. It's actually pretty hell-ish.”

   Sokka flinches. “I wouldn't say hell-ish.”

  “I would.” You turn back to your work. “But that's just my opinion.”

  “Why do you hate it so much?”

  Your hand freezes.

  Sokka steps closer to you, so close you can feel his breath tickling the side of your neck, making goosebumps arise on your skin. It startles you to the point you stumble away, dragging the axe along with you. It scrapes against the wooden desk, echoes through the room.

  Sokka steps back, startled. “I see you on deck sometimes, just sitting there, staring at the water. You never look like you want to be here, even though you've never known anything different.”

  “Why would I want to be here?”

  “Why wouldn't you?”

  “Because I don't fancy running into battle, watching my friends die every other day. That's why!”

  You inhale shakily, trying desperately to calm yourself down before you say something you regret; you've dealt with newcomers before, people blinded by their desires and the lies they have heard about what the army is really like, but Sokka is just. . . different. He's different in the sense that you don't want him falling into the same trap as everyone else. You don't want him to be heartbroken over his expectations being shattered.

  He looks around like he's going to find the words floating above him. “That's not how I think of it.”

  You close your eyes, slumping against the table. “How do you think of it, Sokka?”

  “I'm doing my part.”

  “Your part?”

  “Without this – without you – my home would be destroyed right now. The Fire Nation would have taken us over years ago, and trust me, they've tried. I've seen it happen. I've – I've lost people to – to that kind of thing.” He hiccups, trying to regain his composure. You look at him, heart breaking at the genuine anguish now on his face, how he refuses to meet your eyes. It's so unlike him. “Nothing comes without consequences, but sometimes it's better to just think of the reward at the end of it all. That's how I get through the day.”

  You stare at him. He's your age, for crying out loud – so young, so innocent, so blind to the reality of it all. Yet the words he just spoke are so smart, so true, that you feel a little daft for not thinking like that sooner.

  “Okay.”

  Sokka's eyes snap up. “Okay?”

  “You make some good points,” you mumble. “For a member of the Water Tribe.”

   Sokka blinks before the grin breaks out across his face. He laughs, scratching the back of his neck as his cheeks heat up. “Oh. I get it. A bit of teasing. Well, jokes on you, coming from the – uh. . . Where are you from exactly?”

   You chuckle and nudge his shoulder, pushing him back towards the door. “Get out of here, Ol' Wise One. I have work to do, and I'm sure the General doesn't want you slacking, either.”

  “Oh, so you're gonna make me guess.” He grins cheekily, stumbling towards the door, pulling his jacket on over his work shirt. “That's cool. I can do that. Get back to me in an hour or two, and I'll tell you the exact location you're from without you even giving me a hint.”

   You roll your eyes, call over your shoulder, “Goodbye Sokka!”

  The sound of his laughter is cut off by the door slamming closed behind him.

  ----

  It's not like you've never been on land before.

  It's become a rule amongst the old time crew that the ships have to dock at least once a month, both to pick up refreshments and to stop the crew going insane throughout their travels. Once a month – sometimes a little less, if battle is busy – you are allowed to walk into shops and talk to others. You are allowed a tiny allowance of which you spend the majority of on sweets and other unhealthy goods that would never get past the front door of the ship. You are allowed to sit in the grass and stare up at the sky without it moving. You are able to smell barbecue cooking in someone's back yard, and it is always marvellous.

  Today is the mandatory docking day. The General isn't happy about it, saying you should probably keep sailing so you can get to the main destination a day earlier, take the Fire Nation by surprise, but nobody else agrees. After nearly an entirely month at sea, everyone is getting a little tired of it. The restless nights sat up listening to the wind, the sickening smell of the ocean, having to hold onto the railing every time you take a step lest you get blown overboard.

  This time, you dock in the Earth Kingdom, which certainly isn't your first choice of location, but you're too exhausted to argue. Your hands are charred from hours spent in the weaponry lounge, and your stomach is weak from malnutrition; a diet of fish and other sea food doesn't do a person any good. The first sweet shop you see will be entirely ransacked by you and whoever wishes to join you.

  The sun beams down upon the trees that litter the Earth Kingdom. In the distance, the turnip man is yelling out his offers, though he pauses and grins when he sees you walking towards him. You didn't even wait for anybody else to get off the ship; as soon as the ship was stationary, you were lowering the bridge and sprinting onto land.

  “Y/N!” the turnip man yells; nobody knows his real name. Growing up, he was always just the Turnip Man, and he's never disclosed anything else. “There you are! I was beginning to think your boat had gone under!”

   You give him a hug, unable to ignore his balding head and old eyes. It's a startling reminder of just how long you have been away, and you hate to think about how you must look.

  “How have you been?” he asks, pulling away. “Everyone's been asking about you.”

  Your cheeks heat up. “I've been fine. Busy, though.” You glance around. “The place is looking a little dead.”

  And you're telling the truth. The streets you once remembered as busy and cluttered are now barely inhabited, the odd pedestrian rushing past with their heads down, not even giving you or the other solders a glance.

  The Turnip Man frowns, giving a passing, startled woman a sad little smile; you know something is wrong when the Turnip Man makes eye contact and doesn't advertise his turnips.

  “Hey,” you mumble, leaning forward to catch his eyes. “What's going on?”

  “Don't you worry yourself about us,” he replies, nudging your shoulder. “It's been happening everywhere; I'm surprised you haven't seen it, what with all the travelling you do.”

  “We spend most of our time on the ocean. What are you talking about?”

  The Turnip Man sighs. “Everybody's just scared, little one. The Fire Nation are coming alive again-”

  “We're trying to stop them.”

