Personal Injuries Caused by Wet Floors

Slip and falls are a key cause of personal injury all over the world. Slips and trips can be caused by a number of issues: trip hazards such as cables, loose rugs or damaged flooring can trip even the most sure-footed person, while a slippery floor can cause your footwear to lose traction, resulting in a disastrous fall.

One main cause, and perhaps the most straightforward cause, of slip and fall personal injuries is wet flooring. Even safe and secure flooring can change its properties drastically when wet, becoming a real hazard. Water on a hard surface reduces traction, making it very easy for you to slip.

A slip and fall may seem minor, but one in five results in a serious injury, such as a broken bone or even a head injury. Although these injuries are sustained in seconds, recovery can take weeks, months, or even years. If a fall is particularly bad, it could be life-altering. For this reason, businesses, workplaces and other premises owners are legally obliged to prevent trip and slip hazards, such as trailing cables, unsafe flooring and wet floors. If they are unable to prevent such hazards—after all, spills do happen and flooring has to be cleaned—they must warn any people on the property of this hazard. We can only act suitably, e.g. by walking more slowly and being more cautious in general, if we are informed of the situation we are in and all associated hazards. That’s why traditional “wet floor” signs are bright yellow: this catches the eye, ensuring that passers-by are informed.

Of course, wet floors can combine with other hazards to create a serious incident. If a worker slips on a wet floor on a raised walkway and there is no railing there to break their fall or for them to hold onto, they may fall off the walkway. It may be more likely for a workplace or other setting that does not protect people sufficiently from wet floors to take other hazards lightly as well. If your personal injury was caused by a complex set of causes such as this, Scranton Law Firm can still assess your case and seek a settlement to cover your costs.

If you have suffered any kind of personal injury due to a wet floor, Scranton Law Firm will be happy to review your case free of charge. No matter where in California you’re based, our experienced slip and fall lawyers can travel to Stockton, Grass Valley, Folsom and everywhere in between to meet you in person to establish your case. If you prefer, we can also arrange a video conference call to discuss the details and get the ball rolling. Get in touch with our team today.