As simple as they may seem, slip and falls are very dangerous. Thousands of slip and fall injuries occur every year in the United States. An almost invisible crack or a small amount of soapy water can leave a victim in a wheelchair or with a permanent spinal cord injury. But there are many facets to premises liability, which is the area of law that encompassed slip and fall injuries. It can become very complicated when trying to determine fault, and to determine whether conditions were indeed hazardous. Duffy & Duffy’s experienced trial team is well versed in all areas of the law and can help guide you through the process, working to receive compensation for your injuries.

There are four general types of slip and fall accidents:

• Trip-and-fall accidents, where there is a foreign object in the walking path.
• Stump-and-fall accidents, where there is an impediment in the walking surface.
• Step-and-fall accidents, where there is an unexpected failure or hole in the walking surface.
• Slip-and-fall accidents, in which the interface of the shoe and the floor fails.

Both the property owner as well as the injured person can be held to varying degrees of responsibility for an injury. The property owner has a responsibility to keep property safe. Each person has a duty to watch where they are going, as well as realize that there are things that fall or spill onto walking surfaces.

Ideally, an accident report should be completed at the time of the incident noting what happened, who witnessed both the accident and the conditions that caused the fall along with any other relevant information such as lighting. The requirement for a report is generally a store or business policy, rather than mandated by law. If a report is not completed at the business location or occurred at private location or was not observed by others, compile a record of what happened yourself. Include information such as a description of the circumstances, who was present, the comments made by those who saw or helped after the fall, and, if possible, take photos of the area. If you were physically hurt, have your injury checked out immediately to help substantiate your slip and fall injury lawsuit claim.