A slip-and-fall accident can be much more dangerous than people often assume. Even if you don’t fall from a height, striking your head could lead to a traumatic brain injury. People can also suffer from ailments like back injuries, spinal cord injuries or bone fractures.
To avoid these types of accidents, the first step is to make sure that you know why they happen in the first place. This can help you understand when you need to be wary and when you should place an extra emphasis on safety.
Damaged surfaces and poor maintenance
First of all, many slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents happen on damaged surfaces, such as cracked parking lots or sidewalks. Businesses have an obligation to do proper maintenance to ensure that these areas are safe.
Inadequate lighting
There can be similar issues when there is not enough lighting and so it makes it dangerous for people to walk after dark. This is often a problem in parking lots that aren’t lit properly, but it can also happen in stores, hotels or workplaces.
Wet surfaces
Finally, you always want to be wary of wet surfaces. Store owners are supposed to put up wet floor signs and block off the area, but this doesn’t always happen. If a property owner knew about the issue or should have known about the issue and did nothing about it, then they could be negligent and responsible for subsequent injuries.
Have you been injured?
If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall or a trip-and-fall accident, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and other costs.
