Premises Liability: Slip and Fall on School Property

A slip and fall accident is usually just as the name suggests, an accident wherein an individual slips, loses footing and falls. However, some injuries can be caused by slipping, even when the injured party catches him or herself before hitting the surface of the floor. Falling due to a multitude of causes are categorized as "slip and fall" accidents, as are tripping accidents that lead to injuries.

Slip and fall accidents are surprisingly dangerous and can cause serious injury. These injuries are particularly severe for the elderly or others who are physically fragile or compromised. Older adults have more fragile bones and less muscle density than young people due to the natural process of aging.

When an elderly person slips and falls, fractures, contusions and abrasions are commonly the result. Older adults tend to suffer fractured hips, broken arms, spinal compression fractures and sprained ankles from slip and fall accidents. They can also suffer brain injury due to cranial impact with the floor or ground surface.

Anyone involved in a slip and fall accident on another person or entity's property should contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss a claim for compensation for those injuries. Medical expenses for slip and fall accidents can be high and may continue for many years to come. It is particularly important to contact a lawyer soon after the injury, as the statutes of limitations for your case in may expire soon.

School Slip and Fall Accidents Are Common

Slip and fall injuries are more common on school property than you may think. As an example, consider the case of a man who filed a premises liability case against a School District in February 2016:

• The man's lawsuit alleges that the School District owed him a high duty of care, as he was a business invitee on the property when the injury occurred. When he visited the property of the school, he slipped and fell on accumulated ice and snow on the school's loading dock. This accident caused him to suffer significant injuries, including injuries to his body and extremities that may permanently trouble him.


• The suit claims negligence on the part of the school district, because they failed to remove hazardous conditions on the school's grounds in a timely manner or prior to his visit. The plaintiff is seeking $150,000 in damages for his resulting injuries.

This case will likely lead to settlement or successful trial, as business invitees are owed the highest duty of care. Duty of care is the liability property owners have for some people, such as invited guests, on the property based upon why the injured person was on the property when the accident happened.

Duty of Care in Slip and Fall Accidents

Duty of care varies from person to person, based upon why he or she is on a property when their accident occurs. Invitees, licensees and trespassers are the three levels of duty of care, each owed their own levels of support on the property:

• Invitees are owed the highest duty of care, as they are public invitees such as customers, churchgoers, travelers in transportation terminals or visitors to a museum. Employees are also invitees. Property owners are required by law to ensure the environment is safe for invitees, such as in removal of hazards and provision of sufficient warnings for hazards that cannot be removed.


• Licensees are those who visit a property with permission of the owner of the property. Social guests are good examples of licensees. Licensees must be warned of known hazards that he or she would not otherwise know about.


• Trespassers are people who enter a property without legal permission of the owner. They are owed the lowest duty of care and owners are not required to ensure their safety on the property. But property owners cannot intentionally harm trespassers, either. Trespassers cannot usually make a legal claim for injuries caused by slip and fall accidents.

Slip and fall accident injuries caused by someone else's negligence entitles you to a legal claim for compensation for those injuries. Many personal injury lawyers have vast experience in helping injured victims recover compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages each year.

Aaron Crane, an experienced Phoenix personal injury attorney from Cantor Crane, is familiar with injuries associated with a slip and fall accident on school property. Medical bills from these kind of injuries can be very expensive. Contact an attorney today for a free consultation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Aaron_Crane/2280716

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9494608