In addition to the thousands of lives lost every year, slips-and-falls lead to severe or catastrophic injuries for thousands more. Happening suddenly and unexpectedly, with victims having little or no time to cushion or shield themselves against impact with the ground or other unforgiving surfaces, falls often lead to such severe injuries as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussions
- Broken and fractured bones, including arms, legs, ribs, collarbone, ankles, and knees
- Spinal cord injury
- Soft tissue injuries
Slip-and-fall injuries can happen anywhere; indoors, outside, dry or wet surface, at work, at home, or in a store, restaurant, parking lots, or office. Some of the most common causes of slips-and-falls caused by property owner negligence include:
- Cracked or uneven sidewalks or pavement
- Unremoved snow, ice, or debris on a sidewalk or in a parking lot
- Uneven, defective, or damaged stairs or railings
- Poor or inadequate lighting
- Spills at restaurants, grocery stores or other places of business which have not been cleaned up or which were cleaned without sufficiently marking the area as being wet;
- Items, objects, or debris left on the floor or ground which obstruct areas of traffic.