Falls are the number one cause of accidental injury in the United States. We here in Minnesota are quite familiar with these falls, especially when we are out shopping during the wintry, holiday season. From icy walkways to torn carpeting to cluttered aisles, we find ourselves bombarded with threats to an otherwise safe walking experience.

In the hopes of limiting the number of falls this season, we’ve compiled here the top causes of slip-and-fall accidents. Review the causes and then keep a lookout for them as you travel around our great state.

5 Common Causes of Slip-and-Fall Accidents

While there are numerous causes of slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents in stores here in the Minnesota, we often find the main culprit lands within one of these five categories:

• Poor handling of poor weather conditions: Let’s face it. We live in Minnesota, the land of snow, rain, hail, sleet and any other type of precipitation you can imagine. Failure to adequately clean up after, or plan in advance for, poor weather conditions leads to prime slip-and-fall conditions.
• Improper signage: It is the store owner’s duty to provide adequate warnings of known slip-and-fall hazards. If there is a fall hazard, whether that’s a spilled carton of milk, an overturned beverage or a leaky toilet, that hazard must be marked.
• Cluttered walkways: Stores of all kinds take advantage of the good moods and open pocketbooks of holiday shoppers by stuffing their aisles and endcaps with as much product as possible to tempt additional purchases. But cluttering up otherwise open walkways only leads to increased opportunities for trip-and-fall or slip-and-fall injuries.
• Failure to correct unsafe conditions: A leaky pipe, a wobbly handrail, a broken stair tread—all of these conditions are ripe for a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident. As owner of the store with that unsafe condition, it is important and necessary to fix said condition as soon as possible. Failure to fix within a reasonable time frame can lead to legal liability for harm.
• Improper training: Store employees are often responsible for cleaning up spills, mopping floors on a regular basis and much more. Improper training on how to clean up can lead to fall hazards. It is on the store owner to train employees properly.

Store Owners Are Responsible for Inside and Outside Hazards

It is important to remember that store owners are responsible for keeping safe conditions both inside and outside their stores. This includes sidewalks, walkways and parking lots. Potholes are just as problematic and poorly lit hallways. So if you find yourself requiring medical attention for a fall while on your way into or out of a shopping mall, strip mall or standalone store, you can likely look to the store owner for compensation. And if you have any questions about how to go about getting full and fair compensation, reach out to an experienced injury attorney for help.

Source: Quick Facts by National Floor Safety Institute
Photo: Photo by MySafetySign.com (some rights reserved)