Slip and Fall

Slip-and-fall accidents are one of life’s frequent occurrences that often seem funny when affecting other people, but can actually result in a catastrophic injury that may be difficult to recover from. However, these accidents can be easily prevented or drastically reduced by taking a few simple precautions.

No matter what season or location in California, any home is at risk for slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents due to a variety of reasons. However, these incidents always have a few things in common; mainly, a loss of footing or a stumble due to slippery or broken floors. To prevent such accidents from affecting your family or any visitors to your home, follow these steps:

• Immediately clean up any spills;
• Clearly mark any wet areas;
• Install non-slippery flooring, especially in areas where liquids are often present;
• Keep walkways free of clutter and obstacles;
• Secure mats, carpets, rugs, etc. to keep them laying flat;
• Keep walkways and trafficked areas well lit; and
• Keep cabinets and various drawers closed when not using them.

Remember, slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents are caused when a person loses his or her footing, so be aware of the highly dangerous combination of a slick floor and liquid, as this will surely cause someone to slip if stepped on, or an obstacle in a poorly lit area, as someone may not notice it until it is too late.

It is important to always be mindful of the safety of others and to keep others out of harm’s way whenever possible; unfortunately, many do not practice such behavior. If you or a loved one has suffered a fall injury due to another’s negligence, Van Der Walde & Associates’ San Jose slip-and-fall injury lawyers can aid you in seeking compensation for your losses from those responsible. For more information, contact us today at (408) 474-0005.

Slip-and-fall accidents occur at seemingly random and unexpected times to victims that often suffer serious and life-altering injuries, but these accidents are actually caused by definable factors that come from the types of surfaces that people walk on. When walking, friction and surface roughness keep us stable and safe from slipping, but when these factors are removed, surfaces became much less safe to walk on. This is why ice is so easy to slip on, as it has very little friction to keep a pedestrian from suffering a slip-and-fall accident. However, there are some man-made surfaces that present very real slipping hazards.

Some surfaces offer all-around slip protection, while others become much more dangerous when exposed to certain conditions. In order to choose the best surface for an area, surrounding conditions and dangers must be considered.

• Ceramic and porcelain tiles - Very slippery, especially when wet, but can be safer when slip-resistant treatments are applied or when created with certain textured styles.
• Vinyl composition tile (VCT) - Inexpensive flooring that comes in large sheets that look like tiling. However, it can be extremely slippery when wet and is very limited when it comes to slip-resistant treatments.
• Marble, granite, and terrazzo tiling and floors - Good friction and roughness normally, but quickly become dangerous when wet from any liquid.
• Concrete – Comes in a variety of textures and treatments. Sealed concrete floors can be easy to clean but much slicker than normal, while broom-finished concrete flooring has some of the highest all-around slip resistance of any surface.

In order to improve a surface’s slip resistance, treatments can be applied to the flooring. These can include abrasive treatments (giving the floor a grittier surface), chemical etchings (adding small ridges that increase friction), and adding carpeting and mats. Certain polishes and cleaners also have slip-resistance qualities, but not all of them.

Property owners are responsible for the safe conditions of their land and, as such, are responsible for the injuries sustained due to unsafe conditions brought on by their negligence. The Santa Clara personal injury attorneys of Van Der Walde & Associates can help you win the compensation you deserve for slip-and-fall accident injuries. Contact us today for a legal consultation at (877) 862-6288.