January 27, 2015

Winter Fall Injury Hazards

Posted in Personal Injury

Once winter has set in, there often is a great deal of excitement about various upcoming holidays, parties at work and gatherings with friends and family. There is shopping to do for clothing, gifts and party supplies. In the midst of all the excitement, it is important to remember that walking is extremely dangerous on wet, icy and snowy sidewalks, and when entering buildings with entryways slickened by melted snow and water.

The National Safety Council reports that falls are the leading cause of injuries, with approximately 8.9 million hospital visits to the ER every year, and with 25,000 fatalities from falls in a recent year.

Older people are at greater risk of serious injury, and the agency reports that those over 55 years of age are almost four times more likely to die from the injuries sustained in a fall. Persons of any age could suffer very serious injuries in a slip and fall, depending upon the circumstances. These yearly statistics tell a frightening tale about the dangers of slip and fall injury:

Common Winter Fall Injuries

The injuries sustained in a slip and fall include the following:

• Head injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Back Injuries
• Broken Bones
• Severe Soft Tissue Injuries
• Death

Any property owner or manager has the duty to take reasonable precautions to protect visitors and guests from risk of injury. If you have been injured in a slip and fall, you may have a premises liability claim. You can get an explanation of your legal options by contacting a New York premises liability lawyer to get a case evaluation.

Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common causes of accidents that take place in commercial enterprises, such as hotels, restaurants and public buildings. Seventy percent of these accidents occur on flat surfaces. During winter months, the numbers of serious injuries from slip and fall accidents always rise. Any person is at risk when the sidewalks are snowy or icy, and if a slip and fall does occur, the steps you take immediately after the accident can have a significant impact on your ability to recover damages from the property owner or manager.

Slip and fall accidents are responsible for 53% of general liability claims filed against companies. Sixty-one percent of these cases took place on one level. There are various ways a property owner can be deemed to be responsible for the damages to a visitor or guest that will make it possible to file a claim and get a settlement. These factors include:

Falls for Older Adults: The Dangers

Among older adults, the CDC reports that falls are the leading cause of death. The agency reports that in 2012, there were 2.4 million falls that required a trip to the ER, and 722,000 of these injured victims required hospitalization. The agency reports the following statistics related to older adults and falls:

If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall, whether at a home, in a commercial building, in a store, or in any government or private building, it is important that you get in touch with an experienced New York personal injury attorney. At Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek, P.C., we have recovered $200 million in damages over 12 years in practice. We are prepared to help you to seek full compensation and to get justice in a slip and fall case.

Sources:

NSC: http://www.nsc.org/safety_home/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/Pages/Falls.aspx#slips, trips and falls
NSUI: http://www.nsui.com/slip-and-falls-are-1-2/