Dangerous conditions like narrow stairs, wet floors, poor lighting and torn carpeting can cause one of your employees to slip and hurt him or herself. Slip and fall incidents are also likely to occur when people trip on escalators, stairs or cracked public sidewalks. Other possible hazards are rain, snow, ice or other dangers like a hidden pothole.
When you open your doors to the public, potential liability for a slip & fall injury also opens up. Below is an overview of slip and fall incidents, and a look at the possible personal injury case that is likely to arise.
How are Slip and Fall Cases Proven?
There is no precise formula for determining how legally responsible a business owner is for a client’s slip and fall accident injuries. Every case depends on the conduct of the company owner by taking into consideration whether he or she was careful enough to put in place measures against tripping or slipping.
To establish if you, as the business owner, knew of the dangerous condition, it should be shown that:
* You created the condition
* You already knew of the situation and did nothing to correct it
* The condition has been around for some considerable amount of time, and it should have been fixed before the accident that occurred
The Responsible Parties
For one to recover for a slip and fall injury that was sustained within your property, the responsible party for the negligence leading to the injury has to be established. Although this sounds simple, many people do not realize that some injuries are simply out of personal carelessness. For example, if a client sustains injuries because he was not looking where he was walking, he cannot recover against you if you are not responsible for the condition that leads to the injury. The injured individual may still recover from another party, but the final amount of the recovery may be reduced.
Business Property
To be legally responsible for the injuries sustained by others from slipping or tripping and falling on your business property, it has to be established that you:
* Caused the torn or worn spot, spin or other dangerous or slippery surface
* You knew of the hazard, but did nothing to correct it
* You should have known of the dangerous situation because a responsible person taking care of your property would have had discovered, removed and repaired it
If you are a small business owner facing a potential slip & fall injury claim, discuss your case with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. The lawyer will help you determine the best possible defense strategies and options available, and will protect the liability exposure of your business at every step. To know more about slip-and-fall accidents contact us. You can also like them on Facebook.
