Being alert for common hazards can help prevent injury as well as improve odds of securing compensation if an injury does occur
Though there are often items in the news about individuals faking slip & fall accidents as part of a get rich quick scheme based on insurance fraud, most of us do everything we can to avoid being injured on someone else’s property. After all, a premises accident can result in devastating spine or head injuries and loss of physical and mental capacities that are beyond price.
However, sometimes accidents do happen. By being on the lookout for the following common premise accident hazards, you can hopefully save yourself from injury and suffering. And if an injury does occur, you will have a better understanding of how these hazards could be used by your attorney to form the basis of a personal injury claim.
Wet or Slippery Floors
Business owners are expected to be aware of wet or slippery floor conditions and take reasonable precautions to warn visitors of these hazards. Often you will see signage warning of a wet floor—do not ignore this signage! Even if the floor does not look wet, it may still be slippery, and if you fall in an area where signage was present you will likely not have any basis for a case against the property owner.
Trip Hazards
Local building codes set all kinds of standards for various components from step height and width to door height clearances and grate designs. When these standards are not met, it can result in a trip hazard. Potential trip hazards can also be created by uneven or unsafe walkways, lumpy rugs or mats, or even visually confusing or disorienting rug or tile patterns. In order to avoid suffering an injury in a trip and fall accident, take the precaution of watching where you are going very carefully. Remember, circumstances can change even in a familiar place so you must never become complacent and careless.
Improper Lighting
Improper lighting is another common case of slip and fall premise accidents. The typical scenario is missing a step or tripping over a bump in the carpet in an inadequately lit room or hallway. For example, when the guide lights in the aisles of a theater burn out, it is very easy to trip. If you have to walk through a dim or dark area, do so with extreme caution or ask an employee to assist you.
Contact an Attorney Immediately
If you do suffer an injury due to a property owner’s negligence, contact an expert personal injury attorney right away. Your attorney can immediately visit the scene of the accident to secure photographic documentation of the hazard that caused your accident, before the property owner can take steps to correct or remove that hazard.
