Outdoor Slip and Falls

November 3 , 2017 | Personal Injury

A common type of personal injury case is the slip and fall case. A slip and fall case can arise when someone slips or falls on someone else’s property and the owner of that property failed to provide proper maintenance to that property or fix a known problem. When this occurs it is possible that the owner of the property can be held legally responsible for the injuries someone sustains if someone slips and falls. Slip and fall accidents can happen both indoors and outdoors.

One type of outdoor slip and fall case can occur when there is ice or snow outside a building. If there are conditions on a property that lead to out of the ordinarily amounts of ice and/or snow on property, there is potential that the owner may be liable if someone were to slip and fall on their property. Some examples include melted ice dripping off of a roof and refreezing on the ground or if a parking lot is uneven and it leads to large patches of ice developing. Also, if an owner has chosen to provide snow or ice removal, the owner must remove them diligently.

Another reason why an owner of a property may be liable if someone suffers an injury because of a slip and fall is if there is inadequate lighting. Inadequate lighting can lead to injuries when someone slips and falls in a parking lot or trips and falls over a curb or stairs because the lighting does not provide for people to be able to see the walkways, parking lot, curbs and stairs sufficiently. Liability on the property owner’s part can occur when they knew or should have known about the risks of the poor lighting and did not fix the situation.

Parking lots are another place where property owners may be liable if someone slips and falls and is injured. The owner of the parking lot needs to take care of it and provide proper maintenance so that the parking lot is reasonably safe for those who use it. The owner of the parking lot should fill cracks and holes and ensure that any changes in elevation in the parking lot are gradual.

Slip and falls can cause serious injuries and substantial medical bills. If you have slipped and fallen on someone else’s property and sustained injuries, it is a good idea to consult with an experienced attorney who can advise you on options and help you to recover costs of your medical bills.