dangerous premises accidents slips falls

SLIPS AND FALLS ON DANGEROUS AND DEFECTIVE PREMISES

At first blush, it would seem that a slip and fall or a trip and fall incident is just an unfortunate event that should be thought of as a “tough break” and even overlooked. After all, accidents do happen, right?

Wrong. Accidents are caused to happen. Under the law, if a walking surface is unreasonably slippery, dangerously uneven, obstructed without warning, or defective and unsafe for some other reason, and the person or business responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the walking surface knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and chose not to fix it, that is negligence. Negligence that causes injury to an innocent victim who is just looking to walk from one place to another is compensable.

“But people should look where they are going.” This is true! People generally look ahead to where they are going—toward their destination. They also look side to side for any activity that might impede their course. This is predictable, commonplace human behavior. What reasonable people do not do (and what would actually be strange and unsafe) is look down at their feet with each step. This would be unnatural behavior.

With regard to the walking surface, there should be predictability—evenly graded surfaces on sidewalks, uniform steps on a staircase with the same heights and depths, handrails where they can be used to stabilize a climb or descent. That is why the government promulgates Building Codes, Architectural Codes, and other necessary regulations to minimize the chance of injury due to defective and dangerous premises.

So if you or someone you care about has been hurt because of defectively designed or maintained premises, put the blame where it truly belongs. The only way to know for sure is to explain what happened to a qualified lawyer with experience in slip and fall cases. Here at LENNON LAW OFFICES, we have that experience, and would be glad to talk to you about your case.