New Yorkers may not want to admit it, but the following has happened to us all. We are walking along, looking at our phone or chatting with a friend when — thud — we find ourselves sprawled on the ground. In the best scenarios, we feel a bit embarrassed and then stand up, brush ourselves off and go about our day. In the worst scenarios, the fall leads to an injury.
Sometimes, a fall is our fault. We were clumsy or not paying attention to where we were going. Other times, the fall is someone else’s fault. If the reason is because a business let a dangerous condition go untreated, New Yorkers injured from that condition may have legal options.
Why? Because businesses have a legal duty to keep their premises safe. As a result, if it snows, they need to shovel. If the sidewalk gets icy, they need to de-ice it. If the aisle has a pool of water smack in the middle of it, they need to mop it up. Failure to take care of these conditions may be negligent.
Nonetheless, puddles and winter weather are hardly the only conditions that can give rise to a slip-and-fall lawsuit. Protruding cables, damaged ladders, loose flooring, freshly waxed floors and more means that even a simple trip can leave a legacy of aches and pains.
New Yorkers who been hurt in a slip-and-fall accident for the reasons mentioned above (as well as many others) may want to discuss the circumstances of that accident with an experienced personal-injury attorney. That conversation could be the beginning of receiving the compensation New Yorkers deserve.
Source: ReliablePlant.com, “6 guidelines to prevent workplace slips, trips and falls,” W.W. Grainger, Accessed Dec. 9, 2014
