You can have a slip and fall accident in any building that has a smooth floor. Your personal injury lawyer will tell you this. You’ll also learn from your personal injury lawyer that people can and often are seriously hurt in these accidents. This is especially true for young kids and senior citizens. These people can suffer from the following injuries:
● Pain and suffering
● Soft tissue injuries
● Spinal cord injuries
● Brain injuries
● Long-term disability
The person or business that is responsible for stopping these accidents from happening is legally at fault in most instances. They have a duty of care towards the general public and they could get sued for breaching this.If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident and you incurred medical bills, lost wages, and physical and or emotional trauma (no matter how minor) you may be legally entitled to file a claim against the owner of the business or establishment for money to pay for your expenses.
The leading causes of slip and fall injuries are:
● Wet and uneven walking surfaces – most slip and fall accidents happen on wet and/or uneven surfaces. It’s not hard for floors to become slippery because there are many things that can cause this, they include water, various liquid spills, and ice. It’s also not advisable to clean floors constantly. Doing so can make them waxed, slippery, and more likely to cause slip and fall injuries.
There are other surfaces that can and do cause slip and fall injuries. These are:
● Loose floorboards
● Loose mats
● Frayed carpeting
● Surfaces that have just been mopped or waxed
● Potholes in parking lots
● Defective sidewalks
● Improperly built staircases
● Floors with lots of clutter on them
● Moist floors
Most of these accidents can be easily avoided provided that you follow certain precautionary measures:
● Clean up spills on floors immediately and post signs warning of this
● Filling up patches, cracks, and/or holes in sidewalks
● Icing walkways and shoveling snow off of them
● Covering floors with non-skid materials whenever possible and practical
● Using mats to soak up moisture on floors
● Observing weather conditions and taking appropriate action
Weather conditions
Most slip and fall accidents happen because of bad weather. It’s impossible to control the weather, still, property owners need to be vigilant. This is because some of the highest monetary awards have come from slip and fall accidents that resulted from bad weather conditions. Your lawyer will tell you that common examples of bad weather conditions that can cause slip and fall accidents are:
● Icy sidewalks
● Floors that become wet after heavy rains
Environmental conditions
Personal injury lawyers in Medicine Hat know that certain environmental issues can make slip and fall accidents more likely. Common environmental conditions that result in slip and fall accidents include:
● Debris or garbage on the floor
● Cords on a walkway
● Poor lighting
● Too bright lighting
● Open cabinets and drawers
● Flooring transitions
You can avoid many potential slip and fall accidents by doing the following. Your personal injury lawyer will tell you this:
● Getting rid of obstacles from walkways
● Making sure that all areas have proper lighting
● Making sure that walkways and surrounding areas are always clean
Slip and fall injuries are complex but are completely avoidable. After having read this article, you should still hire a personal injury lawyer especially if you own a place where the public will always be walking through.