Five Most Common Slip-and-Fall Hazards Property Owners Should Know About

 An article in Habitat magazine recently noted that more than half of the liability cases co-ops and condominiums face tend to be slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall related. Slip-and-fall accidents often result in serious injuries and spur personal injury lawsuits. Victims of slip-and-fall accidents struggle to pay medical bills and deal with wages lost as they recover from their injuries. Some are even unable to return to work or earn a livelihood.

Common Slip-and-Fall Causes
It is important for property owners to know and understand the common causes of slip-and-fall accidents. This may help them remain vigilant and remove these hazards from their premises:
• Sidewalk accidents: Most visitors and tenants tend to use sidewalks around the building to enter a building. This increases the chances of a sidewalk slip-and-fall. Even though the property owner doesn’t own the sidewalk, the owner bears the responsibility if pedestrians fall on it. In New York City, the law requires co-ops, condos and rentals to keep city sidewalks in “a reasonably safe condition” and carry insurance for any injuries sustained on those sidewalks. Accumulated ice and snow, tree roots and uneven pavement often cause these slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents.
• Snow and ice: New York City’s Administrative Code (Section 16-123) gives property owners the leeway of the four-hour rule. A building is liable if it created a dangerous condition or if it failed to clear snow or ice within four hours after the snow stops falling. Building owners or managers can also help by putting up signs to warn pedestrians in the area about the icy conditions.
• Wet floors: Inside the building, it is the responsibility of the owner and/or manager to ensure that wet floors or newly waxed floors have orange cones and warnings.
• Dangerous floor covering: Worn or torn carpets should be replaced right away. Bunched-up carpeting or carpets with holes pose a trip-and-fall hazard.
• Slippery pool areas: Swimming pools are a hot spot for slip-and-fall accidents. If you own a swimming pool ensure children and other visitors are being supervised during times of its use.
Compensation for Slip-and-Fall Victims
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a slip-and-fall accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $1,700,000 for a woman who slipped and fell and received no hospital or medical treatment for one month after the accident.
Please call our offices TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) to discuss your slip-and-fall case or trip-and-fall injury or accident case. WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com