From your kitchen to city streets or even airplanes, any place a person can walk poses a risk of a slip, trip, or fall.
While slip and fall accidents can happen practically anywhere, there are a few locations where these injuries are more likely to take place.
Places Where Slip and Fall Injuries Often Occur
It's important to recognize where slips, trips, and falls are most likely to happen for several reasons.
- It can help you stay vigilant in these areas and prevent an injury from occurring.
- It's easier to identify which party may be liable if you choose to file a slip and fall lawsuit.
- There may be specific laws or policies that apply specifically to an accident caused by a particular peril, such as when children trespass onto a dangerous property.
Slip and fall accidents are most likely to happen in or on:
- Supermarkets and stores. Many falls in grocery stores result from spilled liquids or standing water (such as from leaking refrigeration units) not cleaned up promptly. Retail stores may be responsible for falls from tripping hazards, such as clutter in customer aisles.
- Elevators or escalators. Elevators may have broken tiles or torn carpeting, while escalators may be unsafe or slippery due to lack of maintenance.
- Steps and stairs. Uneven surfaces, lack of handrails, and poor lighting are common causes of falls in stairwells, front and back stoops, and exposed staircases.
- Parks and playgrounds. Children are often injured in poorly-designed play areas, while adults may slip on gravel, footpaths, or tiles surrounding public swimming pools.
- Sidewalks and parking lots. Municipalities have a duty to maintain city sidewalks, and can be accountable when uneven, broken, or slippery walkways cause injuries. Business and city governments are both responsible for repairing potholes or broken pavement in parking lots—and for placing cones around the hazard to warn visitors until repairs are made.
- Bars and restaurants. Businesses that serve food or alcohol have a responsibility to clean any spills as quickly as possible to prevent slips, and to ensure all areas have adequate lighting to prevent injury.
- Bathrooms. Bathrooms are common sites of slipping injuries due to the likelihood of water spilling onto tiles or slippery floors. The staff members of hotels, coffee shops, gyms, hospitals, and all other locations where guests may use the facilities should ensure they're adequately cleaned and lit.
Most of the time, these accidents are the result of someone else’s negligence. If you were hurt on someone else's property, contact us today so we can help determine who is responsible. When you work with us, we pay all initial costs necessary to pursue your claim—you're not responsible for any of our fees unless we secure a financial recovery. Contact DeLoach, Hofstra & Cavonis today to set up a consultation with a Florida premises liability attorney.
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