Where Do Most New Yorkers Experience Slip and Falls?

On September 28, 2017 by No Comments

Usually when we slip and fall, we get up, dust ourselves off and have a laugh at our clumsiness. However, sometimes slips and falls can result in serious or even fatal injuries. In fact, slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of emergency room visits for New Yorkers.

Watch out for these common sites of slips and falls to avoid getting hurt, and also to properly maintain your property to prevent accidents and potential liability for injuries in the future.

Sidewalks

New York is the most densely populated city in the nation. We also have a wet winter climate.

Therefore, New York sidewalks crowded are not just crowded, often cluttered with garbage and other debris. But they also may be slippery due to snow and ice in cold weather. On top of all that, sidewalks may also be poorly maintained by the city or by property owners.

All together, these factors make sidewalks one of the most common sites of slip and fall accidents for New Yorkers.

To help prevent sidewalk slip and fall accidents, New York has a number of regulations in place. For example, New York municipal code requires that snow and ice be removed within hours of a storm ending, and property owners can be cited or even summonsed for failing to do so. Sidewalks must also be kept free of debris and in good repair.

If the property owner and/or city fail to do these things, they can – and should – be held liable for resultant injuries.

Bathrooms

According to the CDC, 234,000 nonfatal injuries occur in bathrooms annually, and about 81% of these are due to slips and falls. This makes bathrooms high-risk areas for slip and fall accidents. To prevent slips and falls in your home bathrooms, ensure that any spills or splashes are mopped up quickly. You can also place high-quality bath mats on floors, and install nonslip surfaces in showers and tubs.

If you are injured in a public restroom and the establishment was aware of the dangerous conditions, a premises liability suit may be appropriate. Business owners and other public facilities are required to meet minimum safety standards in public bathrooms. They can be cited or held liable for resultant accidents upon failing to meet these standards.

Hallways

Hallways are narrow, high-traffic areas, and may become crowded with debris or subject to slippery spills. Together, these factors make hallways a very common site of slip, trip, and fall accidents – particularly in the workplace. To prevent these injuries, be sure that hallways are kept clear of clutter. Also make sure any spills on hard surfaces are quickly mopped up and dried.

Employers and other places of business are required to keep hallways well-lit and free of clutter to prevent such injuries.   Spills should also be mopped up quickly, and wet floors should be marked appropriately. These are necessary requirements for them to meet fire code. Failure to meet these guidelines means that the property owner or manager may be held liable for any slip and fall accidents.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may face debilitating injuries, high medical bills, lost wages and potentially even more serious consequences. If the accident occurred on someone else’s property, it may be appropriate to seek damages to compensate you for your injuries, medical bills, and lost wages.

Reach out to a compassionate and experienced premises liability attorney to get your case evaluated and start working to get the compensation you deserve. Alternatively,  simply fill out one of our case intake forms. We will have one of our attorneys get right back to you.