What Are Common Causes of Hospital Slip and Fall Accidents?
Although hospitals are essential to your health and wellbeing, there are certainly times when they can be hazardous. With medical staff tending to patients and visitors within a fast-paced environment, a hospital is a place where a slip and fall accident can occur. However, it is not just the hospital staff at risk for a slip and fall accident, patients and visitors at a hospital are also in danger of a trip and fall accident as well.
There are many causes of slip and fall accidents at hospitals. Although hospitals must provide a safe and clean environment for visitors, the risk of a slip and fall is still possible because of these factors:
- Slippery floors: Hospital floors are constantly being maintained with wax and cleaning chemicals. If not done correctly or dried in a timely manner, then it would lead to a dangerously slick floor that can injure someone.
- Uneven flooring: Constant foot traffic could cause flooring to be damaged, buckle, crack, and become uneven. If not fixed or maintained right away, any person in the area, either medical staff, patient, or visitor, could suffer a slip and fall accident.
- Liquid spills: There are so many different kinds of liquids in a hospital, such as soap and water to clean your hands, floor cleaning chemicals, drinks, and grease. Hospital staff must keep up with the constant cleaning of the building’s floors to prevent any slip and fall accidents.
- Cracked pavement: The outside grounds of the hospital is considered hospital property, so it is their responsibility to make sure the pavement is free from cracks, uneven surfaces, or potholes.
- Dim lighting: Poorly lit areas can be hard to navigate, especially when you are in the middle of working or visiting a sick family member, leaving you vulnerable to a slip and fall accident.
- Electrical wires or equipment: If you have ever seen a hospital room, they are normally cluttered with medical equipment plugged into the walls with cords in the walkway, which are obvious tripping hazards.
- Stairs and handrails: Unsafe stairways or handrails could easily lead to a dangerous slip and fall accident.
Property owners are responsible for maintaining their premises for visitors. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident at a hospital, you may have legal recourse.
New Brunswick Slip and Fall Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Help Those Injured in Hospital Trip and Falls
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident at a hospital, one of our New Brunswick slip and fall lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr can help you. Our experienced legal team can build your case. Call us at 732-537-8570 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Highland Park, New Jersey, we serve clients in New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, Colonia, Elizabeth, and Newark.
