Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Slip and Fall Accident

A "slip and fall accident" (http://www.1800thelaw2.com/practice-areas/slip-and-fall/index.html), or "trip and fall accident", is a kind of personal injury and is a type of “fall down” accident that occurs when the victim slips, trips or falls as a result of a dangerous or hazardous condition on someone else's property. In United States, it is a tort that based on a claim that the property owner was negligent in allowing some dangerous condition to exist that caused the slip or trip.

Each year, approximately three million people visit emergency rooms for slip and fall accident related injuries, and most of the accidents are caused by dangerous conditions such as torn carpeting, poor lighting, narrow stairs, wet or slippery floor, uneven pavement, potholes, or lack of handrails.

In a slip and fall accident, both the property owner and the injured person can be held to varying degrees of responsibility or "comparative fault" for the injury. The property owner has a responsibility to keep property safe. However, 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.

However, it is the property owner’s responsibility to ensure that their premises are in good and safe condition. But each year, approximately three million people visit emergency rooms for slip and fall related accidents, with the most common injuries involving the head, neck and back.

Some of the main reasons that make people slip and fall in public places are uneven paving, wet floor or obstructions left on the floor without proper warning signs.

No matter the fall happened due to an obstruction left on the floor or wet floor, the owner should take the responsibility, while if the fall happened due to uneven paving, then the local council is responsible.

If you are injured (http://www.1800thelaw2.com) in a slip and fall accident, which resulted from someone else's negligence, then you have the right to make a claim within 3 years but do remember to collect as much evidence from the scene as you can and also go and see your doctor. Besides, make sure you take down the contact details of any witnesses, who either saw your specific accident happen or who have seen the defective area in person. Then report the accident to the relevant personnel. Finally, contact an experienced slip and fall accident attorney (http://www.1800thelaw2.com/practice-areas/slip-and-fall-accident/) to help you.

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