Slip and Fall Injury Facts

10/07/2022

Slip and fall injuries are, unfortunately, quite common. They can occur anywhere – a public space, a business, or someone else’s home. The injuries can range in severity but can cause you to miss time away from work and make you incur huge medical debt. If you fell somewhere other than your own home, you might be entitled to some sort of compensation. Depending on the nature of the slip and fall – especially if the maintenance at the location is not up to date – you are more likely to be able to seek such compensation.

Where Might A Slip and Fall Occur?

While the short answer is “anywhere,” they are common in crowded, large spaces where maintenance is required regularly but may not be conducted regularly. Some locations include:

Hotels
Movie theaters and malls
Other retail locations
Grocery stores
Amusement parks and stadiums

What Are Common Maintenance Problems that Cause Slip and Falls?

While some of these are environmentally dependent, all of them are preventable concerns. Any property should be managed with an eye toward keeping the property up to code and free from obstacles or other potential safety concerns. Some common causes of slip and falls are:

Bad lighting
Railings and stairs that aren’t properly
maintained
Slippery floors and icy sidewalks
Uneven sidewalks and warped floors
Torn carpet, or debris or trash in the way
Toxic fumes

Who is Responsible for Property Safety?

Owners and managers of property are always responsible, though typically owners are responsible overall. They are obligated to make sure maintenance is performed regularly, that any safety hazards are repaired or replaced, and that all safety codes are followed. Failing to do so can easily lead to slip and fall accidents, which happen all the time and end up costing the victims money and time.

What Are Common Types of Slip and Fall Injuries?

Unless you’re a professional stunt person (and even then, only if you see it coming) you’re not likely to avoid injury at every step. Even if you know how to fall “safely,” you can’t always be prepared for every eventuality. The types of injuries that can be incurred, therefore, vary but can be pretty serious. Some of these injuries can include:

Broken bones
Head injuries like a fractured skull or
concussion
Back injuries or spinal cord injuries
Broken or bruised bones
Torn tendons or ligaments

The list goes on and on, but any of them deserve compensation if incurred on a poorly-maintained property.

Summary

Your health and safety are of paramount importance, so you should be compensated when either of those is compromised due to someone else’s negligence. You should be able to have the best quality of life possible, especially given any injuries you might obtain from a poorly-maintained property could cause lasting health concerns. Your best bet is to obtain an attorney specializing in slip and fall injuries, to take the hardest parts of the process out of your hands so that you can concentrate on recovery.