Slip-and-fall accidents result in numerous emergency room visits every year. These accidents can cause a variety of different injuries, including broken bones, head injuries, and bruises. Unfortunately, many of these accidents are the result of another party's negligence. Here are some of the most common negligence-related causes of slip-and-fall accidents.

Wet Surfaces

Wet surfaces account for a large number of slip-and-fall accidents. For example, if there is a liquid spill on the floor at a grocery store and a customer walks over it, he or she can trip and fall. To prevent these accidents from happening, liquid spills should be cleaned up immediately and wet floor signs should be put up.

Potholes in Parking Lots

It is normal for potholes to develop after groundwater expands and contracts. However, these potholes can be a major tripping hazard. If a person does not see a pothole in a parking lot and walks over it, he or she can trip over it and get injured. It is important for businesses to fill their potholes promptly to avoid accidents like these.

Ice on Sidewalks

In areas with cold climates, ice on sidewalks during the winter is inevitable. However, it is up to property owners to salt their sidewalks during the winter in order to keep the sidewalks safe for customers. Otherwise, people walking by could fall and slip on the ice and get seriously hurt.

Inadequate Lighting

Public properties are responsible for ensuring that their premises are properly lit at night. If there isn't enough lighting, people might not be able to see where they are going and fall. It is also important for businesses to make sure their parking lots are properly lit in the evening hours.

Defective Hand Rails

Customer use handrails at grocery stores, malls, and hotels when climbing stairs to maintain their balance. However, if these handrails are broken, customers are in danger of losing their balance and falling.

Clutter

There's absolutely no excuse for clutter to be on a business's floor, but it happens more than you'd like to think. If there are objects scattered throughout the floors, customers can easily fall over them and endure serious injuries.

As you can see, there are many factors that can lead to slip-and-fall accidents. If you were recently hurt in a slip-and-fall accident caused by negligence, you should schedule a consultation with a slip-and-fall accident attorney at a law firm like Drivon Turner & Waters PLC as soon as possible.