The Importance of Property Maintenance in Preventing Slip and Fall Injuries

Slip, trip, and fall accidents rank high among personal injury accidents in the United States. These accidents can occur anywhere, at any moment, and to anyone.

The outcomes of slip and fall accidents can range from mild to severe, and victims may suffer various injuries like fractures or head injuries. Depending on the severity of their injuries, victims’ lives may be diminished by pain, disability, depression, and anxiety.

Have you been involved in a slip, trip, or fall accident in Oklahoma City? If so, you should seek advice from experienced legal professionals to learn how to protect your rights to compensation. Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers has handled many slip and fall accident cases and has held negligent property owners accountable for the harm they’ve caused to innocent people.

In this blog, we explore how property maintenance can prevent slip and fall injuries and how property owners can be held liable for injuries when they neglect to ensure their guests are safe.

Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents and Injuries

Slips and falls are not just minor accidents involving scrapes and bruises. Some slip and fall accidents can lead to injuries that require hospitalization and expensive medical treatments. Falls are a leading cause of death among senior adults.

According to the National Floor Safety Institute:

More than eight million visits to hospital emergency rooms are due to falls, making them the leading cause of visits (21.3%).
Falls are the second leading cause of injury-related deaths for people age 65-84 and the top cause for those over 85 years old.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than 850 fatalities and hundreds of injuries at workplaces in 2022 were caused by slips, trips, and falls.

Slip, trip, and fall incidents often occur due to dangerous conditions caused by negligence or lack of care from an individual, employee, or commercial property owner. While they may occur anywhere at any time, the conditions that often lead to such accidents occur most frequently in:

Apartment complexes
Condominium complexes
Hotels
Motels
Nursing homes
Office buildings
Parking lots
Private residences
Public walking paths
Rental homes
Restaurants
Retail stores
Shopping centers
Sidewalks

It’s important for people to be aware of their surroundings and hold apartment complexes, businesses, hotels, stores, and restaurants accountable when an injury occurs because they did not maintain floors and walkways that are free from obstacles.

Proper and Regular Maintenance Can Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents

Preventing slip and fall accidents is essential, as most of them can be avoided. Businesses can protect their patrons and themselves by following property maintenance protocols, such as:

Regularly inspect the premises for issues, like floors or torn carpets.
Notify maintenance or contractors immediately to address any problems identified during inspections.
Establish a routine for maintaining property, such as cleaning up any spills, placing ‘wet floor’ signs in appropriate areas, and ensuring all pathways are clutter-free.
Opt for flooring materials that are safe for people and offer good traction. Avoid using slippery or low-quality materials as they tend to wear out and increase the risk of accidents.
Remove snow and use sand or salt for traction during the winter. Ice poses a threat of slips and falls.

Property Owners’ Duty of Care

In cases of slip and fall incidents where someone is harmed due to a business owner neglecting property inspections, repairs, and maintenance, serious injuries can occur.

Common reasons for slip and fall accidents may include the following:

Wet floors from spills, leaks, or insufficient cleaning
Uneven surfaces like damaged sidewalks or carpets
Loose boards, tiles, or stairs
Crowded aisles and walkways
Poor lighting in hallways and staircases
Lack of handrails on stairs

Under Oklahoma premises liability laws, business owners are responsible for keeping their property safe for visitors and promptly addressing any hazards. Neglecting property maintenance can result in negligence claims and lawsuits.

Proving a Property Owner’s Liability After a Slip and Fall Accident

If you slip and fall on a floor at a business, you might be eligible to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, proving negligence on the part of the business owner or property manager is essential to recovering damages for injuries sustained on their premises.

To establish a case of negligence against the business owner, the injured party must demonstrate that:

The business owner had a duty of care towards them.
The business owner failed to fulfill this duty.
This failure directly led to the injury.
The injury resulted in pain, emotional suffering, or financial difficulties.

If you experienced a slip and fall accident in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City slip and fall injury attorneys at Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers can hear your story, examine the accident site, collect evidence, engage with insurance agents, and initiate action to secure appropriate reimbursement for medical bills, income loss and other damages.