Slip and falls are one of the most common roots of personal injury lawsuits today. It can be in a business or home setting, but either way the person in charge (whether business or homeowner) is often the one left paying the bills. While a slip and fall might not sound like a big deal, there’s no telling just how severe the damage can be. In some instances, a “simple” slip and fall can lead to permanent damage or even paralysis.
There are certainly ways to help prevent slip and fall accidents, such as cleaning up spilled liquids immediately, but sometimes there’s no getting around it. If you host a birthday party for your child, one of his friends runs, falls, and breaks and art in your driveway, it’s not the parents to blame. Even if you tell everyone a million times not to run, that doesn’t get you out of legal trouble. Having a reputable slip and fall attorney on your side is crucial, but it’s also important to know just how costly these claims can be.
In business
As a business owner, your business space is rampant with opportunities for slip and fall claims. It could be an employee, customer or contractor (such as the man who delivers your bottled water) who makes the claim. It’s why having proper workers compensation coverage in place is crucial, but that won’t help if a customer has an accident. However, the moves you take now can make a huge impact should a lawsuit happen.
It’s paramount to have cameras installed in public places (just in case of false claims), a procedure in place to keep areas clean and clear, as well as trained staff on hand. The most common cause of a slip and fall in business isn’t a puddle of water or wayward piece of equipment, but simply poor training and preparation.
In the home
It doesn’t matter if it’s a door to door salesman, your sister or your kid’s best friend. Anyone who gets hurt on your property has a pretty good chance of winning a lawsuit. That’s why it’s so important to bear that in mind when hosting parties. What happens if somebody has one too many beers, slips by the pool and cracks their head? Even if they’re a consenting adult, the homeowner might get sued.
Knowledge is the most important resource homeowners have to stay in the clear.