Slip and Fall Accidents - How to Avoid Them and What to Do Immediately

December 29, 2020, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of visits to the hospital and urgent care this time of year. With the freeze and thaw and the mixed precipitation, ice can form and then be hidden by snow or be almost invisible black ice. Once you take a step onto it falling is all too easy and often results in breaks, sprains and concussions.

As a property owner, you may be held liable for any personal injuries resulting from slip and falls on your property, and as a pedestrian, you can hold public and property owners and businesses liable if you are injured in a slip and fall accident due to negligence. It is important to keep your walkways, driveways and stairs clear of snow and ice to keep yourself and others safe.

If you are injured in a slip and fall accident you may be entitled to make claims for general damages such as pain and suffering, for loss of income or the ability to earn an income, health care expenses that aren’t covered by OHIP, and other reasonable home maintenance and housekeeping costs. These claims are made by suing the landowner of the property where the accident occurred.

Slip and fall accidents are the most common form of liability claims. Municipalities, businesses, stores and property owners are all responsible for the safety of people on their property. If you have injured yourself by slipping, tripping or falling on someone’s property you should contact a personal injury lawyer immediately as the timeframes for making a claim exist and are rigid. Physical evidence and medical records to support a claim are required as well, and you may need to provide notice to the at fault property owner within a very short period of time. An experienced personal injury lawyer will evaluate the circumstances of your fall and the injuries and advise you on the best way to proceed with a claim. 

The best protection against being injured in a slip and fall accident is not to fall or to take care as a business or property owner to ensure your property is properly maintained. 

Tips for Property Owners/Employers:

1. Keep your parking lots and walkways clear of snow and ice. Have regularly scheduled maintenance using best management practices (plowing, sanding and salting).
2. Clear ice and snow before your business is open and before people need to access your parking area.
3. Encourage employees, customers and guests to wear appropriate footwear for the winter conditions.
4. Ensure that rugs, mats and carpets in entryways are kept secured and dry.

Tips for pedestrians:

1. Wear appropriate footwear.
2. Take smaller steps.
3. Stay alert for changing conditions underfoot.
4. Use handrails on stairs.

If you do fall, trip or slip and injure yourself you should take photos of the location with your phone, gather the contact information of any witnesses, report the accident to the property owner or business, and seek medical care immediately, then contact a lawyer. Many slip and fall cases are lost because people wait too long, or don’t have proof of the conditions. At Deutschmann Law we have extensive experience in representing people who are injured due to someone else’s negligence.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.