If you receive injuries from slipping and falling in a place of business, the owner may be liable. Business owners have a responsibility to do what they can to prevent accidents, and slips and falls are one of the main causes of injury.
In order to prove a business was negligent, a plaintiff must prove a number of things.
Things businesses can do to prevent slip and fall accidents
According to Home Business Magazine, conducting regular inspections of the premises is an important aspect of preventing accidents. This ensures that one will identify hazards as soon as possible so repair can occur.
Wet floors due to spills or weather are common. Someone should clean them up as quickly as possible and place signage to warn of the wet floor. If repair of a hazard cannot take place right away, there should be adequate signage so others know of the hazard and can avoid it.
Stairways are other places where people slip and fall. Some ways to prevent this are to provide adequate lighting, have sturdy handrails and fix any broken steps. Other strategies to prevent falls include rugs, clearing clutter and keeping cords out of the way. Owners are also responsible for their exterior property, such as sidewalks and parking lots.
Elements needed to prove negligence
FindLaw discusses that in order for a business owner to be negligent, the plaintiff must show certain elements:
- The plaintiff received injuries due to a hazardous condition, and
- The owner caused the condition, or
- The owner or an employee knew about the condition and did not repair it or
- The condition was there for long enough that the owner or employee should have known about it and fixed it
Even if there was a hazard present that caused an injury, a judge may not find the owner negligent if he or she took the steps necessary to repair it or warn others about it.