Why Choose Shipon Law Associates?

Decades of Focused Experience

Our firm was founded by Marc Benjamin Shipon (Villanova Law ’91), who has been serving clients across Philadelphia and New Jersey since 1992. For over 25 years, our practice has focused on injury, accident, and disability claims, giving us a comprehensive understanding of the challenges you face. Mr. Shipon leads a robust team, including Associate Lauren Piro and Of-Counsel Jeff Dodds, ensuring that every case receives thorough and collaborative attention.

We Treat Our Clients Like Family

At Shipon Law Associates, we are not a high-volume settlement mill. Our philosophy is built on compassionate, responsive advocacy for every individual we represent. We take the time to understand your story, your injuries, and your goals. 

This personalized approach extends to a unique dual-focus in our practice areas. We handle both Personal Injury claims and Social Security Disability. If your slip and fall injury leads to a long-term inability to work, we are equipped to handle the seamless transition to a disability claim, providing continuous support when you need it most.

Local, Accessible, and Inclusive

We are proud to be part of the Philadelphia community and are dedicated to making justice accessible for everyone.

• Se Habla Español: Our staff is bilingual, and we wholeheartedly support Philadelphia’s Hispanic community, ensuring there is no language barrier to receiving high-quality legal help.
• Convenient Locations: We have offices strategically placed to serve clients throughout the region, including:

• North East Philadelphia / Hunting Park: 236 E Hunting Park Ave.
• Rhawnhurst: 7960 Bustleton Avenue.
• North Philadelphia (Fairhill): 2735 North 5th Street, near the Municipal Court.
• Jenkintown Square: 261 Old York Road, Suite 321A, serving our suburban clients in Montgomery County.

Our Guarantees to You

We believe everyone should have the ability to explore their legal options without financial risk. That is why we guarantee:

• Free Case Reviews: We will evaluate your case and explain your options at no cost.
• No Win, No Fee: We work on a contingency basis, which means you pay us nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
• We Come to You: If you are unable to travel due to your injuries, we offer home and hospital visits.

Understanding Compensation in Premises Liability Cases

The primary goal of a personal injury claim is to secure compensation that helps restore you, as closely as possible, to the financial position you were in before the accident. This compensation, legally referred to as damages, is divided into several categories.

Economic Damages (Tangible Costs)

These are the straightforward, calculable expenses resulting from your injury. They include:

• Current and future medical bills: This covers everything from the initial emergency room visit and surgeries to ongoing physical therapy and rehabilitation.
• Lost wages: Compensation for the income you have lost while being unable to work.
• Loss of future earning capacity: If your injury permanently affects your ability to perform your job or earn a living, you may be compensated for this long-term financial loss.
• Out-of-pocket expenses: This includes costs for prescriptions, medical devices like crutches, and transportation to and from doctor’s appointments.

Non-Economic Damages (Intangible Impact)

These damages compensate for the non-financial losses that significantly impact your quality of life. They may include:

• Pain and suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by the injury.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: This addresses the impact on your ability to participate in hobbies and activities you previously enjoyed.
• Disfigurement or scarring: Compensation for permanent physical changes resulting from the accident.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are not intended to compensate the victim but rather to punish the defendant for particularly egregious behavior. These are rare in slip and fall cases and are typically reserved for situations involving gross negligence or malicious intent, such as a landlord who knowingly ignores a severe collapse hazard that they were repeatedly warned about.

How Your Own Actions Might Affect Your Claim

Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This legal concept means you may still recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident, as long as your share of the responsibility is not more than 50%. 

If you are found partially at fault, your total compensation award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Our role is to ensure no amount of blame is unjustly placed on you.

What If Your Fall Happened at Work?

If your slip and fall occurred while you were on the job, the situation becomes more complicated. You will likely have a Workers’ Compensation claim, but you might also have a third-party personal injury lawsuit against a negligent property owner who is not your employer. We have experience handling the intricate interactions between these two types of claims.

Where and Why Slip and Falls Happen in Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s combination of aging infrastructure, fluctuating weather patterns, and high pedestrian traffic creates a unique landscape of potential hazards. A simple walk down the street exposes you to risks you may not anticipate.

