7 Examples of Unsafe Property Conditions: Is Your Slip and Fall Claim Valid?
Premise liabilities emerge when a property owner doesn’t remove hazards from inside or outside their property. If a visitor is injured because of the hazard, the property owner is liable for all medical costs and financial losses incurred because of the accident. You can check this URL and learn how legal professionals can help in strengthening the claim.
Property owners can review the 7 examples of unsafe property conditions that increase the risk of accidents.
- Uneven Flooring
Structural defects and the age of the property lead to uneven flooring that presents a tripping hazard for customers. If the property owner cannot repair the uneven flooring, it is paramount for them to set up signs that warn the public about the hazard. If they do not have signs, a customer that trips and falls could file a personal injury claim against the property owner. Victims of premises liabilities can find a personal injury attorney and get started on a legal claim now.
- Slick or Wet Flooring
During storms and rain showers, the flooring inside retail stores becomes wet and slippery. Even with mats at the doors to capture some of the dampness from customers’ shoes, the wet flooring presents a hazard. It is necessary for the property owner to place signs around the doorways to warn customers of the slip and fall hazards, and it is vital for them to clean up the rainwater frequently to decrease the potential of a fall.
- Dim Lighting Around Stairs
Stairways and steps leading into or out of a retail store must be well-lit. Dimmer lights will prevent the customers from seeing the steps or stairs properly, and they could fall easily. The property owner must test the steps or stairs according to how much light shines onto the installations.
If it is difficult to see them, the property owner must install better lighting. Even if they place signs outside, the dim lighting could prevent the customers from seeing the signs.
- Damaged Parking Lots
Parking lots must be maintained to prevent visitor-related accidents that lead to serious injuries. Potholes and cracks in the asphalt increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents and could make visitors trip and fall. The property owner must evaluate the parking lot frequently to find these issues and correct them quickly.
- Inadequate Signage and Direction
Signs are a must for all retail store owners. They need wet floor signs whenever the floor presents a risk. The owner must set up signs and barriers if a portion of their property is under construction.
They must also install signs that show customers where the exits and emergency exits are, and these signs may require lights that help the visitors find them. Directional signs help the visitors navigate through the commercial space, and this could be useful if they must leave the property in a hurry because of an emergent situation.
- Inadequate Security for Events and Public Gatherings
During public events, the host must hire adequate security to prevent injuries because of altercations and other criminal acts. If a visitor sustains an injury, the host and the property owner must show that there was adequate security to avoid a legal claim.
- Chemicals Spilled on the Floor
In retail spaces, chemical spills are more likely, and if they are not mitigated quickly, injuries will happen. Floor signs must be placed around the spills to prevent slip and fall accidents, and most retail stores have a policy where an employee must remain in the area until the spill is cleaned up. A failure to warn visitors leads to liabilities for the property owners.
Premise liabilities are caused by a failure to complete repairs and eliminate hazards around commercial and residential properties. Any property owner can face liabilities because of these failures. By reviewing the current premises liability laws, victims of these failures discover how to start a legal claim.
