Slip & Fall Accidents: The Danger Lurking In Autumn Leaves
Autumn is a beautiful time of year, but it’s not without its fair share of hazards. Taking a moment to bask in all of the golden foliage and autumnal beauty is a must, but among the bursting colors there is still a need for caution and care.
Fallen leaves can cause surfaces to be slippery, and may also cover up hazardous flaws on the ground, including potholes and cracks in the pavement. Leaf cover can also make dangerous places, like stairwells, even worse. As cheesy as it may sound, we should always think one step ahead in the fall, or we could end up taking a nasty fall ourselves and end up with a bad injury.
Wet leaves are also a great risk to drivers on the road. Think of it this way, you never know how far you are from the nearest hazard when the leaves have created a blanket over everything.
Keep A Look Out
We should always keep a vigilant eye out for dangers in the Autumn. Leaves can form a very thick, slick surface that makes the ground look deceptively even and flat, even when it could be cobbled or cracked. Hazards like that are a serious risk to our health and can cause injuries, including trips, slips or falls. We should do all we can to protect ourselves in such conditions, both in public and on other people’s property.
Up to 15% of all trip, slip and fall accidents result in accidental death. While we are not trying to worry you, this is a great cause for concern.
Precautions You Can Take
As property owners, we can all take appropriate cautions to protect ourselves and others.
Aim to keep your property safe and prevent the risk of people sliding, slipping or falling. In particular, clear away leaves that accumulate outside your house on a regular basis.
Frequent inspections should be carried out to ensure that no slip and fall hazards exist on the interior or exterior of your building. It’s up to you to make your property safe for passersby.
Think about your hallways, parking spaces, gardens and driveways. Doing routine checks will help you expose any hazards and fix the problems before any thing bad happens to anybody.
Filing A Slip & Fall Lawsuit
No matter how careful you are, there are always going to be people who fall over from leaves in Autumn. Unfortunately, this sort of accident is inevitable. If somebody falls on someone else’s property, the victim may be eligible to make a claim for financial compensation.
When it comes to wet leaves being the cause of an accident, a local government or private property owner may be held responsible in a court of law.
Slip and fall accident lawsuits are based on the legal theory of negligence. Reasonable property owners are expected to root out potential hazards and fix them, especially obvious fall risks like slippery leaves on a sidewalk. When property owners fail to maintain their premises in a reasonable manner, fall victims can suffer severe injuries, but may be able to pursue financial compensation in a negligence lawsuit.
Steps To Financial Compensation
Litigation isn’t always so simple. Success or failure depends on whether the plaintiff can clearly show a link between the accident, the property owner’s negligence and the damages inflicted on the victim. You must also show legal causation – in the absence of the property owner’s negligence, the injury would not have occurred in the first place.
Successful plaintiffs stand to secure valuable financial compensation, including compensation to cover their medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. In severe cases, settlements and jury verdicts can reach into the millions of dollars.
Stay safe out there! Wear footwear with good treading. Always use railing whenever possible. Take extra caution when walking outside and keep yourself safe from the dangers lurking in Autumn.