Common Hotspots for Accidents

While a fall can happen anywhere, certain locations present more frequent dangers:

• Commercial Retailers: Grocery stores like Acme and ShopRite, convenience stores such as Wawa, and large big-box retailers are common sites for spills in aisles, tracked-in rainwater at entryways, or dropped merchandise creating tripping hazards.
• SEPTA Stations & Platforms: The city’s public transit system, while vital, has slippery stairs, uneven platforms, or poorly maintained waiting areas that pose a risk to commuters.
• Sidewalks and Curbs: Many of Philadelphia’s sidewalks are old. Cracked pavement from tree roots, uneven historic cobblestones in neighborhoods like Old City, or debris from nearby construction easily causes a fall.
• Rental Properties & Apartment Complexes: Landlords have a duty to maintain common areas. Poorly lit stairwells, loose railings, torn carpeting, or icy walkways are frequent causes of tenant injuries.

A Special Note on Weather: The Hills and Ridges Doctrine

Pennsylvania has a specific legal rule for falls on snow and ice known as the Hills and Ridges doctrine. In general, a property owner is not automatically liable for generally slippery conditions that exist during or immediately after a snowstorm. Liability typically arises only when the snow and ice have been allowed to accumulate into “hills and ridges” that remain for an unreasonable amount of time after the storm has passed. Proving this requires a detailed investigation, which is why contacting a lawyer promptly is so beneficial.

Anatomy of a Slip and Fall Claim

Winning a slip and fall case is not as simple as showing you fell on someone else’s property. The law requires you to prove that the property owner was negligent, and this involves addressing several key legal hurdles. The requirements are strict, but a knowledgeable Philadelphia slip and fall lawyer will build a strong case on your behalf.

Types of Accidents We Handle

Our firm has handled a wide range of premises liability cases, including those involving:

• Uncleared snow and ice
• Wet or slippery floors from spills or mopping without proper signage
• Uneven surfaces, such as potholes in parking lots or buckled sidewalks
• Defective staircases with missing handrails, broken steps, or building code violations
• Inadequate lighting in hallways, stairwells, and parking garages that hides hazards

Common Injuries We See

We frequently represent clients with injuries such as:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and concussions.
• Hip, wrist, and ankle fractures, which are especially common in older adults.
• Spinal cord injuries and herniated discs.
• Significant soft tissue damage, like ligament tears and severe sprains.

The Four Elements of Proving Negligence

To succeed in a slip and fall claim, we must establish four key elements:

1. Duty of Care: The property owner had a legal responsibility to keep the property reasonably safe.
2. Breach of Duty: The owner failed in that responsibility by creating or failing to fix a dangerous condition.
3. Causation: This specific failure directly caused your fall and subsequent injuries.
4. Damages: You suffered actual harm, whether physical, emotional, or financial.

The Key Element: Did the Owner Have “Notice”?

A central part of proving negligence is showing the property owner had notice of the hazardous condition. The law defines two types of notice:

• Actual Notice: The owner or an employee knew about the specific danger. For example, another customer had already reported a spill to a manager.
• Constructive Notice: The owner should have known about the danger through reasonable diligence. A spill that just happened 30 seconds before your fall may not be actionable. But a puddle of sticky, dried liquid that has clearly been there for hours is a different story. The owner had plenty of time to discover and clean it up.

The Hidden Deadline That Hurts Your Case

Pennsylvania law gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit, a deadline known as the Statute of Limitations. However, the practical deadline for gathering evidence is much, much shorter. 

Security camera footage that could prove how long a hazard was present is typically overwritten in a matter of days or weeks. Ice and snow melt. Witnesses’ memories get less reliable over time. Waiting to contact an attorney allows key evidence to disappear forever.

Dealing with the Insurance Company

A Fundamental Conflict of Interest

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses. While they have an obligation to pay valid claims, their business model requires them to balance those payments against their bottom line. The adjuster’s job is to investigate the claim and resolve it for the lowest amount possible. 

Tactics to Watch Out For

Insurers and their adjusters use several standard tactics during the claims process. Here’s what to look out for to protect your rights:

• The Recorded Statement Trap: An adjuster may call and ask for a quick, friendly chat to get your side of the story, asking to record it. While it may seem harmless, they are trained to ask questions that could lead you to say something that could be twisted later. They may use your own words to suggest you were not paying attention or that your injuries are not as severe as you claim.
• The Quick Lowball Offer: Before the full extent of your injuries is even known, you might receive a settlement offer. This is usually an attempt to close the case for a fraction of its true value, before you realize you may need future surgery or long-term care.
• The Delay, Deny, Defend Strategy: The claims process can be long and filled with paperwork. Delays increase your financial pressure as medical bills pile up, making you more likely to accept a lower offer out of frustration or desperation.

How We Help

When you hire Shipon Law Associates, we take over all communication with the insurance company. We prevent them from contacting you directly and protect you from these tactics. We present your case in the strongest possible light, backed by evidence, to ensure your claim is treated with the seriousness it deserves.