While Dallas residents are not worried about slipping on ice outdoors, there are other dangerous conditions that individuals in Texas may encounter that could lead to a serious injury caused by a slip or a fall insider or outside of a building. A slip-and-fall injury could cause a fall victim to suffer much harm and damage, making it imperative to consider how the fall occurred and who might be liable for the incident and resulting injuries.
Dangerous conditions
Going inside buildings, whether it is a business, grocery store, restaurant, post office or dwelling, visitors or patrons expect that the building is safe to be within and walk around. This includes safe entryways, stairs or any device getting a person from one floor to another, such as an escalator or elevator. Unfortunately, not all buildings are properly maintained. This could lead to a serious slip-and-fall injury, harming a person’s back, neck, head, limbs and internal organs.
Indoors, a slip and fall accident could occur because of a split liquid, a rug, ripped carpet, broken stairs or because the owner failed to fix an escalator, elevator or lighting in a stairway or corridor.
Outdoor slip-and-fall accidents could be brought on by the weather. While snow and ice are not very common in Texas, rain is. Slippery conditions could occur on the sidewalk due to dust or sediment mixed with the rainfall. Additionally, rain puddles could hide the depth of a pothole, causing visitor to trip or fall because of it. Other dangerous condition outdoors that could lead to a slip-and-fall include inadequate outdoor lighting and holes, cracks or uneven surfaces on the sidewalk or parking lot.
Liability for a slip-and-fall
When a slip-and-fall accident occurs, it is questioned whether the property owner knew or should have known about the conditions. If it is determined that they knew and failed to correct it or should have known about the dangerous condition, then the property owner could be held liable for the harms caused by the incident.
A fall victim could hold a property owner through a premises liability action. This civil suit not only helps to hold a property owner liable, but it also helps establish the damages suffered, assisting the victim with the recovery of compensation.