What really causes trip and fall accidents? They are usually caused by surfaces that are slippery, not smooth or simply uneven. Trip and fall accidents are also caused when there is an unexpected object in the walking path. The victim trips on the object and falls.
The most common causes of trip and fall accidents are broken tiles that do not level up with one another, uneven slabs, damaged or chipped stairs, uneven and slippery floors, cracked pavement, potholes and broken sidewalks. Apart from these ones, there are also some other uncommon causes of the accident like bunched carpets, thick rugs and poor visibility caused by poor lighting.
If someone trips and falls, who should be responsible for the accident? It is no other person than the owner of the place where the accident occurred. In other words, home owners, property owners, store or building managers and whoever is responsible for making a property safe should be held liable when a trip and fall accident occurs.
This is because it is their responsibility to make their property safe for visitors, tenants, customers and everyone. This is why they should always conduct routine checks on every part of their property. And if they come across anything that poses danger, they should just ensure they fix it right away. According to Murphy’s law, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. So, as a property owner, a little negligence could cost you a lot of money. When it comes to making your property safe, 99 percent effort is not acceptable. It has to be 100 percent.
However, if there is a dangerous condition that can’t be fixed immediately, the landlord or property owner should post a bold, clear and catchy signage to warn visitors, customers, tenants and other users of the facility of the danger.
Whatever the property is, it is subject to the extant premises liability law. This law makes it clear that the property owner may be liable for any injuries sustained by anyone on his property if the owner does not make reasonable effort to make it safe.
The common injuries caused by trip and fall accidents are broken wrists, elbows, knees, ankles and head injuries. However, you should also understand that your property owner’s negligence in his duty to make his property safe is not always obvious. You may have to prove it. This is why the services of an experienced Florida injury attorney are almost indispensable in this kind of situation.
If you encounter a trip and fall accident, even before calling a Florida injury attorney, there are certain important steps to take. While it is very important to seek medical attention first, it is also equally important to take pictures of the site and take important notes on what exactly happened, the exact location and the exact time and date. All this information will make it easy for your Florida injury attorney to build a good case.
Taking snap shot of the spot is very important as your landlord may try to cover his tracks by fixing the issue that caused your accident. You will definitely receive appropriate compensation if your lawyer is able to prove the negligence of your property owner/manager convincingly.