Slip and Fall Accidents Due to Uneven Floors

A slip and fall accident in Houston could lead to injuries much more severe than just bumps and bruises. A bad slip and fall could cause bone fractures, muscle tears and traumatic brain injuries. It is a property owner’s legal responsibility to reasonably prevent slip and fall accidents through proper premises maintenance, including floor maintenance. Negligent property care could lead to a hazard that ultimately causes a slip and fall injury, such as uneven floors.

What Are Uneven Floors?

Uneven floors mean the surface contains defects that make it easy to slip or trip and fall. Uneven floors may have warped boards, pockets, dips, platforms, uneven elevation, slants, inclines, declines, damaged wood or other dangerous conditions that compromise the safety of the surface. Uneven floors may have subtle nuisances that are difficult to see but that can cause fall accidents. They may also have noticeable problems that a property owner negligently failed to fix.

Common Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

Slip, trip and fall accidents are common. Many property owners negligently fail to inspect their businesses or lands for slip and fall hazards. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and fall accidents cause more than eight million emergency room visits in the U.S. each year. Slip and falls account for 12% of total fall accidents that cause injuries that require hospitalizations.

• Hip fractures
• Wrist fractures or sprains
• Skull fractures
• Head and brain injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Slipped or herniated spinal disks
• Spinal cord injuries

Uneven floors can cause several serious injuries that may require thousands of dollars in medical expenses. A slip and fall in the wrong place, such as at the top of a staircase, could cause fatal injuries and wrongful death. After a slip and fall accident due to uneven floors, the owner of the property may be liable for a victim’s damages.

Property Owner Liability for Uneven Floors

Even a minor defect on a floor’s surface could cause serious, painful and debilitating injuries. A small dip on a linoleum floor, for example, could cause liquids to form a puddle in that area. This could increase the risk of a slip and fall accident. More pronounced problems, such as an uneven sidewalk or landing, could lead to a trip and fall incident. Common causes of uneven floors include poor maintenance, disrepair, tree roots, cracked asphalt and architectural defects.

A property owner is legally responsible for ensuring the safety of his or her floors. While this does not mean guaranteeing safe floors 100% of the time, it does mean taking reasonable measures to prevent hazards such as slippery or uneven floors. Property owners have duties such as inspecting the floors, repairing visible hazards and warning visitors of more inconspicuous risks. Failure to fulfill these duties could cause preventable accidents.

Does the Victim Have Grounds for a Claim?

If a property owner negligently failed to ensure the safety of his or her floors in Texas, the owner could be liable for a resultant accident. Negligent floor maintenance, failure to rope off a dangerous area, low-quality contracting work or ignoring known problems with a floor surface could all lead to an owner’s financial responsibility for a victim’s economic and noneconomic damages.

If a reasonable and prudent property owner would have repaired the uneven floors or at least warned property visitors of the hazard, likely preventing the slip and fall accident, the landowner in question could face liability. It will be up to the victim or the victim’s attorney to prove the property owner was negligent in inspecting or repairing uneven floors, and that this caused the accident.

A successful slip and fall accident claim could result in payment for the injured party’s medical expenses, disability costs, lost income, physical pain and emotional suffering. It could also hold a landowner accountable for his or her negligence, forcing the owner to make repairs. Victims of uneven floor accidents should contact attorneys to learn more about potential premises liability lawsuits in Houston.