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Personal injury cases involving slip and fall accidents are one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented types of personal injury cases. The truth surrounding injuries caused by slips and falls, though, is much more serious than you might think. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most common misconceptions about these incidents to provide some much-needed clarity regarding the reality of slip and fall accidents and the injuries that they cause.
Misconception #1: Slip and Fall Accidents Aren’t Serious
Misconceptions regarding the seriousness of slip and fall accidents are two-fold. For one, many people wrongly assume that something as simple as falling couldn’t possibly cause an injury that is serious enough to go to court. According to the Center for Disease Control, though, over one million Americans are injured each year by falling and over 17,000 Americans die each year from falling. While many times you might be able to bounce right back up from a fall, if you land the wrong way a fall can certainly cause serious injury or even death.
Misconception #2: Slip and Fall Accidents Aren’t Common
The statistic citing the reality that over one million Americans are injured each year from slip and fall accidents just about tells you all that you need to know about the frequency of these accidents. However, perhaps an even more telling statistic is the fact that 15% of all workplace injuries are caused by falls. This places them as the second most common type of workplace accident, behind only accidents involving overextension.
As personal injury attorneys who have handled a large number of cases involving slip and fall accidents, we can tell you first-hand how common these accidents actually are. One of the factors that leads to these accidents being so common is that a person can suffer a slip and fall accident no matter what they are doing. If you’re not lifting heavy objects, chances are you won’t suffer an overextension injury, and if you aren’t working with dangerous chemicals then chances are you won’t have to worry about inhaling toxic fumes. Since gravity is universal, though, you can slip and fall no matter where you are or what you are doing.
Misconception #3: Slip and Fall Accidents are Always the Fault of the Victim
It’s true that many times falls are caused by a person not paying close enough attention to their environment or sheer clumsiness. However, to say that all slip and fall accidents are always the fault of the person who fell is a sweeping generalization that is entirely false.
If a person or entity owns a piece of property that is visited by the public, used by employees, or otherwise legally visited by anyone other than the property owner, it is their responsibility to ensure that the property is kept completely safe. Many times, though, this responsibility is not upheld. Floors are left slick with liquid and not properly marked, debris and other tripping hazards are left in walkways, and holes in the ground are left unfilled. Of course, these represent just a few of the ways that a property owner could end up being at-fault for a slip and fall accident. In fact, according to the US Department of Labor, the number one most frequently cited OSHA standards violation in 2014 was violations involving fall protection.
The reality is that every slip and fall case is unique. In some instances, it may very well be the person who fell who bears the full responsibility for their accident. In other cases, it is negligence on behalf of the property owner that causes their accident.
Misconception #4: Slip and Fall Personal Injury Cases are Impossible to Win
The idea that slip and fall personal injury cases are impossible to win comes from a combination of all the misconceptions outlined above. However, as personal injury attorneys who have helped countless victims of slip and fall injuries get the compensation that they deserve, we beg to differ with this position.
Like any other type of personal injury case, some slip and fall cases are winnable and some are not. However, slip and fall personal injury cases are certainly not impossible to win, nor or they inherently more difficult to win than any other type of personal injury case.
Protecting Your Rights!
The fact that slip and fall accidents are so misunderstood is unfortunate. The misconceptions regarding slip and fall accidents outlined above not only cause many victims to feel embarrassed about their accident and the injuries that it caused, they also far too often play a role in preventing the victims of slip and fall accidents from pursuing their legal options.
At GOM Law, though, we are dedicated to helping those who have suffered from slip and fall accidents learn more about the options that they have available and pursue compensation for the damage that their injuries have caused.
If you or any of your loved ones is or have been involved in a slip and fall accident that has caused to an injury, you can contact GOM Law in Mcallen, Texas to help you learn more about your rights. We’re happy to offer a free evaluation of your case and are willing to do whatever it takes to help you fight for the outcome you deserve.