The Four Most Common Places Slip and Fall Accidents Occur
Everyone trips and falls at some point. Although our first reaction is typically to laugh at ourselves or others for slipping or falling, a trip and fall accident can be very serious and can cause a victim severe injuries. The severity of harm caused by falling, slipping, or tripping can range from small bruises and bumps to severe brain trauma and spinal cord injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the second leading cause of accidental death and the third leading cause of disability across the globe.
Often times, a slip and fall accident may be nothing more than that: an accident. In some cases, however, the underlying cause may be due to the negligence of the owner of the property where the incident took place. Under Florida law, property owners have a duty to keep their premises safe from unreasonable harm and are required to repair or at the very least warn passersby of potential dangers on their property – sometimes these warnings are orange cones, and other times they are bright yellow “Caution: Wet Floor” signs in a grocery store.
Despite mandated warnings and laws to prevent slip and fall accidents, accidents can occur anytime and almost anywhere. The main priority for the attorneys at Boone & Davis is to ensure your safety. As such we have provided a list of four of the most common places where slip and fall accidents occur to help keep you safe.
Sidewalks
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has reported that many slip and fall accidents occur on Fort Lauderdale’s older sidewalks. Cracked pavement, potholes, or any even excess debris can develop over time from age and weather. In Broward County, a city ordinance requires property owners to inform the city when a sidewalk attached to their property is unsafe for passersby, while the government has the responsibility to repair public roadways and sidewalks and ensure they are free of hazards. Government agencies share the same liabilities as private property owners regarding accidents on their property.
Wet Floors in Commercial Establishments
Wet floors can be extremely dangerous. For that reason, laws are in place to ensure that when a floor is slippery because of spilled liquids, recently waxed surfaces, or any other reason, a business owner must provide either a warning of the slippery area or an adequate barrier to block the dangerous area.
At Your Place of Employment
Slip and fall injuries are the most frequently reported work accidents. According to the CDC, the most recent report on injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that there were approximately 293,990 slip-and-fall-related nonfatal occupational injuries involving days away from work in 2010, which accounted for about a quarter of all occupational injuries in the year. Employers may be responsible for a slip and fall for a variety of reasons, including not supplying their employees with proper training or failing to maintain safe business premises.
In Your Own Home
Slip and fall accidents in private homes occur most commonly in doorways, on ladders, on stairs, and other areas with uneven surfaces like overturned edges on rugs. Although a property owner cannot always be responsible for someone tripping on an object that an ordinary person would see and could otherwise avoid, a property owner should take reasonable steps to keep their property free from dangerous conditions that could cause an accident. For example, simply adding handrails to stairs or making sure kids pick up their toys after playing can prevent visitors from a potential accident.
Whether you slip on debris covering a sidewalk or on an over-waxed floor in a bank, a slip and fall accident may be the result of someone else’s carelessness. If you or a loved one is a victim of a slip and fall accident, the Fort Lauderdale attorneys at Boone & Davis can help evaluate your situation and make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
