The Top 4 Causes Of Slips & Falls In Florida

Compared to a high-impact car accident on the highway, or even the accidental discharge of a gun, a slip and fall in Charlotte or Sarasota counties don’t seem all that serious. However, slip and falls are so common and so numerous that they go up and down the scale of severity. A slip and fall can be an embarrassment and nothing more. However, it can also lead to serious injuries that take time to recover from, permanent disabilities that must be lived with, and, in the worst cases, death. A slip and fall can occur anywhere, but while some accidents are unpredictable and can’t be avoided, others result from negligence. These are the top four causes of slips and falls on someone else’s property that could be avoided when people act responsibly.

Uneven Floors

Mobility is at its best and most reliable with a flat, level walking surface. Of course, many things can interfere with this. While it’s not an issue in Florida most of the time, northern states suffer from ice on sidewalks during the winter. In places like auto repair garages, lubricant leaks, such as motor oil, are frequent consequences of fixing a faulty vehicle. A property owner or manager is responsible for maintaining a safe surface for people to traverse. Spilled fluids, or even a flawed foundation, causing a building to tilt, can create an uneven surface on which people may slip and fall.

Poorly Maintained Ladders & Stairs

Ascending or descending means going up to or coming down from a significant height. We have tools to assist us in doing this, such as ladders for repair work or stairs for general building access. However, if these tools aren’t properly maintained, they can result in slips and falls. Crooked stairs are a result of a house with a poor, breaking foundation. It’s very easy to misstep when going up or down uneven stairs, slipping and falling.

Environmental Factors

Sometimes it’s not the floor that’s an issue, so much as what is done with the surroundings. In some older offices, electrical outlets for all the office equipment are at a premium. This sometimes forces elaborate extension cord solutions laid out across the floor, which can easily trip up people who aren’t paying attention. Another example is a light going out in a stairwell, making it difficult for people to see how they’re stepping, especially at night.

Poor Or Improper Maintenance

One of the most common reasons for a slip and fall is that safety measures to prevent such dangers aren’t observed. Kitchen staff, for example, should clean up spills as quickly as possible in a busy restaurant setting. Motor oil covering a garage floor should be cleaned up by staff before a customer slips on it. Construction workers shouldn’t scatter tools all over a walkway that coworkers are using. If you’ve slipped, fallen, and gotten injured because of someone else’s negligence, we can help. Talk to a slip-and-fall attorney, and we can assess your case for free and advise you on what to do next.