Business Owner Liability – Slip and Fall Accidents

man with cell phone in business setting

Business owners are responsible for making their store, restaurant, or other type of business location safe for consumers. Unfortunately, thousands of people suffer serious injuries every year in slip, trip, and fall accidents in shopping malls, offices buildings, restaurants, and other stores.

Floors, stairs, and elevators and escalators are three common factors in slip and fall accidents where business owners are held responsible, based on what’s called “premises liability.”

If you, or someone you love, were injured when you slipped and fell or tripped and fell, you may have a case. Protect your legal rights – follow these slip and fall accident tips and contact the Pennsylvania law firm of Edgar Snyder & Associates today for a free legal evaluation.

Floors and Business Owner Liability

If you slipped and fell because of a wet floor, or if the condition of the floor caused you to fall, the business may be liable for the accident. Situations where a business owner may be held responsible for injuries include:

Failing to provide adequate signs and warnings that the floor is being cleaned or is wet or damp
Failing to provide adequate barriers to close off an area that has a wet or damp floor
Using an excessive amount of wax or polish or applying the treatments unevenly
Using a floor treatment to a sloping or inclining part of the floor
Treating one part of a floor and leaving a part untreated, so that the difference in conditions causes an accident
Not using a floor treatment with “non-skid” ingredients when necessary
Rugs or mats with curled edges – especially near entrances or exits
Torn, worn, or bulging areas of carpet
Items caught in the carpet material that stick up and catch on footwear
Holes in the floor or crumbled or damaged flooring
Failing to remove snow and ice from parking lots, sidewalks, and walkways

Stairs and Business Owner Liability

Stairs are another main cause of slip and fall accidents in stores, restaurants, office buildings, and other businesses. Business owners may be held liable when injuries occur as a result of the following situations:

One or more steps are worn and rounded
Debris is present on the stairs
The stairs have been waxed or polished but don’t have a non-skid surface
There is a broken or missing handrail
The stairs are broken or crumbling
Stair code violations

Escalators and Elevators and Business Owner Liability

Escalators and elevators are designed to carry passengers, so in some instances business owners have a larger legal responsibility than in other premises liability situations – especially if one business is the only user of the elevator or escalator. For example, a department store may have escalators and elevators to help shoppers move from one floor to the next.

Slip and fall accidents can occur on escalators and elevators when there are sudden, unexpected movements, or when articles of clothing or body parts are caught in an escalator or elevator. Business owners are responsible for maintaining their escalators and elevators so that they operate safely. Failing to do so is a building code violation.

Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident and Think a Business is Responsible? Contact Us Today

If you slipped and fell, or tripped and fell – and you think a business was responsible for the accident – contact Edgar Snyder & Associates today for a free legal evaluation. We’ve been helping slip and fall accident victims for over 30 years, and you may have a case.

There’s only one way to find out. Our legal evaluation is absolutely free, and there’s no obligation to use our services. Contact us today. Call 1-866-9-4EDGAR (1-866-943-3427), or fill out the form at the top right of this webpage to get started.