What Are the Most Common causes of slip and fall accidents?
Slip and fall accidents are often caused by unsafe floors. However, there are several causes of slip and fall accidents that may occur on another person’s property, giving you grounds to file a slip-and-fall case. You may not have a claim if you fell due to carelessness or insufficient footwear and there was no hazardous condition at the time. If a slip-and-fall accident occurred due to a dangerous condition that the property owner failed to remedy or fix within a reasonable time, you may have a claim.
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Slip and Fall Accidents: Common Causes
Surface conditions, such as:
- Wet floors
- Loose floorboards
- Carpets that are loose or bulging
- Rugs and mats that are not attached to a wall
- Spillages or spills of liquids or food
- Cracks or potholes
- Uneven sidewalks or flooring
- Other tripping hazards such as exposed wiring
Inadequate lighting, missing handrails on a stairway, broken steps, and many other factors can cause a slip and fall. You must prove that someone else’s negligence led to your injuries in order to win a slip-and-fall case.
Where slip and falls happen
You can slip and fall while walking on a crosswalk or sidewalk. These accidents can also happen at the office and in other places that we visit every day:
- Grocery stores
- Restaurants
- Shopping Centers
- Parking garages
- Apartments
- Amusement parks
- Swimming pools
- Elevators and escalators
- Stadiums
- Nursing Homes
Slip and Fall: Consequences
Slips and falls are not only painful but also expensive. According to the National Safety Council, nearly one third of all non-fatal preventable injuries in 2018 were caused by falls. The National Safety Council (NSC) reported that nearly 150,000 workers were forced to miss work after falling at the same level.
Even a fall can change the course of your life, particularly for seniors over 65. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of five falls can cause serious injury, including head trauma and broken bones. Falls are also responsible for 95 percent hip fractures.
Hip fractures can have life-threatening consequences for seniors. According to Mayo Clinic, a hip fracture usually requires extensive physical therapy and surgery. Slip and fall victims may be faced with expensive medical bills as well as lost income due to extended absences from work.
Other serious injuries can be caused by falls, including:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries causing paralysis
- Bone fractures
- Sprained and strained muscle
- Soft tissue injuries
- Joint dislocations
Even if your symptoms are minor, it is important to seek medical care as soon as you can after a slip-and-fall. Some injuries can take several days for symptoms to appear. A medical report documenting your accident-related injury can be useful if you intend to later hold the property owner responsible for your damages.
You should be compensated if someone else is responsible for your medical bills and pain. Slip and fall claims are not always straightforward. You can consult a slip-and-fall lawyer if you are unsure whether you have a legal case.
Contact Us Today!
(727) 822-8818
How to prove a slip and fall case
YYou may be able to file a slip-and-fall case if you have suffered financial damage and injuries due to your fall. To successfully file a claim, you will need to prove that the causes of slip and fall accidents were due to negligence on the part of a property owner, employee, or other responsible party. Proving negligence can be challenging, which is why having a slip-and-fall attorney is crucial in building a strong case against the at-fault party. To do so, you will need to establish:
- A property owner or an employee had a duty to ensure a safe environment.
- There was a breach of their duty of care, constituting negligence.
- This negligence directly caused your injury.
- As a result, you suffered damages.
Proving negligence in a slip-and-fall claim can be complicated, as the defendant may argue that your actions contributed to or caused the accident. Having legal representation can help you navigate these challenges and strengthen your case.
Compensation
You may be entitled to compensation for a variety of damages if you can prove the defendant’s negligence.
- Medical Bills
- Lost Wages
- Property Damage
- Pain and suffering
A slip and falls lawyer can help you build your case and gather evidence against the negligent party.
Jeanette Secor is a PA Attorney at Law Who Can Help.
Slip and fall accidents are caused by the negligence of those responsible for creating the hazardous conditions. You should not have to pay for injuries that were caused by someone else’s negligence.
It is not always easy to prove negligence in slip-and-fall cases. A personal injury lawyer can help with your case. The team at Jeanette secor, PA Attorney at Law does not fear difficult cases. They can help you with all aspects of a slip-and-fall case, including
- Legal advice
- Evidence collection
- Negotiating with Insurance Companies
- Representing you at court
Call Jeanette Secor today, PA Attorney at Law, Local: (727) 822-8818, for a free case review.