Slips And Falls Versus Trips And Falls
Many different kinds of hazardous conditions on other people’s properties can result in dangerous fall accidents, and you might have heard these accidents described as “slips and falls” or as “trips and falls.” Is there a difference between a slip and fall accident and a trip and fall accident? Generally speaking, these types of accidents differ slightly in terms of the cause of the fall and the hazard on the property, but both slips and falls and trips and falls may give rise to premises liability claims in which the injured person can hold the property owner accountable. Our New Jersey and Pennsylvania slip and fall lawyers can tell you more about these accidents and how you can seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses associated with your injury.
Slips and Falls Involve Slipping
Slip and fall accidents usually involve slipping on flooring, such as a slip due to a liquid spill on the floor, a slick flooring surface, or a rug that slides out from underneath you. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), slips and falls are one of the leading causes of occupational injury for people aged 55 and older.
Trips and Falls Involve Tripping
Trips and falls also involve falls on the same level like slips and falls, but they involve a tripping hazard. For example, trips and falls are frequently caused by torn carpeting or rough flooring, or because of objects or cords in walkways. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes that trips and falls can be particularly dangerous for older adults who can suffer debilitating injuries like hip fractures.
Both slips and falls, and trips and falls, are falls on the same level and are distinct from injuries that occur due to falls from heights.
How to Seek Compensation
Whether you are in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, you may be able to file a premises liability lawsuit after suffering an injury in a slip, trip, or fall accident on another person’s property. To be eligible for compensation, you will need to be able to prove that your slip and fall, or your trip and fall, resulted from an unreasonable hazard on that other party’s property. Property owners have a duty to remedy or warn about unreasonable hazards. Failure to do so can result in liability when those hazards cause injuries.
Contact a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Slips and falls, as well as trips and falls, can cause serious and even deadly injuries in many different locations and circumstances. If you or someone you love got hurt in a slip and fall accident or a trip and fall accident, you should seek advice from an experienced Pennsylvania and New Jersey trip and fall attorney at Monaco Law PC as soon as possible. You may be eligible to file a claim for financial compensation. Joseph Monaco is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer serving Atlantic County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Ocean County, Salem County and all of South Jersey.
Sources:
nfsi.org/nfsi-research/quick-facts/
cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
