Facts
In 1999, over 1 million people were injured as a result of a slip, trip or falling injury. More than 17,000 Americans died as a result. Property owners and occupiers must use reasonable care to keep their property in safe condition. They are also responsible for learning about conditions on the property that could harm someone.
Types of Falls
There are two types of falls: elevated falls and same-level falls. Same-level falls are more frequent, but elevated falls are more severe. Same-level falls are generally slips or trips. An injury results when an individual hits a walking or working surface, or strikes some other object during the fall. Slips are usually caused by a slippery surface and compounded by wearing the wrong footwear. Shoes with soft rubber soles and heels with rubber cleats usually provide the best traction to prevent slips and falls. Trip and fall occurs when the foot strikes an object and is suddenly stopped. The upper body is thrown forward, and a fall occurs. As little as a 3/8" rise in a walkway can cause a person to “stub” his toe resulting in a trip and fall.
These injuries frequently occur when an area intended to be a pedestrian walkway is carelessly designed or maintained. Trip hazards should be repaired or removed by a property owner, and the failure to do so may constitute a failure to use reasonable care.
Liability
A property owner’s failure to use reasonable care to keep their property in safe condition is negligence. However, each case is different and the actual liability varies depending on the particular facts.
Contact Us
An experienced premises liability lawyer can determine whether liability may exist in a particular case and help an injured person recover damages for lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. As with all injury claims, a Statute of Limitations restricts the time in which to file a lawsuit. Therefore, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible.
