Slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries. When these types of accidents occur due to a property owner’s/manager’s negligence (carelessness), injured victims may be able to seek compensation for their injuries, damages and losses from the responsible parties. Understanding the primary causes of these accidents helps determine liability for the injuries and losses. Here are the top five causes of slip-and-fall or trip and fall accidents.
1. Failure to remedy wet or slippery surfaces:
Property owners/managers have a duty to ensure that floors and walkways are dry and free of hazards. When they fail to address spills, leaks or slippery surfaces caused by the weather such as snow or ice, it increases the risk of slip and-fall accidents. Here are just a few examples of how such accidents can occur.
- Unattended spills in supermarkets, malls, or restaurants create hazardous conditions.
- Leaking roofs or plumbing issues lead to water accumulation on floors.
- Failure to clear ice and snow from sidewalks and parking lots creates dangerous conditions.
The key to preventing such dangerous scenarios from leading to injury accidents is to promptly clean and dry wet surfaces and to place warning signs when hazards are present. Property owners and managers have a responsibility to regularly inspect plumbing and roofing for leaks and repair them promptly. They must also remove snow and ice to maintain safe walkways.
2. Poor maintenance of flooring and walkways:
Neglected maintenance of flooring, sidewalks and staircases often leads to slip-trip-and fall accidents. Property owners/managers must ensure that all surfaces are in good condition and safe for public use. For example, cracked sidewalks, loose, piled up or torn carpets or broken stairs or handrails can be dangerous for people using them. Any such defects must be promptly repaired.
3. Inadequate lighting:
Poor lighting in public and private properties significantly increases the risk of trips and falls. Property owners/managers must provide adequate lighting in all areas accessible to visitors, tenants and customers. Dimly lit stairwells, for instance, may prevent people from seeing steps clearly, increasing fall risks. Parking lots without proper lighting may create hazards for pedestrians. Property owners and managers have a duty to maintain proper lighting on their premises and check and replace any malfunctioning light fixtures to prevent such accidents.
4. Failure to remove obstructions and clutter:
When property owners/managers fail to keep walkways and floors clear of obstacles, they create hazardous conditions that increase the risk of trip and fall accidents. Examples of such hazards include:
- Extension cords running across walkways pose a major tripping hazard.
- Boxes, furniture or merchandise left in aisles create obstructions.
- Debris and trash left in common areas make walking surfaces unsafe.
5. Lack of proper warning signs and safety measures
Property owners/managers must warn visitors and tenants of potential hazards. When they fail to do so, accidents can occur leading to serious injuries. For example, when property owners/managers or their employers fail to place “wet floor” signs after mopping, the risk of an accident increases. Clear and visible warning signs must be placed in all hazardous areas to prevent such incidents.
Contacting an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
Slip-trip-and-fall accidents can result in serious, disabling or even life-threatening injuries. If you were involved in a slip-and-fall or a trip-and-fall accident as a result of someone else’s negligence (carelessness), please remember that you have rights. Some of the damages that victims of such accidents can claim include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, loss of wages and benefits, cost of hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, past and future pain and suffering, permanent injury, etc.
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 and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 53 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims.
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. Our law firm also recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, 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.
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