Wet floors are some of the areas where one is likely to slip and fall. A victim of this kind of accident may break their limb, hip bone, or injure other parts of the body. Worse still, one may succumb to those injuries. Ideally, the property owner has the responsibility of ensuring that his/her building does not have wet floors. Better still, warn the visitors of such floors so that they can be careful as they walk on the floor. Since these types of accidents on a wet floor can be life-changing, it is essential for the victim to seek legal compensation from the property owner. The information below will take a closer look at who is liable for these accidents alongside other related ideas.
What Causes Wet Floor Slip and Fall Accidents?
Before we discuss who is liable for a slip and fall accident, it is imperative for readers to know some of the causes of these accidents. These include spilled food and beverage, detergents, water, ice & snow, leaking containers, burst pipes, recent waxing, mopping, or polishing among others.
If these risks are there in a particular building, it is the property owner’s responsibility to place anti-skid rugs or extra absorbent mats near the entryway where there are slippery surfaces so that the occupants of that building do not slip on wet floors.
Who Takes Responsibility for a Slip and Fall Accident On a Wet Floor?
Walking on a wet floor makes one likely to slip and get traumatic injuries, such as broken ribs, facial fractures, broken arms, concussion or traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, hip and pelvis fracture, neck and back injuries, contusions, pulled muscles, and many more. Since some of the consequences of these injuries can be dire, it is important to establish who is liable for them so that the victim can get compensated.
Like we mentioned above, property owners are mandated to ensure that their properties remain safe from slip and fall hazards. By doing so, the occupants and visitors of that building will not slip on wet surfaces. However, once these accidents happen, the property owner can be sued for the damage caused.
In most cases, property owners usually place a wet floor sign in areas where they know the occupants of their building are likely to slip and fall. If there was such a sign placed in a visible location and one went ahead and walked on those floors, slipped, and fell, chances of getting compensated are very slim. However, you can get compensated if you are able to prove that the wet floor sign was not visible enough. Better still, if the area was not well lit and as a result, you could not see the sign well.
Finally, if there were some obstacles that left one with no other choice other than walking on the wet floor. To prove all those issues, the victim needs to hire a slip and fall injury lawyer. This lawyer will gather all the evidence needed to prove that they deserve to be compensated by the property owner.
Conclusion
Since slipping on a wet floor can cause serious damages to your body, it is essential that you establish liability for the accident and then seek legal compensation. With the services of a slip and fall accident lawyer, be sure that you will get compensated fast and recover from the injuries caused by this type of accident.