  “And we all appreciate your efforts, but they're moving quicker than they did last time.”

  Last time.

  You remember the day so well. Sitting on the boat with your friends, receiving the news that the Fire Nation had gone underway with their worst massacre yet, taking out most of the Northern Water Tribe and a portion of the Southern Water Tribe. Your people had been too late. The job you were supposed to complete, your only purpose, had been shattered.

  You swallow the lump in your throat and say, “Have they been here?”

 “Not yet, but it's what we're all expecting. With Ozai ruling-”

 “He's no ruler.”

  “'Tis true, little one, but he's on the throne and he makes the orders. Everybody is just trying to stay safe.”

   “We'll keep you all safe.” You look into his eyes, suddenly more determined than you've been in months. “I promise you.”

  Turnip Man gives you a sad little smile, one that tells you he isn't entirely convinced, but he's not going to argue.

  Behind you, the dirt billows as someone runs to your side. Sokka doubles over, hands on his knees, panting for air. “Jeez, you move fast!”

  You pull him up straight by the collar of his work jacket. “Sir, this is Sokka. Sokka, this is-”

  “Call me Turnip Man. Everybody does.”

  Sokka blinks, and then breaks into the widest grin you've ever seen. He shakes Turnip Man's hand vigorously. “Sweet name, dude! I'm Sokka, as Y/N just mentioned. Soldier representing the Southern Water Tribe.”

   Turnip Man smiles. “Aah, a man who's proud of his home.”

  “Very proud, sir. Very proud indeed.”

   “I'm glad to hear it, boy.” Turnip Man releases Sokka's hand and turns back to you. “I'll let you two go now; I have turnips to sell, and I'm sure Y/N is buzzing to go and get some sweets whilst they have the chance.”

  You grin, giving Turnip Man one last hug; Sokka gives him a second hug, and before you can protest, he is walking beside you along the street of the Earth Kingdom, a skip in his step.

  “So, you're from the Earth Kingdom, huh?”

  You very nearly trip over thin air. “How the hell-”

  “You hugged Turnip Man like he was some kind of father figure,” Sokka says, grinning from ear to ear, not even looking at you. “That makes me believe that you've lived here before. Probably when you were younger. Probably when you were growing up.”

  You scowl, turning back to the path ahead. “Okay, Detective. Good job. You've got me all figured out.”

  “I don't even know why you wanted to keep it a secret so bad.”

  “Because it's none of your business where I'm from.”

   Sokka raises a brow, glancing at you. “Well, it's hardly encrypting information, is it? I don't see what the big deal is.”

  “I just prefer keeping my private life private, that's all.”

  “No wonder you have no friends.”

   He says this and then he laughs, so you know he is joking.

  But here's the thing – sometimes a laugh isn't enough to make the joke funny.

  A lump forms in your throat as you remember the faces of those you once called a friend; it's like you're a curse sometimes. That's truly what you think. You get close to people and then they go into battle and die, and you have to start all over again. A person can only go through that a certain number of times before they give up trying to make friends.

  And Sokka isn't stupid. He picks up on your silence and immediately his laughter dies away, followed by an awkward, “Oh god, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”

  You rub the back of your neck and shrug. “It's okay. You're not exactly wrong.”

  “No, I am wrong. You do have friends.” He sounds desperate now, and that only makes it worse. “Everyone on that boat thinks of you as a friend. I'm your friend!”

  “We're not friends, Sokka.”

  You don't know why you said it. Maybe just to hurt him in the same way he's hurt you. Maybe because it's true. Maybe because, if you say he's not your friend, the universe will believe you and leave him alone.

  It's as if he physically deflates. His eyes dart over, just to make sure you're not telling some twisted joke, and when he sees your straight face, he looks away and mumbles, “Oh, right.”

  “I don't have friends.”

  “No, I get it. You're edgy. You're a lone wolf.”

  You raise a brow. “Are you mocking me?”

  He lifts his hands in fake surrender, angering you even more. “Hey, what other explanation could there be? I've been nothing but nice to you from the day we met!”

  “I never said you haven't been, but-”

  “But you're strong and independent and you don't believe in other people liking you, because you don't need anyon else. Is that it? Have I guessed right?”

  You freeze, curling your fingers into fists. “Shut up, Sokka. You don't even know what you're talking about! You've been part of the army for three weeks!”

  Sokka scoffs. “I'll leave the ranks before I let myself have the same lonely mindset as you.”

   You open your mouth to respond, but his words are poisonous and your throat closes over. You step back and shake your head, muttering, “Leave me alone,” and Sokka doesn't argue. He stares at you a moment longer before turning on his heel and heading back towards the docks. You hear him mumble a, “Hello, Turnip Man,”  before he disappears round the corner, leaving you stood there feeling heavier, and more guilty, than ever.

  ----

  Getting back on the ship is awkward.

  You never took Sokka for one to keep secrets, and it's obvious now that you were right in that assumption. As soon as you clamber back on deck, all heads turn to you, some looking angry, some just downright curious. It's no secret that Sokka has somehow managed to win the hearts of everyone on ship, but you never expected them to take his side over yours, not after so many years of watching you grow up.

  You walk past them all, as you usually do. You don't want to get into it with them, and you certainly don't want to explain yourself. What happened between you and Sokka shouldn't even be that big of a deal, considering Sokka has only been on board a small number of weeks. You barely know the guy. You have no warmth for him.

  You head to the canteen. It's pretty crowded in there, too, but by the looks of things, Sokka hasn't made an appearance yet; the people in here don't yet know about what happened.

  Besides Erin, of course.

