While navigating through the potential causes of a personal injury case, one is definitely going to come across the slip and fall accident. At first, it may sound as a joke, something that doesn’t seem serious enough to form a merit for a personal injury case. However, as you begin digging into it, you would quickly find out that these are some of the most lucrative cases in the field of personal injury law. They have their own act, which governs them – the Occupiers’ Liability Act which is in full force over the area of the province of Ontario. At the same time we have a variety of reasons which may lead to an accident of this kind, giving personal injury lawyers a lucrative niche indeed. Some of the most common reasons for slip and fall accidents include:
Failed or improper lighting
Walking through a staircase without the required lighting could be a potential health hazard. In fact, this is one of the most common reasons for slip and fall injuries. Missing just one step could cause a severe accident.
Slippery floors
Slippery floors can be caused by many things, but it’s mostly due to wet conditions. This is the most common case and it’s also the most dangerous. Slipping on tiles, for instance, could indeed cause severe injuries, especially if you hit your head. Concussions and brain trauma are an actual possibility, so do not take these lightly. As we’ve identified the most common reasons for a slip and fall accident, it’s important to outline the liability. It is set forth by the Occupiers’ Liability Act which was enacted back in 1990 and it hasn’t been changed or amended ever since which speaks to the overall stability of the act.
However, it is a fairly strict act because it doesn’t limit the liability of the owner or occupier of the premise. The owner, by definition, is the one who legally owns the place, while the occupier is the one who has the current title – a tenant, for instance. These are the legal entities which are capable of being liable for a slip and fall injury. If they haven’t made sure that their premises are safe enough and a person slips and falls on them, they would be fully liable to indemnify the injured. The solutions are rather fair.
At the same time, they have the possibility to preliminary alarm those walking on their premises that the latter are potentially dangerous. By doing so, the owner has done his part and he would be no longer liable because the responsibility falls onto the person walking on the premise. This is also a fair solution. However, proving it in the court of law will need an expert injury lawyer that has worked on such cases in the past. They work with a multitude of medical experts and will need to prove their claim.