Common slip and fall incidents

• Wet or slippery surfaces:  According to the National Floor Safety Institute, nearly 55% of all slip and fall accidents happen because a walking surface was hazardous. This can include cluttered floors, wet surfaces, product spills, uneven sidewalks, torn carpeting, or poorly constructed flooring. When a falling accident happens, the property owner or contractor may be held accountable because the issue was not properly addressed or repaired.
• Weather conditions: Utah is known for its snow during winter and rainy seasons. Property owners are responsible for ensuring that snow, water, and ice are properly channeled and removed from designated walking areas. A common example of negligence we see locally is when snowmelt water is not adequately removed from a sidewalk. The collected water then freezes overnight and makes an extremely slippery and hard to see ice sheet that pedestrians may slip-on.
• The elderly or disabled are not properly cared for: Those with physical limitations are more likely to have difficulty walking on their own. Nursing homes and care facilities have responsibilities to their residents to help ensure they can get around and do so safely. When these individuals are not properly monitored, or assisted accidents can happen. Because of their physical needs, these accidents’ repercussions can be quite large, including broken limbs or hip replacements.