Were you injured in a slip and fall accident?

When our Pennsylvania & New Jersey attorneys talk about “slip-and-fall,” we’re referring to situations wherein someone suffered an injury due to a fall on another person’s property that was caused by slippery matter, a defect or some other dangerous condition on the floor or walking path. The term “slip” is understood to encompass not just cases where someone slips, but also where someone trips. While most associated “slip-and-fall” with a wet substance on the floor, it can involve a broad range of perilous conditions that result in a person losing their balance, causing a fall and injury.

There are as many different causes of slip-and-fall accidents as there are variations of business establishments. Still, we tend to see more slip-and-falls in certain types of businesses where spills are more likely: restaurants, grocery stores, movie theaters, hotels and amusement parks.

Anyone who encounters a dangerous walking surface is a potential victim. However, older adults suffer injuries disproportionately. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We see numerous slip-fall cases arise in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Workers too are at high risk of slip-and-fall injuries, particularly on construction sites.

Although an employee’s exclusive remedy for compensation against an employer is workers’ compensation, there could be grounds for third-party liability claims against the property owner or other negligent parties. If you are not an employee (i.e., an independent contractor) than you are not entitled to the no-fault workers’ compensation insurance, which would cover medical bills and a portion of lost wages, but neither are you limited by it.