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The dangers of same-level slip and fall accidents for customers

On Behalf of | Sep 6, 2017 | Premises Liability |

Employers in Georgia may be underestimating the danger of slip and fall accidents on their premises. According to a study by New Pig, an authority in drips, leaks and spills, employers who ignore these potential hazards may suffer losses in productivity as well as significant medical costs and liability. New Pig sites data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that the highest number of workplace injuries are caused by same-level slip-and-fall accidents. According to the 2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, the cost for these falls was $11 billion in medical expenses and workers’ compensation in 2016.

New Pig found that although 46 percent of respondents said there were three or fewer same-level fall risks at their work premises, the real number was actually much higher. More than 90 percent of organizations addressed the dangers of entranceways by placing floor mats. However, most failed to do anything to make other danger areas safer.

The floor mats themselves were a risk in many cases, with 15 percent of companies reporting shifting, wrinkled or bunched-up mats as the main cause of same-level falls at their work sites. Although nearly a quarter of respondents reported falls in customer walkways, fewer than one-third placed floor mats there.

When customers do slip and fall at a place of business, they could file a claim related to premises liability. The injured person might want to speak to an attorney, particularly if there is a head injury or other type of injury that might turn out to be more severe than it initially appears at the time of the accident.

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