Many people do not think slip and fall accidents are a significant safety threat, but statistics indicate that the resulting injuries can be severe and permanently disabling.
How Slip and Fall Accidents Happen
These incidents are familiarly known by the types of injuries they cause, but slip and falls are a type of premises liability claim. To recover compensation in these negligence-based cases, you must prove that the accident occurred because the party that owned or controlled the property failed in its legal duty to ensure safety. A property or business owner is not required to protect against all hazards; only dangerous conditions that are reasonably foreseeable are actionable by injured victims. Some examples of property owner negligence that trigger premises liability concepts include:
- Failure to clean up spills, puddles, or leaks;
- Not making repairs to loose flooring, broken tiles, tattered carpeting, and other trip hazards;
- Neglecting to fix unsecured handrails, balconies, and staircases; and
- Leaving equipment, inventory, debris, or other items in common areas.
