Common Locations of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slipping and falling leads to about one million visits to emergency rooms across the United States each year. These accidents happen in an instant and when you least expect them, though the effects of resulting injuries can last for weeks, months, or even years. Some people need extensive medical care, cannot work, and experience significant pain and suffering after this type of accident. 

Depending on where – and how – your slip and fall occurred, another party might be responsible for covering your losses. This can be a complex determination in many cases, and parties often want to avoid liability. All slip and fall victims who suffered injuries should consult with trusted Lawrenceville personal injury lawyers about their rights as soon as possible. 

Where Slip and Falls Happen

Slip and fall accidents can happen virtually anywhere. In many cases, they occur in public places where people walk regularly. Some of the more common places that slip and fall accidents happen include:

Grocery Stores

A significant number of slip and fall incidents occur in grocery stores. This fact should come as no surprise, and many grocery stores are extremely busy places and have thousands of items that could pose a potential tripping hazard should they fall or spill. Grocery store management should be regularly inspecting aisles for spills or other hazards, and they should address any issues right away and post caution signs regarding wet floors and other persisting conditions. When they fail to do so, customers can get hurt, and the store should be liable. 

Big Box Stores

Similar to grocery stores, big box stores like Walmart or Costco are common locations for slip and falls. With aisle after aisle of varying merchandise, it can be a difficult task for employees to constantly monitor the store for potential hazards. However, when stores invite customers in for business purposes, they owe them a high duty of care to keep the premises safe. Even though it can be time-consuming to inspect these large stores, it does not give the companies the excuse to allow dangerous conditions that might lead to slip and falls. 

Shopping Malls

Shopping malls are another location where there is a significant risk of slip and fall accidents. In many cases, malls see thousands of visitors every day, and it takes a dedicated crew to keep walkways, stairwells, and other common areas clean. In addition, each store could have its own slip and fall hazards that could result in a serious, injury-causing accident. Furthermore, areas like food courts and restaurants regularly have spills or debris on the ground, and patrons can easily slip and fall, resulting in serious injuries.

Liability can be complicated in these large facilities, as it can be difficult to determine whether individual business owners or the general mall management was responsible for allowing the slip and fall hazard. 

Schools

Schools are filled with hundreds – or more – of children each day, and children do not always watch what they are doing, often resulting in items dropped and other conditions. Further, if there is rain, kids can track in wet and mud when they enter the building or after playing on the playground. Schools should have staff that keep watch for possible hazards, but some might go unnoticed for an unreasonable period of time. This can result in teachers, students, or staff slipping and falling. If this happens in a public school, you might have a claim against the government, which has its own requirements and complications. 

Office Buildings

Office buildings generally feel like safe places, though slip and fall hazards can exist in walkways, kitchen areas, bathrooms, cafeterias, and more. If you work in an office and suffer injuries in a slip and fall, you might not be able to file a traditional slip and fall claim against your employer, as workers’ compensation might be your source of benefits. You should speak with a law firm that understands both personal injury and workers’ compensation cases in this situation. 

Parking Lots

Parking lots can have cracks, slippery pavement, debris, and other conditions that cause people to slip and fall when they are walking to or from their vehicles. In this case, you would need to determine who was responsible for the upkeep of the parking lot in order to know who should be liable for your injuries and losses. 

Convenience Stores

Convenience stores offer customers the ability to easily grab a variety of items, from snacks to drinks to basic medications, without the hassle of going to a larger establishment. Unfortunately, they often also expose patrons to a risk of slipping and falling. Many convenience stores are understaffed, and customers using self-service soda fountains and frozen drink dispensers may inadvertently spill and create slippery surfaces. 

Stadiums

Sometimes, there is nothing more enjoyable than heading to the stadium and catching a baseball game, concert, or another event. However, stadiums are full of slip and fall hazards, with stairs, escalators, walkways, and people spilling food and drink while they are moving around. This is, unfortunately, the perfect atmosphere for slip and falls to happen, which can certainly ruin a night at the ballpark if you suffer serious injuries. 

Hotels

Hotels offer guests a home away from home, but they also are often rife with slip and fall hazards at every turn. Issues like misplaced luggage, slippery floors, construction, renovations, torn carpet, inadequate lighting, and others can easily result in a serious, injury-causing accident. This is particularly true in hotels that have extensive common areas where people congregate or amenities like pools and spas, fitness centers, restaurants, clubs, or conference facilities. 

Contact Our Lawrenceville Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

If you have suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident, you should contact Spaulding Injury Law as soon as you can. Our Lawrenceville injury attorneys know how to get our clients the compensation they deserve and will never collect legal fees unless we win your case. Contact us online or call 678-541-8841 to schedule a free case evaluation with an attorney.