Look Out for These Common Slip and Fall Hazards

No one expects a quick trip to the gas station or a night out to a concert to end with a severe injury from a slipping accident, but it happens more often than you may realize. When walkways and staircases aren’t maintained by property owners, it’s only a matter of time before a visitor, employee, or customer is hurt in a fall. Unfortunately, these types of injuries also frequently lead to lifelong repercussions and extreme medical bills.

Where and How Slip and Fall Injuries Take Place

Unlike a sports injury or car crash, slip and fall accidents can potentially occur anywhere to any pedestrian. That’s one of the reasons why store managers and property owners have a basic duty of care they are legally obligated to uphold to keep people safe. When a negligent party doesn’t uphold that duty, you are at particular risk of slipping and falling at locations like:

• Apartment complexes
• Bars
• Business offices
• Grocery stores
• Gyms
• Job sites
• Long-term care facilities like a nursing home
• Hospitals
• Movie theaters
• Private homes
• Public locations like parks
• Restaurants
• Retail stores
• Schools
• Sidewalks and parking lots
• Stadiums
• Swimming pool areas

Understanding exactly how the accident occurred is crucial to protecting your legal rights and seeking compensation from the at-fault party who is ultimately responsible for your fall. In Louisiana slip and fall cases, injuries are often caused by:

• Absent or insufficient lighting
• Broken or missing handrails
• Bunched up rugs and other unstable surfaces
• Cluttered walkways or debris left in aisles
• Elevation changes without warning signs
• Improperly maintained elevators or escalators
• Lack of signs or barriers around dangerous areas
• Loose floorboards or tile
• Potholes
• Slippery spills left uncleaned
• Uneven flooring

Types of Common Slip and Fall Injuries

Unfortunately, the specific injuries victims suffer in a slip and fall are often more serious than they expect. Even a short fall can result in severe harm and in some cases, even permanent injuries. Slip and fall victims may end up dealing with:

• Bone fractures
• Bruising, soreness, and swelling
• Back injuries
• Chronic pain
• Dental injuries
• Mobility problems or even paralysis
• Scarring
• Soft tissue damage
• Spinal cord damage
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Wrist and hand injuries

These injuries may interfere with your ability to return to your job and make it difficult to complete everyday tasks from cooking and cleaning to playing with your kids. Regardless of the type and extent of your injuries, it’s important to talk with a lawyer about taking legal action against the negligent party who is liable for your accident. That person could be the private homeowner, your landlord, a grocery store chain, your employer, or even someone else entirely.

A skilled attorney can investigate the cause of the fall and gather evidence to show the negligent party was aware of the problem, or should have reasonably been expected to know about it, and failed to resolve the issue before you were hurt. That may involve talking with eyewitnesses, gathering video or photos of the scene, combing through employer records and medical documents, and using accident reconstruction experts to prove the fall could have been avoided.

For instance, if a landlord or store owner didn’t fix a leak leading to slippery floors or failed to replace dead light bulbs in a stairway, they may legally owe you compensation. With the help of an experienced slip and fall attorney, you can seek to recover damages for lost wages while you spend time recovering, the cost of your medical bills, and compensation for non-economic damages like pain, suffering, and emotional trauma.

Protect Your Legal Rights by Contacting an Attorney

Were you hurt in a NOLA slip and fall accident? Don’t let the at-fault party get away with causing you harm and interfering with your life. We want to hear about your injury to find out if the Scott Vicknair law firm is the right fit to represent you in court. Contact us to set up a consultation to discuss your slip and fall accident.