This calculator estimates what a slip and fall injury claim could be worth under Vermont law. It applies Vermont’s 51% bar rule, the three-year deadline to file suit and the insurance that usually pays, then shows the math line by line, including what you might take home after a lawyer’s fee.
Move the fault slider to 51% and the estimate drops to $0, which is what Vermont’s rule does in court.
Fault. Vermont uses modified comparative fault with a 51% bar. If you are found 20% at fault, your award drops by 20%. At 51% or more, you recover nothing. Insurers know this, so expect them to argue your share up.
Deadline. You have three years from the fall to file a lawsuit in Vermont. A claim against a city, county or state agency usually needs written notice much sooner, sometimes within months. Missing the deadline almost always ends the claim, and with it your leverage to settle.
Insurance. Slip and fall claims are paid by the property owner’s liability insurance: a homeowner’s policy for a house, or a commercial general liability policy for a store, restaurant or apartment complex. Business policies often carry $1 million or more.
Proof. You must show the owner knew or should have known about the hazard and did not fix it or warn you. Photos of the hazard, the incident report, store video and witness names carry the most weight.
Damage caps. No cap on injury damages. Medical malpractice and punitive damages can have separate limits.
Yes, as long as you were 50% or less at fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage, and at 51% or more you recover nothing.
That the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, did not fix it or warn you, and that the hazard caused your injury. Photos, the incident report, video and witnesses matter most.
three years from the fall. Claims against a government property owner usually need written notice much sooner.
Not in most injury cases. No cap on injury damages. Medical malpractice and punitive damages can have separate limits.