  As soon as she sees you, she clambers from her seat and storms over. Being six feet tall, it's difficult for her not to turn a few heads. Her long blonde hair is in plaits today, swinging to and fro as she stampedes towards you.

  “There you are.”

  “You were looking for me?”

   She scowls, grabbing your arm and dragging you into the tiny nook on the other side of the canteen. “Don't play dumb. Sokka told me to check on you, but he wouldn't tell me why.”

  Your stomach drops, both with guilt and surprise. “He told you to check up on me?”

  “Yep. Wanna explain what happened between you two?”

  Your face heats up. You remember the argument, how petty it was, how stupid. You only said those things because you were afraid – are afraid – of getting close to people, and it was selfish of you to push him away like that.

  Erin bends down, fighting to meet your eyes. “Well? Did something happen?”

  “We just got into an argument,” you mumble. “It's not even that big of a deal.”

   Erin reels back, bushy eyebrows shooting up her forehead. “Since when did you get into arguments with people? That means you actually have to give a damn.”

  You shrug. You genuinely have no answer for that.

  Erin sighs. “Well, the poor guy seemed pretty upset. I've seen him walking around the ship every now and then, and he's always got a smile on his face. It must have been a bad argument if you managed to upset him so badly.”

  You close your eyes. “Don't say that.”

  “I'm just telling the truth,” she replies.

  “I already feel like a shitty person.”

  Erin pauses. “What actually happened?”

  And you don't want to go into detail, so you don't. You give her the basic run-down, things she already knows, feelings you have expressed to her on multiple occasions. She knows all about your problems with getting close to people, how all of your friends have been doomed to death as soon as they announce they feel something friendly towards you. She understands why you would push Sokka away in the way you did.

  “But you clearly like him.”

  You freeze, the words so confident when coming from her mouth. She says it like it's obvious, like every single person who's ever laid eyes on you and Sokka understand that you both enjoy each other's presence.

  “I think he's alright,” you mumble. “He's – like – a cool guy.”

  Erin scoffs. “Yeah. Real cool. I'm just saying, I've known you for a long time, and not once have I seen you feel guilty about doing what you think is right.”

  It's a fair statement, and you both know it. Why Sokka is any different is a complete mystery.

  “Maybe you two should talk,” Erin says. “He really did seem upset, Y/N. I wasn't just making that up.”

  You purse your lips. Just the idea of going up to Sokka right now to discuss everything that happened makes you feel ill, which is probably pretty childish; you were part of a problem, and you should face it head on, just like you do with everything else in life.

  You tell Erin you need to go, and you head back to your room, where you don't emerge for the rest of the day.

----

  You're docking far too soon.

  Only yesterday you docked at the Earth Kingdom. You still have another two weeks before you're due to arrive in the Fire Nation. Why is the bus stopping now?

  It judders, and that's what wakes you. You don't recall how long you've been asleep, but you're groggy when you finally hop out of bed and stumble over to your weaponry table. You grab your sword and march upstairs, trying desperately to clear your eyes of sleep and grime; if the General were to see you in such a state, he would be furious at you for slacking.

  You follow the sound of the screams up onto the main deck.

  There they are in their ranks, dressed in red, war paint streaking their faces. The sight is scary, all too familiar, giving you flashbacks to a time you thought you would never have to return to. People are screaming and running for cover. Swords are clashing against swords. Suddenly, everything you've been training for is being pushed to the forefront.

  Someone knocks into you. You stumble, just barely managing to catch yourself. You swing around, ready to stab, but you stop immediately when you see Erin staring at you, wide eyed and frenzied. “They moved quicker than we thought.”

  “What do we do?” you demand.

  “We've gotta get everyone off the boat, Y/N. All the kids and the staff; we need to get them to safety.” She tries tugging on your arm, ready to sprint towards the canteen where no doubt everyone without a weapon is hiding. However, you pull out of her grip, snapping your head round to the deck; people are fighting. Fire is being thrown left, right and centre. Swords clash against swords. Injured people litter the deck, and you can only pray that none of them are dead.

  “Y/N,” Erin hisses. “We have to let the older ones handle this. There's a time and a-”

  Sokka jumps out from behind a barrel and starts yelling.

  Erin's head snaps around, her jaw dropping in horror. “No.”

  You don't even think. You can't. Your brain is no longer working to it's full capacity, and so you tug out of Erin's grip and dive head first into the battle. Behind you, Erin screams your name, calls you an idiot, and you cannot listen, because Sokka is sword fighting even though he doesn't know how to properly use a sword.

  The Fire Nation soldier whirls around when he hears your war cry. His sword clashes against your own, sending sparks in the air that mingle with the flames already taking over the deck. Behind you, something explodes, and people scream, and the boat lurches to the side. Sokka stumbles, catching himself on the hand rail, but you can't lose focus. You keep eye contact with the soldier in red and sneer as best you can.

  “Well this was a bit of an unexpected visit, wasn't it?”

  The soldier laughs. Laughs, and that's what really drives you over the edge. In that smile, you can see the faces of the people he has slaughtered, the families he has left distraught and helpless just because he can. They are the reason you flick your sword blade up and whirl, catching his knee just right. He cries out, buckling as blood gushes from the wound now embedded in his thigh. You take the chance to slam the hilt of your sword into his head. His eyes flutter closed and he crumbles to the floor, moving no more.

  You look up at Sokka frantically. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “That was so cool!” Sokka exclaims, rushing towards you. “The way you blocked his first hit? Incredible. You have to teach me how to-”

   You shove him out the way just as a blast of fire threatens to take his head off. Sokka cries out, but you're cry is even louder as the flames graze your upper arm, singing the material of your uniform, just catching the skin beneath. Your legs threaten to give out as your skin smoulders, but you keep yourself upright and slash your sword, catching the oncoming soldier in the side, knocking him over the railing ��� it certainly isn't your best move, but it's the best you can do whilst also desperately trying to focus on the pain embedded in your arm.

