A slip and fall incident may occur anytime and anywhere. You may be on vacation in Florida. You may be patronizing a restaurant, grocery or retail store. You may even be walking in a mall, parking lot, sidewalk, parking ramp or hotel stairwell.
However, the results are usually the same: a variety of medical situations from fractures and sprains to back, neck and traumatic brain injuries. Any one of these situations may lead to a lengthy hospital stay, mounting medical bills, the inability to work for an extended time and the inability to pay your bills.
Bone fractures and head injuries
A slip and fall incident represents a clear-cut case of premises liability. Property owners and landlords alike must protect and ensure the safety of any member of the public who steps onto their premises.
Floors at retail stores and restaurants should be clear of debris. If something gets spilled such as water or oil, it must be promptly cleaned up. Stairs and handrails must not be in disrepair. The same goes for parking lots and parking ramps, which should have potholes and cracks quickly repaired.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tallied a few facts regarding falls. They include:
- An estimated 20% of all falls lead to serious injuries, including bone fractures and head injuries.
- Each year, more than 800,000 people are treated at hospitals for fall-related injuries, usually attributed to a head injury or hip fracture.
- A fall is the most frequently cited cause of a traumatic brain injury.
Many slip and fall situations that lead to injury are preventable. All it takes is a lackadaisical, reckless and negligent property owner, manager or landlord. You did not deserve such an injury while on vacation in Florida. Take the initiative to see that negligent property owners pay the consequences.