Common Places for Slip and Fall Accident Legal Claims

Key Points:

You could slip and fall in highly trafficked areas, such as grocery and retail stores, medical facilities, movie theaters, and airports.
Property owners and managers can be responsible for your injuries if they neglect to address the hazard.
Injuries from slip and fall accidents can range from minor cuts and bruises to Traumatic Brain Injuries and permanent paralysis.

What Typically Causes a Slip and Fall Accident?

You might slip and fall when hazards, ranging from spills on a slick floor to uneven surfaces due to crumbling concrete, occur where you are likely to encounter them. These situations can happen in the aisle of a grocery store or the parking lot of a convenience store.

It is the responsibility of a property’s owner or manager to address hazards as soon as they are identified. They can do this by providing warning signs or eliminating the threat altogether. Neglecting to do so could make the responsible person liable for damages and injuries.

What are Some Common Places Where Slip and Falls Take Place?

You may not realize how many slip-and-fall hazards you encounter every day. Below is a partial list of some of the most common places and situations where you could be injured.

Grocery Stores

While most grocery stores tend to have bright lighting and wider aisles, they are also one of the most common places for slip and falls to occur. Careless shoppers often drop items on the tile floors. This can range from a box of cereal to a bottle of water. The result is a hazard that can lead you to lose your balance.

Store personnel, from stock clerks to management, are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the store. If you slip in a mess they failed to warn you about or clean up, then you may have a claim against the store for your injuries.

Service Stations/Convenience Stores

Both service stations and convenience stores are high-traffic areas, both for automobiles and pedestrians. They are also known to have gasoline, oil, and grease spills around the gas pumps and across the parking lot.

Customers entering these establishments track the slippery substances into the stores, which then makes the floors slick and dangerous. Because the aisles are usually narrow and customers are in a hurry to get in and out, slip and falls are common.

Restaurants

It doesn’t matter if it’s a fancy dining establishment or a fast-food joint, restaurants can often present slip and fall hazards. Wet, greasy, or icy spills are extremely dangerous if not cleaned up promptly and thoroughly. Dim lighting also makes it difficult to see hazards.

Both the servers and managers are responsible for your dining experience, and that includes your safety. If they aren’t warning you of a spill or immediately cleaning the area, then you could have a claim if you were to be injured in a slip and fall.

Medical Treatment Facilities

While medical facilities are there to help people in their time of need, they can also be dangerous. Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes often have wet or slippery flooring, either from spilled liquids and bodily fluids or from dropped and discarded items.

It’s vitally important for these facilities to maintain clean floors and doorways, not only for their patients but also for visitors. Otherwise, a slip and fall is likely to occur.

Sports Stadiums

Attending a live sporting event is an exciting experience. With thousands of other fans cheering and having fun, it’s easy to miss the slip-and-fall hazards around you. From the refreshment stand to the restrooms, spilled drinks, food, and other items, all present a danger if you don’t see them.

Stadiums and arenas also have concrete or tile floors, which become slippery or may be cracked from excessive wear and tear. If the facility managers don’t stay on top of maintenance, these areas can also pose a slip-and-fall hazard.

Airports

Airports are known to be stressful environments with passengers hurrying to and from their flights. The crowds, the unfamiliar surroundings, and too many distractions can lead to slip and fall injuries.

The acres of polished flooring in airport terminals may hold spills or wet flooring, posing a danger to passengers rushing to and from their flights.

Swimming Pools

While swimming pools can be a pleasant relief on a hot day, they can also be places where slip-and-fall accidents occur. Older pools constructed before non-slip decking was available are often slippery when wet. Puddles on the concrete, spilled drinks, and especially slippery suntan oil can be hazards that lead to injury.

Pool owners and maintenance workers are responsible for maintaining a safe environment for visitors. If they don’t, then they can be held liable for injuries on the premises.

Theaters

A night out at the movie theater is a great way for you to spend a Saturday night, but the darkened room can hide potential slip-and-fall hazards. You usually have to find your seat in a dimly lit or completely dark aisle, which means you’re unlikely to see spills from soft drinks, popcorn, or other items.

Theater staff is supposed to clean the seating rows and aisles between each show, but if they don’t, then you could be injured by tripping over discarded items or spilled drinks.

Shopping Malls

Shopping malls are usually well-lit and have wide corridors, so you might not think they pose a danger for slip and fall injuries. However, common areas, like hallways and restrooms, can be prime spots for spills and trip hazards that lead to falls.

When you’re busy window-shopping you may not see a spilled drink on the tile or laminate flooring.

The Workplace

In a familiar place like an office, people often stop being watchful and don’t see tip hazards between cubicles or in the break room. Many modern office layouts include rows of cubicles with narrow walkways in between.

Boxes, spills, and even personal items can be falling hazards in an environment like this.

Who is Responsible for a Slip and Fall Injury?

In some situations, such as an airport, stadium, or shopping mall, it may be difficult to determine who is at fault for the slip and fall injury. With so many people around there’s no way to tell who spilled a drink or left an item in a walkway.

An experienced personal injury attorney can help you in these situations. They know how to gather evidence, such as video from security cameras, help determine who is responsible, and outline your legal options.