Trip and fall and slip and fall accidents both involve losing your footing. Slipping involves wet or icy surfaces while tripping occurs due to obstructions and structural issues. If someone else is responsible for your injury, a slip or trip and fall lawyer can help you pursue legal action. Here are some differences between trip and fall versus slip and fall injuries:
Trip and Fall Accidents
A trip usually occurs when you fall forward after stepping on something slippery or unbalancing. Your foot may get caught on an object, or you may not step all the way over a fixed or hard surface. Tripping causes you to fall on your chest, knees, face, and wrist, resulting in bruises, sprains, and fractures. You can trip on an uneven surface, pothole, poorly installed stairs, or loose cords and debris. Poor lighting, damaged floors, and loose carpets all increase the risk of tripping. Such accidents involve your foot catching on something that causes you to lose balance and fall.
Trip and fall accidents often stem from the negligence of property owners, maintenance companies, and other third parties. If you sustain injuries and other damages from tripping a trip and fall lawyer can help you sue the party responsible for the accident. Property owners and operators have a legal duty to keep their premises safe for users. The duty involves repairing issues that increase the risk of tripping. If the property owner can’t fix the issue on time, they should provide conspicuous warnings to notify you of the potential hazard. Failing to address issues like potholes or provide warning signs is interpreted as negligence.
Slip and Fall Accidents
A slip and fall accident usually involves falling backwards after slipping on something wet, such as a slippery floor. You can slip and fall when you step on loose debris like ice and gravel. The fall occurs because of the unbalancing effect or shifting ground material. Your foot slides out due to inadequate grip, resulting in injury to the back, spine, hips, tailbone, and skull. Slip and fall accidents also involve swift motions that can cause traumatic brain injuries and other severe incidents.
Wet floors, especially tile flooring, are among the leading causes of slip and fall injuries in restaurants, bars, and commercial business outlets. Businesses are required to provide wet floor signs during cleaning to notify users of the potential hazard. Spills, grease, and oils must also be wiped off the floor as soon as possible to reduce the risk of slipping. Conditions that cause slips are easy to fix, so proving such incidents requires taking photos and witness statements before leaving the scene.
Navigating Legal Options
Both trip and fall and slip and fall accidents can result in devastating injuries. If the accident is due to negligence of other parties, you can sue them for medical bills, property damages, loss of income, and emotional pain and suffering. Proving negligence involves establishing a duty of care, breach of duty of care, and damages. Property owners, including private landlords and the municipal city, are obligated to take reasonable action to prevent trip and slip accidents.
If property owners fail to repair damages or provide warnings, you can sue them for accidents linked to their negligence. Report the incident to the property owner and take photos or videos of the conditions and sustained injuries. Seek medical attention immediately for professional evaluation and keep the reports and receipts.
Speak to a Trip and Fall Lawyer Today
Slip and trip accidents are usually preventable if property owners take reasonable action to keep their premises safe. Contact a lawyer to build your case and file the claim within the provided time limits. If you sustain injuries and other damages due to a slip or trip injury, talking to a lawyer can help build your case. Contact a legal team today to find out more about your rights and legal options in such cases.
