If you are a property owner, either because you own a business or because you are a homeowner, you may be concerned about what happens if someone slips and falls on your property. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of accidents and protect yourself from potential legal liability. Here are seven ways to protect yourself against the risk of slip and fall accidents on your property:
- Put up warning signs for any hazards
- One of the most basic steps you can take to protect against slip and falls is to put up a warning sign for any known hazards. This includes common hazards like slippery floors, as well as any other, more serious dangers. While you should repair these hazards in the long term, warning signs can help avert disaster in the short term.
- Clean up any liquids or debris
- A large number of slip and fall accidents involve slipping or tripping on puddles of liquid or spilled debris that were not cleaned up in a timely fashion. All it takes is one misstep, and someone can easily take a fall, resulting in potentially significant injuries. Keeping your floors clean of spilled liquids or debris is thus crucial to keeping yourself from dealing with legal liability.
- Clear snow and ice from around your property
- Keeping the inside of your property clean is not enough, unfortunately. In New York, you also have a responsibility to ensure the surrounding sidewalk is clear of hazards like snow and ice. Thus, property owners should invest in salt and ice, and make sure to clear snow promptly after any storm.
- Make sure you have adequate lighting
- Lighting is an often underestimated factor in slip and fall accidents. Many places that would be safe to traverse when it is well-lit can become unsafe due to dim lighting. You can fix this issue by ensuring all areas have light fixtures installed, and also by replacing any broken lights as soon as possible.
- Repair any damaged flooring
- An underestimated source of harm in slip and fall accidents comes from damaged flooring. Tiles, carpets, and floorboards can all become potentially damaged over time, which can result in them becoming loose or fragile. Repairing damaged flooring is essential to keeping people from slipping or tripping when they accidentally step on these damaged areas.
- Inspect banisters and handrails
- Some of the most dangerous places to take a fall are stairwells and balconies. Handrails, guardrails and banisters can help to prevent dangerous falls by giving people an opportunity to stop themselves before they fall over. If you want to prevent accidents, make sure any handrails and banisters are secure and stable, and that they can safely support the weight of anyone who needs to rely on them to avoid a fall.
- Check to see if you need fall protection
- For especially tall buildings, it may be important to look into special fall protection. Safety nets, for example, can catch anyone who happens to fall from high up, preventing them from experiencing a potentially fatal fall. You may want to speak to a lawyer who can advise you on what safety measures are most suitable for your property.
If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you should seek out the personal injury lawyers at Zlotolow & Associates. Our seasoned New York personal injury attorneys bring more than two decades of trial experience to your case. We serve all five boroughs of New York City, as well as Nassau and Suffolk County. Our aggressive personal injury attorneys always demand maximum compensation. We have helped thousands of clients recover through settlements and courtroom verdicts. To schedule a consultation, you can call us at 866-800-0092, or you can visit our contact page.
