Falls cause over eight million emergency room visits annually, accounting for 21.3% of total visits to ERs. Of these, slips and falls account for 12% of total falls, representing the most common type of fall overall. These accidents can lead to serious injury or even death, resulting in high medical bills, missed work, and other financial concerns.
Many times, slip and falls occur due to dangerous conditions resulting from negligence. If your slip and fall injury happened on property other than your own and may have been due to another’s negligence, contact an aggressive Florida personal injury attorney who can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Here are some of the most common places that slip and fall injuries occur.
Bathrooms
Areas susceptible to wetness or spills, such as bathrooms, are very common sites of slip and fall injuries. According to the CDC, about 234,000 nonfatal bathroom injuries occur annually, and about 81% of those are caused by falls. The leading injury is contusions or abrasions (23.9%), followed by strains or sprains (19.6%), and then fractures (17.4%).
At home, you can help prevent bathroom slip and fall injuries by ensuring that any spills are mopped up, installing high-quality bathroom rugs and installing nonslip surfaces in your tub or shower. Grab bars are also ideal if possible.
If you fall in a public restroom and are injured, the shock of the fall can make you unobservant. However, if possible take careful note of your surroundings, as any dangerous conditions could mean that the facility is liable for your injuries. Check to see that the restroom is well-lit, that the floor is free of any spills or liquids, and if freshly mopped that this is noted with appropriate signage.
Doorways
Trip and fall injuries commonly occur in doorways, frequently on the door’s threshold or due to a loose door entry mat. The lack of a door entry mat may also lead to accumulation of rainwater in the doorway, which can also lead to a slip and fall accident.
If you fall in a public doorway, determine whether a premise liability case can be made by looking to see whether an entry mat is present and properly installed, and if you may have tripped on any snags on the mat itself. Again, note if the floor was wet, and if so, whether this was indicated with signage.
Ramps
Ramps are another common location for slip and fall injuries, as the up-slope makes slippage more likely, as do any uneven surfaces on the ramp itself.
A ramp should have handrails on both sides and ideally be coated in a non-slip surface, and should not be unreasonably steep, have any significant seams or cracks that could cause tripping, or have any slippery liquid or powder spills.
Cluttered Hallways
Cluttered hallways are a common site of trip and fall injuries, especially in the workplace. To prevent these injuries, make sure that hallways and other narrow, heavy-traffic areas are clear of clutter. For example, cardboard boxes placed in the hallway for storage or recycling can be dangerous.
If you fall in a hallway and become injured, note whether the hallway is well-lit and clear of clutter and check for the presence of any slippery spills. Just like with bathrooms, doorways, and other places, if a hallway has just been mopped, this should be indicated by wet floor caution signs.
Even If You Know Where Slip and Falls are Likely, They Can Still Occur
Awareness and caution can only protect you so much. Sometimes, the negligent actions of others are just too much to overcome and an accident happens.
If you are hurt because someone else made a mistake, fight back. You deserve to be compensated for the damages you’ve had to endure, and they need to be held accountable to make it more likely that they will change their ways and prevent anyone else from getting hurt in the same way.
About the Author:
Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2017 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – and was voted to Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015, 2016, and 2017.
