Accessible spaces should be safe for people visiting them. Businesses ranging from hotels to grocery stores should seek to maintain their facilities so that employees and patrons and safely utilize those spaces. Sometimes, improper facility maintenance or understaffing at a business may lead to a slip-and-fall incident. A slip-and-fall is usually a same-level fall caused by liquids, errant items or tripping hazards that cause people to lose traction while walking. People can fall because of wet flooring caused by a leak in the ceiling or a spill caused by customers, as well as a host of other challenges caused by inadequate property maintenance.
Some people are dismissive about the risk involved in a slip-and-fall. Is it possible for someone to develop serious injuries in a same-level fall?
There are several serious injuries possible
Many people wrongly assume that someone must fall from a significant elevation to incur a noteworthy injury. However, simply falling a few feet to the floor can be enough to put someone in the hospital. Falls from a major elevation are a leading cause of workplace deaths, but same-level falls also cause a large number of worker injuries. Visitors and patrons are at risk of such falls when companies don’t keep their facilities well-maintained.
Same-level falls could lead to broken bones. People may try to stop their descent as they fall, which could result in a broken arm or shoulder. If someone flails their arms and legs, they could break bones by striking an item nearby them as they fall. Those who don’t have a chance to react before falling could also end up with major injuries. A slip-and-fall could lead to a traumatic brain injury if someone hits their head on the floor or on any items nearby when they lose their balance.
Pursuing a premises liability claim may help people recoup costs that arise when they fall at a business due to negligent maintenance. Although it isn’t a subject that is widely discussed, individuals can absolutely sustain serious injuries as a result of a slip or trip and fall.