  “Y/N? Y/N, oh god, are you okay?”

  You don't have time to turn and tell Sokka to shut the hell up. Another enemy soldier is already barrelling towards you, his hands outstretched – a Fire Bender, a fact which is confirmed when he blasts fire in your direction. You twist out the way, letting the flames slam into another barrel of gunpowder behind you; it explodes, taking yet another chunk out the side of the boat.

  The Water Benders are keeping the boat afloat by now, but it won't last long and you know that; you've seen their powers deplete quite quickly when they're stressed. You only have a handful of minutes left until the entire ship goes down in either flames or waves.

  Either are deadly.

  “Sokka,” you pant, scrambling to your knees. You don't even look to see if he's listening, your eyes trained on the battle taking place in front of you. “Sokka, get out of here. Go down to the canteen and follow every order Erin gives.”

   “No. No, I can't just leave. You're injured!”

  He scrambles to your side, but never gets the chance to touch you before you're forced to your feet by yet another brutal explosion. This time, the entire left side of the boat crumbles, allowing waves to flood the deck. The Water Benders lift them as best they can, throwing them back, but the water keeps coming; a few people with water powers are no match for the entire ocean.

  “Fuck,” you hiss, stumbling to your feet. Sokka helps you, gripping your elbow but you shove him away and hiss, “Get down to the canteen!”

  You don't know if he listens. You can't keep still for that long. You delve back into the battle, helping your fellow soldiers in the way you have been trained to do, taking lives and trying to ignore the pain and shame that comes with it. You watch people die, because that's what you're here to do. You are on this boat, knowing full well that people will not make it out alive. You could be one of the dead ones at the end of this.

  And that's what it feels like when the flames catch your legs.

  You feel nothing at first – nothing major. Just a little tingle at your ankles that slowly makes its way up your leg, until eventually you're forced to look away from the battle and inspect the damage. Your heart lurches into your throat when you see your trouser leg on fire, taking the skin beneath with it. Once you've seen it, the pain becomes unbearable, because you know it's there. You can see the damage, the skin slowly peeling away before your very eyes.

  You scream, which is something you never do in battle. Your leg buckles and you fall to the floor, knees splashing in the water that has now engulfed the deck. Around you, people call your name – friends, people you tried pushing away because you were too scared to let them anywhere near you. Right now, with the pain flooding your system, you want to apologise to each and every one of them. You want to tell them how much you love them, how much you appreciate them, how much you-

  You are scooped from the floor.

  You cry out, startled, but your voice leaves you when you look up to see Sokka pressing you against his chest, ducking fireballs left, right and centre. His eyes never meet your own as he runs, ignoring the flames and the people screaming. He jumps over dead bodies and pants in your face, but you're too dazed to look away.

  His face is really pretty. You should probably tell him that before you die.

  “Your face is really pretty.”

  The last thing you see before the darkness takes over is Sokka looking at you inquiringly, a perfect eyebrow arched.

  ----

  You always hate waking up after a battle.

  You hate it even more when the first thing you see is the General glaring down at you.

  His face is just scary in general; gnarled, like it's been knotted. His lower lip has been bitten to pieces, and he has scars that go past the point of mysterious and head straight into downright brutal. He's sitting in a chair now, one leg folded over the other, staring at you intently.

  When you meet his eyes, he says, “You're awake.”

  It's instinct to want to scramble upright and give him a salute, or a nod, or a god damn bow, but you're frozen. You don't even respond.

  He sighs and leans forward, hands folded. “Why weren't you awake when the Fire Nation made their merry way onto our boat?”

  Your stomach dips. “The boat. Oh god, the boat.”

  “The boat,” the General parrots. “Long gone now, I'm afraid; our Water Benders could only hold up for so long. It went down, taking multiple of our people with it.”

   Your eyes well up. You shove the tears away, scared of making this moment any worse with your emotions.

  “It was near enough a massacre,” the General continues. “Erin is dead. So are a few junior soldiers.”

  The first tear slips. Erin.

  “You should have been there for them, soldier. You should have been keeping watch on that deck.”

  You close your eyes, a lump forming in your throat that is impossible to work past. You felt pain on the deck earlier on, but this pain is indescribable. It's unbearable, the worst thing you have ever felt. You remember Erin's smile, and the way she clapped her hands when she laughed. She laughed a lot, this loud and intimidating bark of enjoyment that made newcomers flinch, but made you laugh along with her. She was your friend.

  What a cursed word that is becoming.

  Slowly, the General stands up from his chair. It's like he knows the conversation is over, that his words have paralysed you to the point of no return. You have nothing to say to that, nothing to defend yourself with, and it hurts even worse that he knows that is the case.

  “I hope you make a full recovery, soldier, and soon,” he says. “Not all of us were so lucky. Even the ones who know how to do their job.”

   He leaves after that. The room is a little dimmer, your body a little more numb. You roll onto your side, ignoring the sharp pain that spirals up your leg. You curl up, hugging your knees to your chest, and you cry. You cry for Erin, and for the people who lost their lives, people you couldn't save.

  You want to fall asleep, but it doesn't happen. Night turns into day turns into night again before you're finally released from the infirmary. You make your way to the only home you've ever known – wherever the army is. Today, they have decided to take refuge in an old village in the south of the Earth Kingdom. You walk through the door of the tiny inn they have chosen, and immediately you see Sokka.

