Wet weather has a strong association with slippery surfaces and people getting hurt. Freezing rain and snow can cause car crashes during the winter months in New Jersey. They can also lead to people experiencing slip-and-falls while out running errands, like grocery shopping.
While spring weather will reduce the likelihood of snow and ice-related wrecks, it doesn’t do much to decrease the risk of someone slipping and falling in a public location. The precipitation so common in the spring months can wind up soaking the entranceway rugs and wetting the floors of stores all over the state. Snow and ice tracked and during the winter months will melt, causing the same issue.
The National Safety Council claims that roughly 25,000 people slip and fall somewhere in the United States every day. Some of these falls will cause lasting injuries, requiring medical care and a leave of absence from work.
Your risk of slipping and falling is simply higher during the colder and wetter season. Recognizing the risks and knowing your rights can protect you if you get hurt on someone else’s property.
Businesses can protector visitors
Just because almost everyone knows that the wet or cold weather can mean slippery floors does not absolve businesses of their responsibility to keep their facilities safe and clean. If anything, the known risks associated with heavy precipitation increase your ability to make a claim against the business.
When the situation that leads to you getting hurt involves negligence, the business will potentially have premises liability for your injuries. Negligence involves ignoring known risk factors or foreseeable problems.
Someone slipping on snowmelt or rainwater tracked in on umbrellas is an easily foreseeable issue. Businesses should be proactive about safety measures, including putting down rugs and keeping them dry.
What are your rights after you get hurt at a business?
If you slip and fall because the floor was wet or the soaked entranceway rugs were all lumped up next to the door and tripped you, you may have a premises liability claim. If you have verifiable losses, like medical bills, you may have grounds for a claim.
Sometimes, the business’s insurance policy will pay for your losses. Other times, you can potentially file a civil lawsuit against the company. Knowing why people slip and fall and their rights when they do can help you seek compensation and justice.