Slips and Falls: Funny on Film, Serious in Real Life

Over the years, plenty of actors and performers have made us laugh with exaggerated trips and falls designed for comedic effect. Now, there are also tons of supposedly funny clips on YouTube of people slipping and falling on icy sidewalks and pavement. In reality, however, many trips and fall or slips and falls are anything but funny and result in thousands of serious injuries every year. Broken bones, skull fractures, and spinal injuries are just of the few the traumas that can befall those who wind up hitting the ground as a result of slipping or tripping. For seniors, these falls can lead to even worse consequences.

Many of these incidents and injuries could have been avoided. Icy and unsalted sidewalks, uneven sidewalks, poor lighting, unaddressed spills, and slippery pavement on property that someone else had a duty to maintain are just some of the reasons that can form the basis of a claim for damages arising out of a slip or trip and fall.

Premises Liability

“Premises liability” is the legal concept behind holding property owners responsible for injuries that happened due to their failure to maintain their property in a safe condition. To prove that the owner was “negligent” and therefore liable for the injury, the person who fell must show that the property owner owed visitors a duty of care and subsequently failed to live up to this duty by failing to care for their property as a reasonable person would under the same circumstances. Additionally, the injured party must prove that he was indeed injured and that the owner’s breach of the duty of care caused the injuries.

Common Accidents

In addition to the hazards caused by the ice and snow that we will no doubt see this winter, slips and falls can occur in a variety of places in any number of conditions. Examples include:

• Falls in grocery stores after workers cleaned a spill without sufficiently marking the area;
• Falls by restaurant patrons after tripping over napkins, utensils, and food left on dining room floors;
• Falls down uneven or defective stairs;
• Falls on poorly maintained or installed sidewalks, such as ones with raised slabs or cracks

Consult With an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Who Can Evaluate Your Slip and Fall Case

Not every fall will lead to a serious injury nor will every fall lead to a claim for damages. But if you’ve been injured as a result of a trip or slip and fall on someone else’s property, you should seek out experienced counsel who can thoroughly evaluate the circumstances of your accident and make a thoughtful evaluation of your situation.

Nugent & Bryant: Your Connecticut Personal Injury Law Firm

At Nugent & Bryant, we have worked hard to build a reputation as one of Connecticut’s premier law firms advocating for accident victims’ rights. We are an exceptional law firm that has been achieving results for our clients over 30 years. If you have suffered a personal injury or catastrophic injury, or are dealing with the aftermath of the wrongful death of a loved one, call us today at (203) 795-1111 for a free consultation.

This article has been prepared by Nugent & Bryant for informational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.