  He makes eye contact with you, but does not move from his seat. In front of him, he has a mug of something warm, and he's wearing a knitted jumper with a pair of trousers. There's a cut just beneath his left eye that has been knitted together by stitches that have not yet dissolved. He looks fierce. It's weird on him.

  You don't approach him. You just let him stare before his eyes become too much and you duck your head down, heading for the stairs without even asking what room you've been assigned. However, you don't make it that far before Sokka is grabbing your warm, whirling you around and cupping your face. You flinch when his delicate fingers make contact with your skin, but you don't pull away because you haven't felt a warmth like this in days.

  His blue eyes trail along your face, inspecting every inch. He purses his lips and asks, “Does it still hurt?”

  “No,” you croak. “I'm fine.”

  He drops his hands and steps away, giving you more space than you want. “Do you remember what happened?”

  “The General told me.”

  “Y/N...” He bites his lip, as if unsure of how to word what he wants to say. “I'm so sorry about Erin. I know you two were friends.”

  You shrug. “It happens. This is what life is like.”

  You turn before he can see the tears, but he grabs your arm. “Don't do that.”

  “Don't do what, Sokka?”

  “This. Pretending everything is okay.”

  “Nothing is okay right now.”

  “Exactly, so you don't have to act like none of it is effecting you.”

  You turn, glaring at him the best you can with your swollen eye and split lip. “Are you really doing this again?”

  He furrows his brows. “Doing what?”

  “Pretending you know everything about me.” You pull your arm from his grip. “Stop acting like I'm not scum.”

  Sokka reels back at that, blue eyes widening. “What?”

  “The General told me what happened,” you bark. “And he let me know that none of it would have gone down if I'd have just done my fucking job right! I was meant to be on watch that night, and I went to bed instead. I went to bed.”

  Something crumbles. You haven't cried for the past four days, sitting alone in that infirmary, knowing everyone you've ever known hates you for being so careless. You thought just because you've been here the longest means you can get away with anything, but it all comes with consequences. How you could be so selfish-

  “Y/N, you alone wouldn't have been able to fight the Fire Nation off whether you were sat on deck or not.” Sokka cups your face again, forcing you to look into his eyes. “The General told you it was your fault?”

  “He was telling the truth.”

  “Bullcrap.”

  It's the closest Sokka has gotten to swearing, so it takes you by surprise.

  “He's – He's – How could he just say that? You wanna know where that rat bag was when it was all happening? In his office, making phone calls. Whilst everyone else was out there risking their god damn lives, he was phoning people.”

  You blink. Sokka's cheeks are red now, and he's gritting his teeth. His fingers are warm around your cheeks, but he isn't letting go and you're not pulling away.

  “I just can't believe the nerve of him.” He shakes his head. “My dad would never put up with this. He treated all his soldiers with respect-”

  “Sokka-”

  “I'm gonna go and talk to him.”

  Your eyes widen, but Sokka's already storming towards the exit by the time you properly process what he's just said. You spin on your heel and scramble after him, calling his name desperately.

  “Stop, don't be an idiot,” you hiss, grabbing for his arm. He walks a bit faster, dragging you along. “Sokka, I'm serious. It's not worth it.”

   “I know what room he's claimed as his office,” Sokka mumbles. “I won't even knock, that's how angry I am...”

  You groan, but none of your protestations get through to him before he's turning the corner and slamming his fist against an oak wood door painted bright red. On the door handle is a sign that reads DO NOT DISTURB, which just makes the entire situation ten times worse.

  “Sokka, please-”

  The door bursts open. Standing there is the General, knotted face looking even more furious than usual. You cower behind Sokka, still gripping his arm tightly.

  Sokka straightens up; he's awfully tall for an eighteen year old, very nearly eye-to-eye with the General.

  “What the hell do you want, boy?” the General demands.

  You expect Sokka to back down once he's heard the General's anger, but he doesn't. He steps forward and says, “You got a minute, big guy?”

  “Oh, god...”

  The General raises a scarred brow and says, “What is this about? I have death letters to send out.”

  Your grip tightens on Sokka's arm. He glances down at you, mumbles something you don't pick up on, before turning back to the General.

  “What you said to Y/N was really uncool.”

   His voice doesn't even waver.

  The General pauses. “What?”

  “It was uncool, and untrue, too. Y/N was out there fighting for me. They were protecting me, because I was stupid enough to think I had enough experience to throw myself into battle. Without them, I would probably be dead right now.”

  You glance up; Sokka's jaw is clenched, his hands curled. His eyes are darker than you've ever seen them; the look is almost terrifying.

  The General shifts his weight. “You're one tough son of a bitch coming up to me to tell me this.”

  Sokka shrugs. “You were bullying my friend. Y/N lost people too. The last thing they need is to think they were the one that caused it.”

  The General scowls, but you're surprised at the fact he says nothing in return. He stares at Sokka, and then he looks at you, and then he slams the door closed.

  Sokka stumbles back. “Hey! What is he-” He goes to slam his fist into the door, but you drag him back before he can. Your heart is thumping with something you can't quite place, a completely new feeling that is making you dizzy. You want to cry and laugh and smile all at the same time, and it's all very confusing.

  “He's a coward,” Sokka says, before throwing his head back and yelling, “COWARD!”

  “Shut up.” You try and sound angry, but the words are intertwined with a laugh. Sokka looks at you, startled by the noise, but his face breaks into a grin when he sees you smiling, dragging him down the halls.

  “Are you laughing?”

  “That was the dumbest thing you could have ever done.”

  “Hey! I did it for you.”

  You look over. “Nobody's ever done anything like that for me before.”

