Slip and Fall Accidents

According to Marketwatch.com, a new study conducted by the Cintas Corporation reveals an interesting trend among American restaurant-goers. In order to help restaurant operators understand the serious implications of slip-and-fall accidents, the group commissioned a third party, Harris Interactive, to do a telephone survey with more than 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older to identify how they would react to a slip-and-fall accident. The results of the survey showed that nearly 60 million Americans, or one in three adults, would be unlikely to dine at an eatery where they knew someone recently had a slip-and-fall accident. The survey showed little difference between gender and age, but showed adults living in the Northeast are more unlikely to go to a restaurant with a recent slip-and-fall accident.

Annually, more than 3 million food service workers and over 1 million guests are injured as a result of restaurant slip-and-falls, according to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). A recent study from this group revealed that the industry spends more than $2 billion on such injuries every year and that the rate for the occurrence of the injuries is increasing by 10 percent annually. A safe floor program implemented at any eatery can help reduce the chances of a dangerous slip-and-fall accident happening, as it provides restaurants with a plan to protect, maintain, and deep clean floor surfaces.

As the economy improves, the director of marketing for the Cintas Corporation warns that slip-and-fall accidents may derail the efforts of restaurants trying to attract new customers and keep the same ones coming back. She encourages eateries around the country to implement a safe floor program as it will protect both employees and guests, and also the restaurant’s “bottom line.”

The unfortunate fact is that slip-and-fall accidents can occur anywhere, and when they do happen, they can result in serious injuries. Business and property owners have the responsibility to maintain a safe, hazard-free premises at all times, but if they are negligent in doing so, they can be held liable for the accidents and injuries that happen as a result. The Tennessee slip-and-fall accident lawyers of Massey & Associates, P.C. can help you obtain compensation if you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident. Please call (423) 697-4529 for a free consultation.

Few people think of a bathroom as a particularly dangerous place. However, this often-used room can be a common site of slip and fall injuries, according to Healthfinder.gov.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 234,000 adults and teenagers are treated for injuries in U.S. hospital emergency rooms each year that they suffered by slipping while in the bathroom. Eighty percent of these injuries occur when the person fell; many involved traumatic brain injuries suffered when the falling person struck a counter, the edge of a bathtub or another bathroom fixture. Adults over age 85 were more likely to break one or more bones due to a bathroom fall.

The high risk of injury involved in a bathroom fall is related to the fact that bathrooms are typically small and the surfaces in them are often hard and/or wet. This increases both the likelihood of falls and the chance that a falling person will hit something that will cause further injury. The CDC recommends placing non-slip strips on tub and shower floors and installing grab bars by the tub, shower and toilet. Floors in both public and private bathrooms should be cleaned regularly to prevent buildup of water, soap or litter that might also cause a slip and fall.

Slip and fall injuries can cause serious damage. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Chattanooga slip and fall injury attorneys at Massey & Associates, P.C. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (423) 697-4529.