A “slip and fall” injury refers to an injury sustained by an individual while on another person’s property. Liability for a slip and fall injury is determined based on whether or not the property in question was in dangerous condition at the time of the injury. Liability also depends on whether or not the property owner was aware of the dangerous condition of their property and how long the property remained in a dangerous condition for.
There are several common areas in which slip and fall injuries may occur. These include but are not limited to floors that have been cleaned or treated without proper signage, stairs, and transportation devices such as escalators or elevators. In cases such as these, the injured party may be required to provide evidence of a dangerous, persistent condition in order to establish the owner’s liability for their injury.
Property owners may also be held liable for areas in which they have failed to keep up with basic property maintenance. For example, if trash is left on the ground in a stairwell and causes someone using the stairs to slip and fall, the owner may be held liable if they were aware of the problem but failed to fix it in a timely manner. Likewise, if a property owner waxes the surface of a floor and fails to provide warnings or barriers and a person falls, they may be held liable for any injuries caused.