  Sokka's smile falls into a frown, eyebrows furrowing. “Wait, seriously?”

  You shrug. “People aren't really that nice to one another in this line of work.”

   “But. . . But you saved my life.”

  Sokka pauses then, digging his heels into the carpet to stop you from dragging him along any further. You stumble back, and he catches you just moments before you crash into his chest. You turn and look at him, raising a brow.

  “I did my job,” you correct. “It's what I've been trained to do.”

  “Yeah, but I still appreciate it.” He awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. “To be honest, I thought you hated me after our little argument on docking day. I thought I really messed up.”

   You blink; after waking up to the news of Erin being dead, and seeing Sokka stand up to the General for you, you had completely forgotten about the argument. It seems like such a small thing after everything else that has happened.

  “Sokka,” you say. “I don't hate you. I've never hated you.”

  He lifts his eyes, a hopeful glint glittering within them. “Really? But you said-”

  “I know what I said,” you grumble. “I didn't mean it. I just. . . It's a fear of mine, you see. I feel like I kind of curse people when I claim they're my friend.”

  Sokka blinks. “That's so dumb.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He laughs, genuinely amused. You don't know whether to laugh along or get really angry. “Y/N, that's so dumb. You're literally in the army – people are dying because this is the job they have, not because you've called them your friend.”

  “But-”

  He cups your face, tilting your head to and fro as if trying to wake you up from a deep sleep. “I'm serious. You're smart enough to realise that, surely.”

  “People are just safer when they're not associated with me.”

  Sokka rolls his eyes. “Bullcrap. You saved my life earlier – that's the complete opposite of you putting me in danger.”

  You stare at him. He stares right back, a cheeky grin forming on his face. Your voice is quiet when you say, “Why does someone like you even want to be friends with me?”

  His smile tilts, becomes a little softer. He stops shaking your head and instead gently trails his thumbs beneath your eye. “Because someone like me needs someone like you sometimes.” He leans forward. Your heart thumps in your chest, panic seizing you, but you don't pull away. “And sometimes, someone like you needs someone like me. Don't you agree?”

  You flick your eyes to his lips, and apparently that is answer enough. He laughs lazily and leans in, kissing you. Your brain short circuits, part of you so confused that you very nearly pull away, but then you remember this is Sokka and he's that guy you literally dove into battle for, and you like him, you really, really like him. You wrap your arms around his neck and pull him closer, standing on tip toe to chase his lips before he can pull away to check that you're okay with him doing this.

  He mumbles something against your mouth, but the blood is rushing through your ears so you don't even hear him. You just nod, humming an affirmative as you kiss him back. Sokka laughs, placing his hands on his hips before he finally pulls away, panting for breath.

  “Sorry,” you say quickly. “I got carried away, and-”

  “Don't – you – dare – apologise.” He speaks each word through a breath, his smile growing with each one. “I genuinely thought you hated me earlier.”

  “No. No, I don't hate you.”

  “Well, clearly.”

   Your face heats up. You swat his shoulder, grumbling curse words beneath your breath. Sokka laughs and wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side.

  “You might die now, you know,” you say as Sokka walks you back to the lobby.

  Sokka sighs, his breath fanning your neck. “I doubt I will, but if I do, that kiss was the best goodbye present you could have given me.”

[fallenidol-453]

31 Days of Unedited Writing: Days thirteen-21

Mix of original fiction (3 separate universes) and fanfiction (Pokemon, Fire Emblem: Awakening). The FE:A excerpts all feature the same OC.

Fun fact: most of these samples are from 2014.

Day thirteen, Fanfiction (Pokemon, my series of Nuzlockes. I think this excerpt took place during my first Black 2 playthrough, though I tweaked the plot a bit.)

Brendan felt claustrophobic inside this cramped control room. He was sweating in his borrowed Plasma uniform as he scanned the cameras that lined the interior and exterior of the frigate they were stationed in. Celio wasn’t doing much better. His hands shook as he tapped a few buttons under the watchful, irritated gaze of Brendan’s Mandibuzz.

A low whine emanated from Celio’s right, and he absently stroked a worried Porygon-Z’s head.

“Don’t worry buddy,” he muttered. “I’ll make sure Morticia doesn’t eat you. Right, Brendan?”

Brendan snorted. “She doesn’t want to be in here, but she doesn’t want to be in her pokéball either. Can’t do anything about it. Sorry.”

Day 14, Fanfiction (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

“Inigo isn’t bothering me,” Sorcha admitted. She was grateful for the topic change. “He just wanted to make me smile, but his obvious attempts at flirting didn’t work on me. I value him more as a friend and comrade.”

“Did you accept his apology for the strawberries though?” Cordelia inquired. “He wouldn’t stop crying for hours after you had that ghastly reaction to them.”

All four women cringed, Sorcha the most.

“I did, don’t worry,” Sorcha replied. She let out a small laugh. “I didn’t know I was that badly allergic to them at the time, and he didn’t know either. It’s all water under the bridge now… although I will admit, they were the best crop I had ever seen.”

Day 15, Original Fiction (Code Name: Grisaverse)

Lukasz had been gone for a solid month and Rowena was ready to drown Davaros in his latest potion batch if he didn’t stop bleating about it.

“You told me he’d been gone for two months once without incident!” she shouted one night. “A month isn’t even that bad in comparison!”

“He hasn’t sent anything— anything! —in two weeks! No scrap of paper, no spell-bird. Something happened to him in Grisandel, and I’m leaving tomorrow at first light to go see what’s going on.”

He got up from his saggy armchair and Rowena jumped out of her loveseat to physically block him from the stairs.

