While many trip and fall accidents are minor, these accidents are a leading cause of disability in the United States. More than 17,000 people are killed every year due to a fall accident, according to the CDC. Falls are responsible for 8 million ER visits every year and about half of all accidental deaths at home.
Trip and Fall accident lawyer in Rhode Island
Seniors are most likely to suffer serious injuries in a fall accident, but anyone can be hurt, disabled, or killed in a fall. According to the National Safety Council, falls are the second-leading cause of job-related deaths and contribute to $61 billion in disability claims in the U.S. every year. Trip and fall accidents come in many forms. These accidents can occur anywhere, including a home, job site, commercial building, park, or sidewalk. The following are the most common scenarios involving trip and fall accidents.
Insufficient Lighting
Adequate lighting is necessary to see warning signs and avoid trip hazards like slippery floors and potholes. Building owners are required to provide proper lighting to prevent slip and fall accidents. Trip accidents involving improper lighting often occur in parking lots and sidewalks.
Slippery Surfaces
Property owners and managers have a duty to ensure spills, puddles, and wet areas are cleaned up promptly. If a floor is mopped and left to dry, a warning sign should be placed to warn guests. These accidents often occur when rain or snow is tracked in, spills in a store aren’t cleaned up quickly, or a parking lot is not salted and ices over.
Damaged Surfaces
Sidewalks that are damaged with large cracks, loose pavers, or gaps between concrete segments can pose a serious slip and fall accident. Property owners have a duty to keep their property safe and make repairs when a hazard is noticed or post warning signs.
Escalators and Elevator accident
When an elevator or escalator isn’t maintained, it may malfunction and start or stop abruptly, causing passengers to trip or get knocked over and fall down. The hard, steep surface of an escalator can make a fall injury even more severe.
Potholes, Trenches, and Openings
Holes, trenches, and openings in parking lots, the ground, or a paved area should be covered, filled, or carefully marked with fencing and warning signs to prevent serious fall injuries.
Structural Hazards
Ramps, stairways, and staircases can quickly become a trip and fall hazard when stair treads or handrails are loose or missing or the surface is uneven or unstable. Hazards may be hard to detect when it’s caused by a steeper-than-average slope or stairs with an unusual height.
Scaffolding accidents and Ladders
Ladders and scaffolding are two of the most common workplace accidents involving falls, but falls involving ladders can also occur at home. Every year, 798 U.S. workers die from a fall on the same level or to a lower level, such as falling from a ladder. Over the last decade, 43% of fatal falls have involved a ladder, according to the CDC. Falls are the leading cause of work-related injuries and fatalities in the construction industry. The American Trucking Association also reports slip and fall accidents as the leading cause of injury claims.
Nursing Home Negligence
Unfortunately, slip and fall injuries are very common among nursing home residents and these accidents can be a major threat to a senior citizen’s life and health. Falls are responsible for 87% of fractures among seniors and they are the second leading cause of brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. About 40% of all nursing home admissions are caused by a fall but over 60 of nursing home residents fall every year. A trip and fall accident at a nursing home may be caused by negligence or insufficient supervision. Nursing homes should have fall prevention strategies that include alarms if residents get up, handrails, and ensuring there are no hazards on the property.
Contact trip and Fall Accident Attorneys
If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you have rights. If the property owner’s negligence contributed to your accident, such as failing to repair a damaged parking lot or clean up a liquid spill, you may have a claim for your damages. Contact our personal injury RI trip and fall lawyer to investigate your case and determine if you have a claim for premises liability.
