A slip-and-fall could put someone in the hospital, force them to take time off of work and/or damage their property. People can fall in many different locations for a broad assortment of different reasons. One of the more common explanations for a same-level fall in a public location is that someone slips.
They lose traction and end up falling, which could lead to them hitting their head or otherwise incurring a significant injury. A slip-and-fall may not seem very serious at first, but it could potentially cause massive financial consequences for the person who lost their balance. Sometimes, people who get hurt because they fall may have the option of taking legal action against the business where they fell.
When might a business or property owner be potentially liable for someone’s slip-and-fall injuries?
Negligence could leave a business liable
Businesses that make their facilities open to the public accept a certain degree of risk stemming from that choice. Specifically, there is the constant risk that a patron visiting this business could end up hurt while at the company’s property.
They may then attempt to file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. However, an individual seeking compensation after they get hurt at a business must present evidence supporting their claim that the business is liable for the losses they suffered. Usually, such allegations require that the injured party prove the business was somehow negligent.
In the legal system, negligence has a very specific definition. It means engaging in behavior that a reasonable person knows reduces overall safety. Both clearly unsafe behavior and a failure to act can constitute negligence. Unsafe choices might include leaving exposed power cords across aisles at a store where people could trip and fall. Negligence related to inaction might involve failing to properly clean facilities or address issues with the building that lead to leaks.
If another reasonable person would agree with the claim that the business could have prevented someone’s injury with better company practices, then the person who got hurt might be in the position to seek compensation from the business where their injury occurred. Generally speaking, those pursuing compensation for injuries in a premises liability claim also require proof that the incident caused financial losses.
Holding businesses accountable for unsafe operating practices may benefit those worried about medical expenses and lost wages after a preventable slip-and-fall at a public location.