“I’m not going outside!” Davaros exclaimed. “I said I’m leaving at first light!”

“He’s probably delayed by the weather!” Rowena exclaimed back. “Remember the spell-bird a few days after he left? He said a weather-witch predicted—”

A popping noise interrupted her. At her feet was a fat roll of parchment tied with black ribbon. She let Davaros pick it up and read its contents. Instead of joy, he looked like he was attempting to solve a particularly difficult logic puzzle.

“It says it’s from Luc but this… this isn’t his handwriting.” he finally said a few minutes later.

Rowena snatched the message from his hands and read it herself. She knew Lukasz couldn’t write or spell very well, but under Davaros’s nightly tutoring he was slowly improving. The notes Luc sent while traveling was very short, written in halting sentences and misspelled town names. The message that had just arrived was… not that. Whoever wrote it had clearly been taught to read and write from a very young age and used words that Lukasz likely hadn’t encountered in his lessons yet.

Day 16, Fanfiction (Pokemon, same series as the first excerpt but set during the Sevii Islands post-game quest)

“I watched your battles against the Elite Four when they were airing on TV,” Celio quipped in an attempt to start up another conversation about five minutes later. “You were really great out there.”

“…Thanks,” she replied a few minutes later in a subdued voice. “I can’t assume my Champion position though, not yet.”

“Why not?”

“I have to have six pokémon. I lost Elen during the battle with Agatha… and I’ve come here to get a new party member,” she replied. She rested her chin on the back of Dylan’s head, a forlorn expression on her face. “Can we not talk about this?”

“Sorry for bringing it up,” Celio said sincerely. Leaf’s mouth curved into a strange half smile, half frown, and said nothing in return for the rest of the way.

Day 17, Fanfiction (Fire Emblem: Awakening. Set during the first Future Past DLC)

He didn’t get a chance to finish as Sorcha yanked him toward her, just as the sickly green sheen of the Mire spell bubbled and disappeared where he’d been standing before.

“I have to talk to him,” Sorcha whispered against his chest. “If our Morgan and this Morgan are the same, he might recognize me.”

“And if he doesn’t recognize you? What if he cuts you down just like he’s trying to do to the girls in the cells?”

Sorcha looked up at him a few moments later, and she bitterly cursed the look of utter calm on his face in her head. He was right, there was a valid chance that this Morgan wouldn’t recognize her. Her emotions were clouding her judgment and already frayed nerves. She made herself take a deep breath, but she couldn’t help but jump when someone—the Cynthia in her cell, probably—screamed and someone else shouted warnings about yet another wave of Risen.

“I’m going to talk to him anyway,” she said firmly. She glanced at him with a new look of resolve. “I know you don’t want me to, but someone has to end this and I’m not going to let anyone decide for me.”

Day 18, Fanfiction (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

She saw him look out upon the field of battle, and for a moment she dared to lock eyes with him—

—and then her knees buckled, unable to suppress a groan as her head suddenly began throbbing with intense pain. Her vision wavered as she fell to the ground with a cry and held her head, gasping and choking on the smoke and heat.

The longest few seconds of her life passed, and she felt the headache subside slightly. There was a familiar relief as she felt magic restore her strength, but it wasn't enough to take all of the pain away. She felt sick to her stomach now.

"Sorcha."

She looked sideways. Lissa was gone and Libra was by her side. His priest robes were spattered with blood and smoke residue, his axe hanging from his belt. His long blonde hair stuck to his sweaty face.

"I'm fine—I can still fight—"

"You're not in condition to fight," Libra interrupted sternly. "You need to see a healer at once. There's only so much I can do out here."

Day 19, Original Fiction, code name Zombies and Mutants (one of the OLDEST excerpts I have for my ocs Stefan and Ash)

Ash pounded down the staircase, breathing heavily as he scrambled to stop and grip the handrail. His eyes burned from the exposure to light, of taking in every small detail the world had to offer, plus the bright sunlight, and magnifying it by a hundredfold. Forcing himself to sit down on a random stair, he pushed his sunglasses up as he covered his eyes.

The temporary darkness helped ease the burning, if only by a little bit. A tiny sliver of dim light escaped through a space between his two fingers. Taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly, he removed his hands and readjusted his sunglasses.

Footsteps descended toward him. It was easy to identify them; this certain noise belonged to the commander of those patrolling the outside. A wave of nausea hit him as he stood up and turned around, but he refused to let his heaving stomach win. Not this time.

“You dropped this,” Axel muttered. Ash looked up and saw his rifle in the other man’s hands. He walked up a step, but Axel stepped back two stairs and held the rifle close to him.

“Are you afraid I’m going to take it and shoot everyone?” Ash asked.

Day 20. Original Fiction, code name Crown Quartet, code name Ghost’s Crown

“Where are we going to be fake lovebirds this time?” Ariyos asked as Annika grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the archives. “We’ve pretended to woo each other in the gardens, the throne room...”

“The arena!” Annika exclaimed happily. She slowed her walking and put her hand into the crook of Ariyos’s elbow as they exited the library. “The twin generals are doing drills with their troops. I’m hoping I see the musician my sister was gossiping about last week.”

“What musician?”

“He was part of a troupe father hired for Eba’s birthday celebrations last year, but he was left behind when the troupe returned to Veltan. Eba snatched him up and made him her personal musician,” Annika explained. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “She recently told me he started getting anonymous love letters, and she’s been translating them for him. You’re not going to believe who’s the author.”

“Who?” Ariyos asked, equally quietly.

“One of the generals we’ll be watching.”

Day 21, Original Fiction, code name Crown Quartet, code name Gryphon’s Crown

Ninety-five. Ninety-six. Ninety-seven. Amaranth’s legs burned.

