Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Here are some common ones:

• Slippery surfaces. Spilled liquids, freshly mopped floors, or weather-related conditions such as melting ice can make it easy to lose footing. Some surface areas, such as smooth floor tiles, can be very slippery, even when dry.
• Uneven surfaces. Uneven or damaged floors, including cracks, potholes, and worn carpeting, are common causes of tripping and falling. When flooring is not properly maintained, it can present a significant hazard to anyone walking across it.
• Cluttered walkways. Obstructions in hallways, aisles, or walkways can cause people to trip and fall. Small items and debris can be especially easy to miss and trip over.
• Lighting problems. Poor lighting in stairways, hallways, or outdoor areas can make it difficult to see potential hazards, increasing the chances of slipping or tripping.
• Unsafe structures. Stairs and ramps that lack proper handrails, have uneven steps, or are not adequately lit are dangerous. Some construction site accidents happen because of slippery surfaces on scaffolding, ladders, and other work areas.
• Weather-related hazards. Rain, snow, and ice can create slippery surfaces outside of buildings, especially in parking lots, sidewalks, and entryways. When ice and snow get tracked in, they can puddle and cause slippery floors.

It is expected that property owners take proper care to prevent unsafe conditions. While a store owner can’t do anything about Colorado winters, for example, he or she is expected to shovel their walkway and put salt down to prevent falls. When property owners fail to maintain and clean their property, they can be held liable if someone is injured.

Common Slip And Fall Accident Injuries In Colorado

Slip and fall accidents can lead to a variety of injuries, depending on the circumstances of the fall and the surface involved. Common injuries include:

• Falls can cause broken bones, particularly in the wrists, as people try to break their fall. Among older adults, fractures of the ankles, hips, and spine are especially common.
• Sprains and strains. Falling can cause the body to twist suddenly, which can cause muscle strains or ligament sprains.
• Head Injuries. The most concerning fall injuries include skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can be fatal or can lead to permanent disability.
• Back injuries. The impact of hitting a hard floor can cause herniated discs, nerve damage, fractures in the back, chronic back pain, and other serious back and spinal cord injuries.
• Soft tissue damage. In addition to other injuries, bruising, contusions, and damage to the skin or tissue are in slip and fall accidents.
• Facial injuries. If you don’t manage to break your fall, you could fall face-first, which can knock out your teeth, chip your teeth, break your nose, and cause eye injuries as well as other facial injuries.

Each year, an average of over 40,000 Americans die due to falls. If you lose a loved one due to a slip and fall accident, you may have a wrongful death claim and may be entitled to compensation.

If you’re ever in a slip and fall accident yourself, treat it seriously. Even if you have no symptoms, get a medical evaluation to rule out a serious injury.

Risks To the Elderly

For elderly individuals, the risks associated with falls are especially concerning, as they can result in serious injuries that impact quality of life. For seniors, falls are also a leading cause of fatality.

At the same time, the elderly are more at risk of falls, since as people age, they may experience a decline in muscle strength, coordination, and balance. This can make it more difficult to maintain stability and make it easier to fall. In addition, age-related vision problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, can significantly impair an elderly person’s ability to see obstacles.

Many elderly individuals also take multiple medications to manage various health conditions. Some medications, or the combination of different drugs, can cause side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, or impaired coordination, which can increase the risk of falling.

Conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease are more common among seniors, and these medical conditions can further impair movement, balance, and mobility. This can contribute to a higher risk of falling.

When the elderly fall, the consequences can be more severe than they might be for a younger adult. Even a seemingly minor fall can result in significant injury. Conditions such as osteoporosis can make serious injury more likely and can make it harder for the elderly to recover from broken bones. Many elderly individuals also become anxious or fearful of falling again, which can lead to isolation and a decline in mental health.

If an elderly person falls due to unsafe conditions in a public place, nursing home, or workplace, they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. Unfortunately, in many cases property owners blame the victim’s age for the fall to minimize their own liability. In this situation, slip & falls accident lawyers in Colorado can help you determine if legal action is appropriate and can pursue compensation for you or your elderly family member.

How Do I Know Who Is Responsible for My Fall Injury?

If you’ve been injured in a fall, understanding who is responsible for your injury is crucial for determining whether you have a valid claim for compensation. If your injury was caused by someone’s negligence, you have the right to pursue compensation. Finding all liable parties is important to make sure that you can hold all responsible parties accountable.

In many slip and fall cases, there may be multiple liable parties:

• Property owners and tenants. In most fall injury cases, responsibility falls on the property owner or occupier. In Colorado, property owners have a legal duty to maintain a safe environment for visitors. This includes ensuring that walkways, floors, and common areas are free from hazards that could cause slips, trips, or falls. In cases where you slip and fall in a business, both the property owner and the person leasing the property for business may be held liable.
• Landlord and tenants. A common cause of landlord-tenant disputes is slip and fall accidents. When someone is injured at a rental property, both the landlord and tenant may claim the other party was responsible for snow clearing and maintenance.
• Employers. Employers are obligated to provide a safe work environment for employees. This includes maintaining safe walkways, addressing potential hazards, and ensuring that employees have the proper training and equipment to avoid accidents. If you’re injured in a fall at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation benefits may cover medical expenses and lost wages, but they generally do not allow you to sue your employer directly for negligence.
• Building contractors or maintenance services. If a fall occurs due to poor construction, substandard repairs, or maintenance work that was not done correctly, the contractor or company responsible for the work may be held liable.
• Governments. If your fall occurred on a government-owned sidewalk, street, or park, a government entity could be held responsible. In Colorado, public entities are required to maintain public spaces to prevent accidents. If they fail to address hazardous conditions—such as potholes, poorly maintained sidewalks, or snow and ice accumulation—they may be liable. There are laws which limit the public’s ability to sue the government, so if your injuries were caused by a government entity you will want to work with experienced slip & falls accident lawyers in Colorado.
• Product manufacturers. If you fell because of poorly designed footwear, defective flooring material, or another faulty product, the manufacturer of the unsafe product may be responsible.
• Third-party contractors. If a cleaning company failed to clean up a spill, or a landscaping service left debris on a pathway, they may be liable for any resulting injuries.

It may not be obvious to you what caused your fall. For example, you may not know that the manufacturer of a floor tile has received multiple complaints due to their faulty product. You may not realize that a property owner or cleaning service has been warned many times about ice build-up and has failed to act.

This is where slip & falls accident lawyers in Colorado can help. Experienced attorneys will secure maintenance records, find previous accidents in the same area, and will work with investigators, if necessary, to find all liable parties and to gather evidence for your case.

You can help your attorney help you by getting documentation, if you can. Take photos of the area where you fell, noting any hazards that may have caused the accident (such as wet floors, debris, or uneven surfaces). If there were any witnesses to your fall, get their contact information and if you can.

You will also want to seek immediate medical attention and keep all records of your treatment. In addition, contacting an attorney quickly after your injury allows your lawyer to immediately start securing evidence and building your case.