Slip-and-fall incidents happen frequently in public locations, often with few consequences. Some people fall and end up with a bruise and little more. Other times, someone slips, falls and incurs a significant injury.
Slip-and-fall incidents can lead to broken bones and traumatic brain injuries. The people involved could suffer major financial losses, especially if their injuries put them in the hospital or keep them from working. They may hope to pursue compensation from property owners or businesses where they fell. When would a company potentially be responsible for a slip-and-fall that occurred at one of its locations?
When negligence played a causative role
Companies cannot control what customers do while visiting their premises. They are therefore not responsible for every scenario in which people get hurt while visiting the business. However, they can control the design and maintenance of their interior spaces. The failure to do so is often the underlying reason for a slip-and-fall.
Keeping enough workers on the payroll, investing in facilities and properly training employees are all crucial for the maintenance of safe businesses. Dirty floors, unsecured power cords and other maintenance issues can lead to people getting hurt. These are all risks that companies can easily predict and address.
If a reasonable person would agree that the business failed to do what was necessary to keep the space safe, then the injured individual may have grounds for a premises liability claim. Successful premises liability lawsuits can lead to compensation for everything from lost wages to hospital bills. Establishing that a business was at fault for a slip-and-fall with the assistance of an attorney is the first step toward a premises liability lawsuit.