What are "slip and fall" or "trip and fall" injuries? | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A “slip and fall” or “trip and fall” is the term used for an injury occurring when someone slips, trips or falls as a result of a hazardous or dangerous condition on someone else’s property. Slips, trips, and falls commonly occur as a result of water, ice, snow, changes in flooring, poor lighting, or a hidden hazard.

Over eight million people were injured in falls in 2004, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. A majority of slip and fall injuries are accrued by older individuals. In 2005, over 15,000 people age 65 or older died from injuries attributed to a fall, according to the Center for Disease Control. Roughly 1.8 million age 65 and older were treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries, and over 433,000 of these people were hospitalized.

If you are on someone else’s property and are injured as a result of a dangerous condition on the property, the landowner may be liable for the injury or injuries. The person or company using the land can also be liable, like the store, restaurant or business renting the building, if they were the ones at fault. The injured person must show that the land owner or user did something wrong to hold them responsible, like that they created a danger, failed to inspect the premises, or carelessly failed to warn of a hidden hazard.

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