It’s a commonly played out nightmare for startups, small business owners and victims: the usual slip and fall incidents can result in devastating and probably costly legal consequences. Various personal injury cases that particularly fit in the category of slip and fall are potentially challenging to handle. Remember, the victims of these accidents will always work with a knowledgeable Los Angeles slip and fall attorney to ensure that they collect damages.
Therefore, it is in the best interest of small business owners to be aware of the details of any of these incidences long before they happen. By always being proactive about understanding the ins and outs of slip and fall accidents, can be in a position to handle the related cases with efficacy, ease and caution in case the worst possible incident occurs. Here are some of the issues every company owner must be aware of when it comes to handling slip and fall accidents.
What counts as slip and fall accidents?
To be classified as a slip and fall accident, an occurrence should fit some pre-existing qualifications. Here are the criteria.
- The incident takes place on another person’s property, in many cases, the business owner legally owns that specific property.
- There are potentially dangerous or hazardous conditions involved.
- The owner of the business or the expert responsible for the condition that resulted in the slip and fall accident showed negligence in performing their duties.
- The expert responsible or the business owner was aware of the condition and neglected to repair it or created it.
- The individual responsible or the business owner left the condition as it was for a period deemed inappropriate.
Note that all these stipulations should be present for a slip and fall accident to be legally considered a liability of the business owner. If the plaintiff can prove these elements are true, then, there is a good chance, they will have a strong slip and fall case. The case may be dealt with by compensation of some kind or litigation.
Causes of slip and fall accidents
Many instances of slip and fall accidents start off with an improperly kept environment or dangerous circumstances. Indeed, a large number of slip and fall accidents happen in perfectly safe environments and might be a fluke or fault of the person who just fell. Here are the most common causes of slip and fall accidents.
- The limited scope of sight or poor lighting
- Escalators, staircases, and elevators that might be considered hazardous
- Snow, rain, sleet, hail, ice, and other similar weather hazards
- Flooring that is poorly-maintained and torn carpets
- Sticky, dirty, slippery and generally dangerous flooring that might result in an uneven footing
- Concrete flooring or sidewalks that are uneven.
Keep in mind that defending your property or business can be challenging because the law considers the legal owner of the business or property when it comes to determining whether or not the owner should be held liable.
