Slip, Trip & Fall Accidents

Abramson Labor Group – Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents

Every year, about 8 million people seek care in a hospital setting due to a slip, trip or fall accidents. More than 1 million people seek care in an ER following a slip and fall accident. In 5% of all falls, there’s at least one broken bone.

Some falls are your fault, but not every slip, trip, and fall accident is. If you see a sign telling you to keep off a set of stairs that are clearly falling apart but you go anyway, you should know better. Other falls are not your fault at all.

After a fall, you could have many medical and physical therapy bills. If you have to take time off work, you’ll have limited income. If you get disability pay, it may not cover the full salary you’re losing. You could deal with PTSD or depression after your fall. The cost of treatments and loss of income and emotional strain add up.

The injuries you face after slipping, tripping, and falling can be mild or severe. Some can be life-threatening. Slip, trip, and fall accidents can happen at work, while you’re out shopping, or at a favorite restaurant. They can happen in any public area or a private home. If it’s someone else’s home and the fall occurred due to negligence on someone else’s part, you can file a personal injury claim to help cover your financial losses.

Responsibilities of Property Owners

Business owners, landlords, and homeowners have a duty to maintain a level of safety in their home, complex, or building. If they don’t and a fall occurs due to that negligence, there are grounds for a slip, trip, and fall claim.

Imagine a hotel guest slips on water leaking from an ice machine. There are no signs indicating a wet floor and the leak is weeks old. The hotel would be liable for the guest’s injuries. In a restaurant, if water on the kitchen floor hasn’t been cleaned up in an appropriate amount of time and an employee slips, the restaurant is liable.

While you’re shopping, you might slip on carpeting that has come apart at the seams. The store would be responsible for failing to fix the carpeting. If you’re at school and sit on a chair and it breaks and you hit your head, the school would be responsible for having broken furniture.

In a home or rental setting, a landlord or homeowner knows the lumber on a deck has dry rot but hasn’t replaced it. A guest shows up and trips and falls when the board gives way. A homeowner could be liable for having stairs with a rail that breaks lose while you walk up them.

You’re walking through the city and are crossing at a crosswalk. You’re looking up to make sure traffic has stopped, and you’re watching the crosswalk sign to see how much time is left to cross. While you’re looking at the sign, you trip on an uneven section of brick. That trip leads to a fall that breaks your ribs and arm. If there was no warning alerting you to the uneven crosswalk, the city could be liable.

Those are examples of some of the common types of slips, trips, and falls linked to negligence. There are so many other possibilities. Just remember that if the injury happened on someone else’s property and happened because of something that was broken, damaged, unmarked as a danger, or not roped off, you can file a claim.

State laws on slip, trip, and fall accidents do vary. Despite the slight variations, it’s usually standard that any slip and fall that was caused to “reasonably foreseeable” negligence is grounds for a suit. In California, people typically have two years to file a slip, trip, and fall lawsuit. This statute of limitations may be suspended if the injured person is a minor or the injury isn’t found until time has passed. You should talk to an attorney for advice and to make sure you’re within the statute of limitations.

Seek Free Legal Advice

Before you talk to an attorney who specializes in slip, trip, and fall accidents, gather as much evidence as you can. Some of the things you’ll want include photos of the place you fell, medical records, and witness accounts.

The medical bills and time off work add up quickly. If you’re injured in a slip, trip, and fall accident on someone else’s property, seek legal advice. Another party could be liable for the high expenses you face. Contact Abramson, Levin & Gindi now for your complimentary consultation.