Common Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards

Tripping or slipping on something and falling can be a pretty embarrassing experience. Sometimes it can be so unexpected and shocking that at first people do not realize how injured they are. But slip, trip, and falls can cause serious personal injuries to the point that they could be life changing. One of the leading causes of serious injuries in the United States is falling on someone’s property caused by a dangerous condition on that property. Sometimes, property owners are negligent in how they maintain their property, whether it be someone’s private property like a home or sidewalk or whether it be a commercial property like a retail store. Below, we have put together a list of potential slip, trip, and fall hazards to look out for when going about your daily business.

Retail Stores

One of the main areas where customers fall are retail stores such as grocery stores, department stores, clothing stores, and hardware stores, among others. Often, customers will slip, trip, and fall caused by dangerous conditions on the store floors. One of the main reasons that retail stores are so dangerous is that customers are looking at products on the shelves and not the floor. This, however, is what the property owner wants them to do. The owner of the store wants customers to look at the products for sale which are basically built-in distractions. This means that owners and managers of retail stores have an extra duty to their customers to make sure their floors and aisles are clear of hazards. Here are some common dangers in retail stores:

● Spilled slippery substances, particularly in grocery stores. These spills are extra dangerous if the liquid is clear and difficult to see. Grocery store employees must be extra vigilant in spotting and cleaning up spills.

● Stacked boxes in aisles. Again, customers are looking at the shelves and not at the floor. Tripping over a random box on the floor is very common.

● Uneven mats or carpets. Retail stores will often use mats or carpets, particularly by store entrance ways. Sometimes these mats can be kicked-up and uneven, creating a tripping hazard.

● Cords and cables. Sometimes stores have loose extension cords or cables on which customers can snag their foot on and fall.

● Overcrowded and congested aisles. If the store aisles are narrow and filled with product displays and boxes, then it could cause a tripping hazard. This is often the case in the smaller, dollar-type stores that have been popping up all over the place.

● Poor lighting. If there is poor or inadequate lighting in the store, this makes it difficult for the customers to see any dangerous condition on the floor, assuming they are even looking.

Sidewalks

People are injured due to trips, slips, and falls on sidewalks all the time. Accidents causing serious personal injuries happen on privately owned sidewalks as well as sidewalks maintained by commercial businesses. Most municipalities have codes that dictate what constitutes a safe sidewalk and what doesn’t and how a property owner should maintain their sidewalks and walkways. Here are some hazardous conditions to look out for when walking on sidewalks:

● Uneven sidewalks: Because of the weather in the Northern Tennessee and the Tri-Cities area, with cold winters and hot summers, concrete sidewalks, and the dirt underneath them, will contract and expand causing portions of the sidewalk to rise up or sink. This causes a dangerous tripping hazard. Also, sometimes the roots of trees can cause sidewalks to become dangerously uneven. Whatever the cause, if the sidewalk is dangerous and against the municipal code, that property owner can be held responsible for any serious personal injuries caused by the uneven walkway.

● Snow covered or icy walkways: Given the type of winters that we experience here in Tennessee, property owners must be diligent in maintaining their sidewalks and walkways and clearing them of ice and snow. The law mandates that property owners must clear sidewalks and parking lots of snow and ice within a reasonable time. In most municipalities, the code requires that these areas be cleared within 24 hours of the stopping of the precipitation event.

Serous slip and fall injuries can affect someone for the rest of their life. If you have suffered injuries due to a dangerous hazard on someone’s property, then you may have questions about lost wages, unpaid medical bills, and damages for pain and suffering. Let us help you through this!

Robert BatesRobert is a Kingsport trial lawyer who handles car, truck and motorcycle wreck cases across the Tri-Cities. Every client gets his cell number.