Slip and falls are a type of accident that happens every day in Alaska due to any number of causes. Some of these accidents are just that — accidents for which no one is to blame. However, a large proportion are caused by the actions or inactions of parties who are responsible for the safety and well-being of others.
What is a Slip and Fall?
A slip and fall is usually viewed as an accident that is caused by some type of defect in or around where a person can be reasonably expected to walk. The defect can be something as simple as a spill on the floor of a grocery store or it can be a more complex problem like uneven tiling or improperly installed flooring. Regardless, the defect causes a person to fall. Some slip and falls result in no discernible injuries, but many of them do cause injuries, and some of them quite severe. To be frank, many of us do not give credit to the severity of injuries that can be caused by a simple fall on a hard surface.
Types of Injuries
Injuries from slip and falls can run the gamut. Common injuries from slip and falls include:
- Concussion (if the head hits a hard surface or fixture during the fall)
- Torn or ruptured ligaments, especially in the knee (think about a football player turning the wrong direction and a knee simply giving out during a game)
- Broken bones, especially in the hands or wrist when they are used to break a fall
- Dislocations, especially in the hip, shoulders, and elbows
- Sprains or strains, often in the back and ankles
While a slip and fall accident does not usually have the force or violence typically associated with an automobile accident or a fall from a height, the resulting injuries can be just as serious.
Who is Liable?
Typically, injuries caused by a slip and fall are covered under premises law. In Alaska, a person or business can be held liable under a theory of negligence if they owe a duty of care to a person, they fail to reasonably exercise that duty of care, and that breach of duty results in the injury to the victim. A classic example of this is illustrated by the hypothetical of someone shopping in a store and there is a spill in the floor. An unaware shopper comes upon the spill, slips on it, and falls, sustaining injuries. This seems simple, but there are actually many lines of inquiry that must be examined. These include:
- Did the shop owner know about the spill?
- Did the shop owner monitor their store for potential hazards?
- Did the victim see the spill and step in it anyway?
- Were there signs sectioning off the spill and providing warning?
- Was the spill ignored by the shop owner?
There are many other inquiries that must happen to determine liability. This is where personal injury attorneys come in.
A personal injury attorney acts as an advocate for the victim. There are many competing interests in the above-cited example — the victim, the shop owner, the landlord (if applicable), the shop’s insurance company, and possibly more. The victim has been injured and the other parties want to minimize those injuries. It takes a skilled and experienced personal injury attorney to help sort out these competing interests and ensure that the victim is taken care of. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in the Anchorage area, there are advocates to help you. The experienced attorneys at Power & Power law can help you. Give them a call at 907-222-9990 or toll free at 833-669-9990 or click here to set up your initial consultation. Put their years of experience to work for you to help you get the results you deserve.