The National Safety
Council (NSC) reports that almost 9 million people visit emergency departments each year because of injuries
sustained in slip and fall accidents. A substantial number of these
accidents occur in retail establishments such as grocery stores, clothing stores, shopping centers, and restaurants. Anytime a business opens its doors to the public, it has a duty to ensure that its
premises are free from any unreasonably dangerous conditions that could result in injury. When they fail to meet this standard, injured victims can often recover financial compensation for any
injuries and other losses they may have sustained.
with other types of personal
injury cases, victims must be able to show that their accident was the result of some sort
of negligencein order to be able to recover.2 In the context of a slip
and fall accident, property owner negligence can take many forms, but often involves the following types
of dangerous conditions:
- Slippery floors
- Wet surfaces
- Inadequate lighting
- Exposed electrical wiring
- Torn carpets
- Uneven steps
- Cracked pavement
- Lack of handrails on stairs
- Uneven flooring
- Debris in walkways