Determining Liability in a Slip and Fall Accident

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

It might come as a surprise to some people, but slip and fall accidents are incredibly dangerous.  The National Floor Safety Institute estimates that falling accidents account for 21.3 percent of visits to hospital emergency rooms or around eight million, which is the leading cause of visits.  Slip and falls are responsible for one million trips to the ER.  The injuries can vary from fatal or merely nuisances such as a sprained ankle.

The possible causes are all around you.  Most accidents occur due to one of the following situations:

• stairways that are damaged, narrow or damaged
• handrails in need of repair
• flooring that is uneven or wet
• cluttered floors with cords, hoses, wires, floor mats and boxes
• adverse weather or other environmental conditions
• exposed manholes
• dark or unlit hallways or staircases
• other safety code violations

When you are at work, a hospital, a restaurant or other place of business, the person responsible might not be you.  Legal responsibility is often determined if care was taken to avoid the accident, both for the property owner and the person who suffered the accident.  This means that one of the three following scenarios must be proven:

1. The cause of the spill must be due to the action of owner or employee at the premises
2. The spill or other dangerous condition was known by the owner or employee of the premise and left untended
3. The spill should’ve been known and fixed if the owner or employee showed reasonable care, if the condition was unknown

Proving the “reasonableness” is at stake in proving the liability for a slip and fall accident.  Factors to determine in that pursuit include how long the disrepair existed or if the object which caused the fall was in place for a reason.  Even if an object should be left in a walkway, it can also be determined if there is a better place for that item to be.

These types of accidents can result in very expensive medical bills including treatment and rehabilitation.  The average cost of recovering from a slip and fall injury has been disclosed to be around $28,000, which also includes lost wages.  If you have been injured due to the negligence of the owner or employee, then you may be able to be compensated for your damages.  Contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Orland Park today.