Prevention is the best medicine. When it comes to injuries, preventing them is far better than dealing with the aftermath and the recovery.
Injuries due to people slipping and falling are very common. Most of these falls, when they can be attributed to negligence, are because of issues with the flooring of a public establishment. Cincinnati’s top personal injury lawyers represent clients in slip and fall cases every year.
If you are a business owner, you want to avoid any liability. You do not want any customers to sue you over their injuries. It is wise to know what situations to remedy before an accident happens?
What are the most common causes for these slip and fall injuries?
– Uneven floors. If a step is surprisingly high or low, people fall. If there is any kind of gap between floor surfaces say, an inch up from one room to the next – this is especially treacherous for older customers, who tend to not lift their feet as high when walking.
– Potholes. If a customer walks in from the parking lot, any big cracks or gaps in the gravel or blacktop can hurt both their cars and their ankles.
– Liquids being spilled. Spills are inevitable, but you need to block off those areas while the spills are being sopped up.
– Loose rugs or mats. A sliding rug is hazardous. A person’s feet can come right out from under them if a mat or rug is not secured.
– Bulges or flaps in the carpet. Got a spot where the carpet is not even with the floor? Fix it.
– Floorboards coming up. A loose bit of flooring, or a small gap between boards, can be shown as evidence of negligence.
– Tripping over cords or wires. Lamps on waiting tables are often the biggest culprits for this one.
– Slippery, wet floors. You have to mop those hardwood floors, but it’s best to do it when no customers are around.