While it’s important to protect yourself from harm, it’s equally important to watch out for others, particularly if you’re the owner of a property that people often visit. Any good slip and fall lawyer will tell you that you could end up losing millions as a result of your liability in a slip, trip, or fall case.
The best way to avoid an expensive lawsuit is to create a safe environment where people are unlikely to fall. And while some accidents are inevitable, you can limit your liability by making a reasonable effort to ensure your property is safe.
You can help prevent slips, trips, and falls on your property by taking the following precautions:
Keep Areas Properly Lit
Poor lighting frequently leads to falls, particularly in stairwells. Make sure all areas are well-lit, even ones that are rarely used. Also, regularly check to ensure that light bulbs haven’t burned out, and replace them when they do.
Maintain Safety Procedures for Employees
If you run a business, you should create and publish safety procedures for your employees to follow. Make sure your workers receive training in these procedures before they start working, and remind them about your company’s best practices approximately once a year.
Clean Regularly
When your property becomes messy, it’s more likely to lead to falling hazards. Wet floors in the winter months or leaf-covered sidewalks can easily lead to slips and spills. By maintaining a regular cleaning schedule, even for secluded areas, you can decrease the chances that somebody will hurt themselves on your premises.
Mark Unsafe Areas
You won’t always be able to make all portions of your property safe. However, just because you can’t correct problems doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to limit your liability when risks exist.
Place warning signs around your property to alert visitors of any dangers. If you want to be certain that the signs will protect you from liability, consult a slip and fall lawyer to determine whether your signs are properly placed and worded.
Consult With a Slip and Fall Lawyer
At Morgan and Morgan, we see hundreds of clients every year who have strong slip and fall cases stemming from the carelessness of negligent business owners. Often, that negligence was partially a result of ignorance — the liable party just didn’t know how to keep others safe on their property.
Our slip and fall lawyers are familiar with common dangers and can help you eliminate them. While we usually work with clients who have been the victims of falls, we’re thrilled to help prevent injuries from happening by assisting property owners with making their spaces safer.