The way people act in public spaces can increase their risk of slipping, tripping and falling. Impractical shoes, excessive speed in indoor spaces and other unsafe behavior could increase someone’s risk of injury. However, many slip-and-falls at businesses involve people behaving in a normal fashion. It is the business that creates circumstances that put people at risk of injury.
Every year, more than a million people require evaluation and treatment in emergency rooms because of slip-and-fall injuries. People break bones or incur brain injuries because they slip at a store. In some of those cases, a business may have directly contributed to the incident through negligence.
Through understaffing
Businesses in the retail and service sectors often try to keep costs low by paying workers very little and limiting employee hours. Managers often schedule the fewest people they can to keep the business operating on any given day. When there is an influx of demand or unusual issues, like spills that demand employee attention, understaffing may lead to unnecessary customer risk. If there aren’t enough employees available to run the store and address safety hazards, cleaning and similar tasks may take a back seat to running a register or taking orders.
Through delayed maintenance
Sometimes, issues with equipment or the building are the underlying cause of a slip-and-fall incident. There might be a leak from the roof or a freezer that keeps defrosting and dripping onto the floor. The decision to delay repairs and maintenance to either the building itself or the equipment inside the building could lead to customers falling and getting hurt. What seems like a cost-saving measure for the business might actually end up costing the company more.
By ignoring outdoor spaces
Businesses generally have an obligation to maintain both inside and outside spaces so that they are safe for visitors. During the winter months, parking lots and sidewalks may require regular snow and ice removal. Some companies simply ignore that obligation, leaving their outdoor spaces incredibly dangerous. Accumulated snow and unmelted ice can both lead to people slipping and incurring serious injuries before they even enter the business.
When it is clear that negligent business practices led to someone getting hurt, the injured person may have grounds for a slip-and-fall lawsuit. Pursuing a premises liability lawsuit against a business can potentially lead to an insurance payout or compensation directly from the company at issue.