You can slip when you lose your footing; you can trip when you catch your foot on or in something; and you can fall when you come down from an upright standing, walking, or running position and strike the floor, ground, stairs, or other surface suddenly and with force.
Spills, ice, snow, rain, loose mats, rugs, and stepladders are some of the common causes of slips, trips, and falls. Poor lighting and clutter can also cause injuries such as sprains, strains, bruises, bumps, fractures, scratches, and cuts.
Slips, trips, and falls are common causes of injuries in retail stores, grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, bars, and office buildings. Falls from portable ladders (step, straight, combination and extension) are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries—as well as injuries and fatalities in the home.
These accidents often lead to legal liability claims against commercial and residential property owners for medical expenses, permanent injuries, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other personal injury damages.
Laws vary from state to state and legal liability for injuries suffered in slip and fall accidents may depend on whether the state’s laws evaluate those claims under theories of simple negligence; premises liability (with different levels of duty or care owed to trespassers, licensees, and invitees); or negligent activity. These laws are often found in a state’s court opinions (also known as case law, common law, or judicial decisions).
Businesses and other places open to the public may have legal liability for slip and fall accidents, which are often the subject of liability claims against retail stores, grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, bars, and office buildings.
Homeowners may also have liability for slip and fall accidents in or around their homes if the accident is caused by an unreasonably dangerous condition and the homeowner failed to remedy (fix) the condition or warn guests about the condition.
An owner of residential or commercial property can often defend against a claim of premises liability for a slip and fall or similar accident by demonstrating that the condition that caused the accident was open and obvious to a person of ordinary intelligence and awareness and the injured claimant or plaintiff should have recognized and avoided the risk.
How to Keep Employees, Customers, and Other Members of the Public Safe
• If you see something you or someone else might slip or trip on, tell your manager or supervisor right away.
• Clean up spills and anything slippery. Check with your manager or supervisor about how to use cleaning products. Don’t use cleaners that could make the floor slippery.
• Clear walkways, stairs, and lobbies of anything that might be a tripping hazard, such as cords, wires, empty boxes, and clutter.
• Make sure that floor mats lay flat rather than wrinkled or bunched.
• Use handrails when you walk up and down steps.
• Before using any ladder or stepladder, make sure it opens fully.
• Check that ladder extensions are fully locked and that the ladder legs are stable on a flat, non-slippery surface.
• Clean off any slippery material on the rungs, steps, or feet of a ladder before you use it.
• Don’t go over the load limit noted on the ladder.
• Minimize drop-offs on the edges of sidewalks and walkways where employees, customers, or others may sprain their ankles and fall.
In Tennessee, slips, trips, and falls are addressed under premises liability law, which is a form of negligence law. Property owners and occupiers have a duty to ensure their premises are reasonably safe for visitors. The level of care owed varies depending on whether the visitor is a trespasser, licensee, or invitee. Business owners and homeowners can be held liable for accidents that occur on their property due to hazardous conditions such as spills, ice, or clutter, if they knew or should have known about the danger and failed to correct it or warn visitors. To defend against liability claims, property owners may argue that the hazardous condition was open and obvious, and that a person of ordinary intelligence should have recognized and avoided the risk. Tennessee law requires that property owners take reasonable steps to prevent injuries, which includes maintaining clean and clear walkways, ensuring floor mats are flat, providing adequate lighting, and properly maintaining ladders. Failure to do so can result in legal claims for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. It is important for employers to train employees on safety protocols to minimize the risk of slips, trips, and falls in the workplace.
