What do children, elderly, and construction workers have in common? They are all at an elevated risk of sustaining serious injuries and death caused by falls, but Slip and Fall Attorneys know that these are not the only people who sustain falls due to dangerous conditions. In general, property owners have a duty to keep their premises well maintained and free from dangerous conditions for the safety of their guests. When property owners or other responsible parties breach that duty and a guest is injured, they are typically responsible for resulting injuries and damages.
Unfortunately, negligent property owners are often not held accountable for dangerous property conditions because people who fall are embarrassed and assume the fall was because of their own clumsiness. This could be true, but if your “clumsiness” was due to an unexpected condition that caused your fall, such as slippery floors or cluttered walkways, your case looks more like a Premises Liability Case where someone’s negligence and not your own clumsiness caused your fall.
Common Places for Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents
- Nursing homes and daycare may be liable when an elderly loved one or child sustains injuries from a fall due to dangerous conditions and negligent supervision.
- Retail stores with slippery entrances and walkways or other dangerous conditions to which guests are exposed.
- Construction sites often present many slip, trip, and fall hazards due to dangerous conditions and violations of safety regulations.
- Other people’s homes including friends and relatives. Since insurance companies are typically on the hook for paying out these claims, it is not as awkward to recover from people you have relationships with.
- Sidewalks and crosswalks maintained by homeowners or government entities.
- Falls at places of work.
- Any other place of business, home, or public property not mentioned above.
Slip, Trip, and Fall Liability
Liability for dangerous conditions causing falls is often on the home or property owner. Other liable parties may include property managers, landlords, lessees, government entities, and businesses. As previously mentioned, the vast majority of slip and fall cases are paid out by insurance companies of the property owner or person responsible for maintaining the property. Multiple parties (and multiple insurance companies) may be involved when liability is disputed between parties. For example, a building owner and retail tenant may point fingers at each other when a plaintiff slips and falls on an icy sidewalk on the property.
Common Causes of Slips, Trips, and Falls
Common dangerous conditions that cause slips, trips, and falls include:
- Poor lighting
- Cluttered stairways and walkways
- Spilled liquids
- Freshly mopped floors
- Slippery conditions due to rain, snow, and ice
- Uneven or broken stairs
- Broken handrail or no handrail where one should be
- Floors with splintered planks, tears in rugs, broken tiles, or other tripping hazards
If you have sustained injuries in a slip, trip, and fall accident due to a dangerous condition, contact a Lawrenceville Slip and Fall Attorney with The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. to discuss your case and available financial recovery options.