What Are the Most Common Causes of Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents?

 Posted on October 19, 2021 in Personal Injury

Accidents in which a person loses their footing and falls down may seem like minor incidents, but they can lead to a variety of serious injuries, including broken bones, dislocated joints, traumatic brain injuries, or spinal cord injuries. When slip, trip, and fall accidents take place on someone else’s property, a victim may be able to pursue compensation through a premises liability claim or lawsuit. By understanding the reasons why these accidents may occur and working with an experienced attorney, victims can ensure they are taking the correct steps to protect their rights.

Slip and Fall Injuries Caused by Property Owner Negligence

Property owners are required to take the proper measures to protect the safety of visitors. A tenant such as the owner of a retail store will also be responsible for addressing hazards and ensuring that customers can avoid injuries. Some common issues that can lead to fall injuries include:

• Wet or slippery floors - Many stores and other businesses have tile or concrete floors that can become very slick when wet. In some cases, slipping hazards may occur because of water that accumulates at a building’s entrances during rainy weather. If a business does not use the proper floor mats at entrances, it may be liable for slip and fall injuries that occur as a result. Slip and fall accidents may also occur because of spills that are not cleaned up properly or failure to warn customers about slipping hazards after floors have been mopped or waxed.

• Tripping hazards - Fall injuries can occur due to obstructions in walking areas, such as merchandise left in the aisles of a store or electrical cords that stretch across walkways. Missing floor tiles, torn carpets, or other unexpected obstructions in walking surfaces can also cause trip and fall accidents.

• Damaged outdoor walking surfaces - A building’s owner may be responsible for issues that affect people’s safety when walking outdoors. These issues may include uneven pavement or cracks in sidewalks, as well as potholes in parking lots. Failure to provide adequate lighting in parking areas or around the exterior of a building may make it difficult or impossible for people to see and avoid hazards at night.

• Weather conditions - During the winter, snow, and ice can accumulate on sidewalks or other outdoor surfaces, leading to dangerous slipping hazards. A property owner will generally only be liable for injuries that occurred because of an unnatural accumulation of snow or ice that created an unexpected hazard for visitors to the property.

Contact Our Champaign Slip and Fall Injury Attorneys

If you have suffered a fall injury while at a store, restaurant, mall, another business, or a private residence, Kanoski Bresney can help you understand your options for recovering financial compensation for your damages. We will establish liability on the part of a property owner or tenant, and we will work to ensure that you will be fully compensated for all the ways you have been affected. Contact our Decatur premises liability lawyers at 888-826-8682 to schedule your free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/retail/slips.html

https://www.nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/slips-trips-and-falls/slips-trips-and-falls-home

https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html