Tucson accident attorneys use the term “slip and fall” to describe a particular kind of personal injury case. The term may sound trivial, but these cases can actually be quite serious. The National Safety Council reported that in 2007, 20,000 people died from slip and fall accidents, and another 7 million were injured.

Slip and fall quick facts

Slip and falls are one of the most common types of personal injury claims, because they can happen just about anywhere. They also have a wide variety of causes: snow, ice, rain, poor lighting, objects in the floor, damage to the walking surface, spills and more. Other details of slip and fall accidents include:

• They are the leading cause of emergency room visits
• They are the most common cause of workers’ comp claims
• Half of all accidental deaths at home are caused by falls
• Falls represent 87 percent of fractures in people 65 and older
• Medical costs associated with employee slip/fall accidents totaled $70 billion in 2003

Kinds of falls

Slip and fall accidents are not all alike. There are four major categories of same-surface falls:

• Trip and fall: Occurs when an individual encounters an object in the walking path
• Stump and fall: Occurs when an individual’s foot encounters an impediment in the walking surface, such as a divot, a tacky spot, a ledge, or a chip
• Step and fall: Occurs when an individual experiences a failure in the walking surface, such as a hole or weak spot.
• Slip and fall: Occurs when the shoe and floor fail to support the individual’s center of gravity.

What happens in a slip and fall case?

Typically in a slip and fall case, an individual experiences an injury, most commonly a fracture, sprain or strain. If they decide that the reason they fell is due to negligence and a failure to remedy a dangerous situation — the slippery floor, for instance — then they may decide to sue. Their attorney then must prove that the property owner was aware of this dangerous situation and failed to remedy it. Slip and falls can be difficult to prove, because they are a mix of negligence and premises liability. 

If you have been injured due to a fall outside your home, call our slip, trip and fall injury attorneys in Tucson, Arizona for a consultation on your case. Only a qualified attorney can tell you if you have a case and how much your claim is worth. Call the personal injury attorneys at Rockafellow Law Firm in Tucson for a consultation.