A slip and fall personal injury can occur while visiting someone’s home, attending school, working on the job site, shopping in the supermarket, or walking on the sidewalk. A slip and fall caused by wet floors, icy sidewalks and parking lots, spilled grease, uneven walking surfaces, and cluttered walkways can cause serious personal injury. Slip and fall cases fall under the class of cases known as “premises liability” claims because they involve a personal injury on property that the owner was under a duty to maintain.
When the property owner breaches his or her duty to maintain workplace safety and a personal injury results, the injured party should consult a personal injury lawyer. A slip and fall claim arises when a city does not properly maintain it sidewalks or when a store does not dutifully clean its aisles. d’Oliveira & Associates has the knowledge and experience to recover compensation for slip and fall victims from negligent property owners, negligent businesses leasing property, and insurance companies.
Conditions Causing Indoor Slip and Fall Injuries
Several conditions created by a property owner’s failure to use care cause slip and fall injuries indoors. The failure of the property owner to provide adequate warnings for dangerous surfaces, evenly apply floor treatments, provide “non-skid” treatments where necessary, or replace torn or bulging carpet may create liability. Stairs also pose a significant slip and fall risk. The failure of the property owner to repair uneven or rounded stairs, clean spills and other obstructions, or to provide a handrail may also create liability.
Slip and Fall Statistics
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and falls account for over 1 million hospital visits per year. Slip and falls are the most common worker’s compensation claim. While slip and falls are often associated with the elderly, they are the leading occupational injury for people aged 15 to 24 years old. Fifty-five percent of slip and falls are caused by floor surfaces and 24 percent of slip and falls are caused by footwear. Falls occur when safety in the workplace is neglected in businesses like manufacturing, service, maintenance, construction, and trucking industries.
Slip and falls on the jobsite fall under the class of cases known as “workers’ compensation” claims because every state requires businesses to cover workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance establishes a fixed monetary award for particular injuries. Sometimes the government may deny a workers’ compensation claim because it is claimed the slip and fall injury did not occur in the course of employment. An injured party in Rhode Island and Massachusetts who has been denied workers’ compensation benefits in a slip and fall case should consult a lawyer.
Do You Have a Slip and Fall Personal Injury Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, the RI slip and fall lawyers at d’Oliveira & Associates want you to know that you may be entitled to compensation. d’Oliveira & Associates has years of experience when it comes to Rhode Island slip and fall lawsuits, and can help ensure that you receive the legal representation you deserve for your personal injury claim. Please contact the law offices of d’Oliveira & Associates at 1-800-992-6867 or fill out a contact form for a free legal consultation.
Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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