“Um.”

“Yes, Kilain?” she replied.

“You know what your mother said about using your brother while exercising.”

“Thank you!” Caius squawked from his position slung across his sister’s shoulders. “Put me down, Amaranth!”

[ignacialamer]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[nieshastadler]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[loycereiber]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[dustincraft]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[lewispascual]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[dinaalecia36]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

from Divorce Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://divorcelawyerwestjordanutah1.tumblr.com/post/179446886779

[beckybraswell1]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[donnakatrine]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

From https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[ashleykristy]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

[victorialayla1]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

from Top Rated Utah Lawyer https://topratedlawyer.tumblr.com/post/179446901139

[dinaskorts]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

via Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

[johnwiliam19]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

from Divorce Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://divorcelawyerwestjordanutah1.wordpress.com/2018/10/26/small-business-owner-liability/

[melissawalker01]

Small Business Owner Liability

This article will discuss the liability a business owner has in a slip and fall situation.  When a small business owner opens his or her doors to the public, potential liability for a slip and fall accident also opens up. Following is an overview of slip and fall accidents, including a look at personal injury cases arising from a slip and fall incident.

“Slip and Fall” Overview

“Slip and fall” is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else’s property. These cases usually fall under the broader category of cases known as “premises liability” claims, because slip and fall accidents usually occur on property (or “premises”) owned or maintained by someone else, and the owner or possessor of the property may be held legally responsible.

Dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, changes in flooring, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or a wet floor can cause someone to slip and hurt him or herself inside a building. Other instances of slip and fall incidents can occur when people trip on broken or cracked public sidewalks, or trip and fall on stairs or escalators. In addition, a slip and fall case might arise when someone slips or trips and falls because of rain, ice, snow or a hidden hazard, such as a pothole in the ground.

Proving Fault in Slip and Fall Cases

There is no precise way to determine when a business owner is legally responsible for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident. Each case turns on whether the business and/or property owner acted carefully so that slipping or tripping was not likely to happen, and whether the customer was careless in not seeing or avoiding the condition that caused the fall. Here are some general rules for determining fault for a slip (or trip) and fall injury.

General Rules of slip and fall 

In most cases, a person injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property must prove that the cause of the accident was a “dangerous condition,” and that the owner or possessor of the property knew of the dangerous condition. A dangerous condition must present an unreasonable risk to a person on the property, and it must have been a condition that the injured party should not have anticipated under the circumstances. This latter requirement implies that people must be aware of, and avoid, obvious dangers.

In order to establish that a business/property owner or possessor knew of a dangerous condition, it must be shown that:

The owner/possessor created the condition;

The owner/possessor knew the condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; or

The condition existed for such a length of time that the owner/possessor should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.

For a business/property owner or possessor to be held liable, it must have been foreseeable that his or her negligence would create the danger at issue. For instance, if a can of paint falls to the ground and spills into an aisle in a hardware store and, one day later, the store has not noticed or cleaned up the spill, and someone slips in the paint and is injured, one might argue it was foreseeable that the store’s negligence in failing to inspect its aisles and clean up spills would result in someone slipping and injuring himself on a spilled item.

Occasionally, a person injured in a slip and fall case can prove negligence by showing that the property owner violated a relevant statute. For example, building codes often dictate when and where handrails and other similar features must be installed. If a customer falls on a stairway that lacked appropriate handrails, and the lack of the handrail caused the injuries, the customer may have a valid claim against the building owner based on his or her building code violation.

This is why one of the things you will always here us tell you is to have a general counsel attorney on your side (like us – give us a call to discuss how we can serve as your general counsel) and you should always have a commercial general liability insurance policy (also called CGL policies).

Responsible Parties in a slip and fall case

In order to recover for a slip and fall injury sustained on another’s property, there must be a responsible party whose negligence caused the injury. This sounds obvious, but many people do not realize that some injuries are simply accidents caused, if anything, by their own carelessness. For instance, if someone falls simply because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against the business/property owner if the owner was in no way at fault, no matter how serious the injury. If an injured person is only partially at fault for his own injury, he might still be able to recover from another, but the dollar amount of his recovery might be reduced.

Commercial (Business) Property

To be legally responsible for the injuries someone suffered from slipping or tripping and falling on someone else’s commercial (business) property, the owner/possessor of a store, restaurant, or other business (or an employee of the business):

Must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or other slippery or dangerous surface or item, to be underfoot;

Must have known of the dangerous surface but did nothing about it; or,

Should have known of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person taking care of the property would have discovered and removed or repaired it.

The third situation is the most common, but is also less clear-cut than the first two because of the phrase “should have known.” Liability in these cases is decided by common sense. The law determines whether the owner or occupier of property was careful by deciding if the steps the owner or occupier took to keep the property safe were reasonable.

In slip and fall cases on commercial (business) property, there are often a number of people or entities that may be held responsible for someone’s injuries. For instance, if a business rents space from a property owner, both the property owner and the tenant (the business) may be named as defendants by someone injured on the property. In that case, the tenant is known as a possessor of the property, and has a duty to use reasonable care to prevent injury to those on the premises under its control. A possessor might also be a party who manages or maintains the property, such as a management company.

Free Consultation with a Utah Business Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free business law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Helpful Business Law Articles

Three Things to Consider in Divorce

Business Program

Justice is Blind

401k Plan Fees for Employers

Real Estate Lawyer

Utah Divorce Mediation

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/small-business-owner-liability/

from Divorce Lawyer Nelson Farms Utah https://divorcelawyernelsonfarmsutah.tumblr.com/post/179446863045