Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
One moment, you are walking through a grocery store, heading across a parking lot, or climbing a set of stairs. The next, you are on the ground wondering what happened.
A slip and fall accident can happen in seconds, but its effects may last for months or even years. Some fall accidents cause minor injuries. Others result in broken bones, head trauma, a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, or injuries requiring hospitalization.
It is easy for an accident victim to assume the fall happened because they were clumsy or not paying attention. In many cases, however, the real cause is a hazard that should have been identified, repaired, removed, or clearly marked.
Let’s look at the most common causes of slip and falls, where these accidents happen, and when someone else’s negligence may be responsible.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Slip and Falls?
There is no single cause of every slip and fall. Sometimes it’s a puddle on a grocery-store floor. Sometimes it is a loose rug, a dark staircase, or a patch of black ice that is almost impossible to see.
The most common causes include:
- Wet floors and slippery surfaces
- Snow and ice
- Uneven flooring
- Cracked pavement and potholes
- Loose rugs, mats, or tiles
- Poor lighting
- Broken steps or missing handrails
- Boxes, cords, merchandise, and debris
- Missing or inadequate warning signs
- Negligent inspection and maintenance
The common thread? A walking surface was not as safe as it reasonably should have been.
Wet Floors and Slippery Surfaces
A freshly cleaned floor may look spotless, but without a warning sign, it can also be an accident waiting to happen.
Wet floors are a leading cause of slip and fall accidents in grocery stores, restaurants, office buildings, shopping malls, and apartment buildings. Spilled drinks, leaking equipment, grease, cleaning products, rainwater, and melting snow can all turn an ordinary floor into a serious hazard.
Entrances are common trouble spots. During wet or snowy weather, dozens of visitors may track water and slush inside. Property owners should anticipate this risk by using absorbent mats, inspecting entrances, cleaning moisture promptly, and posting visible warnings.
Putting out a warning sign is not always enough. It must be visible and placed where people will see it before encountering the hazard. If slippery floors can reasonably be cleaned or blocked off, a sign may not be a substitute for addressing the danger.
Uneven Flooring, Loose Rugs and Surface Defects
Sometimes the danger is not what is on the floor—it’s the floor itself.
Uneven flooring, cracked sidewalks, potholes, torn carpeting, curled mats, loose rugs, and loose tiles can catch a person’s foot and send them forward. A sudden change in elevation can also create a tripping hazard, particularly when two surfaces appear to be at the same level.
Even a small defect may cause a serious fall if it is difficult to see or located along a busy walking route. The risk may be greater for senior citizens, people with mobility limitations, or anyone carrying bags and unable to see the ground clearly.
Property owners should inspect floors, stairs, sidewalks, and parking areas regularly. Hazards should be repaired in a timely manner. Until repairs can be completed, the area may need to be blocked off or clearly marked.
Poor Lighting and Unsafe Stairways
If you cannot see the hazard, you cannot avoid it.
Poor lighting can hide spills, uneven flooring, loose objects, and changes in elevation. Dim stairwells, hallways, parking garages, entrances, and outdoor walkways can become particularly dangerous at night.
Stairways create additional risks. Broken steps, worn edges, uneven risers, or missing handrails can cause someone to lose balance. A secure handrail may be the one thing that stops a small misstep from becoming a serious injury.
Owners and occupiers should replace burnt-out bulbs, maintain lighting systems, repair damaged stairs, and ensure that handrails are stable and properly secured.
Snow, Ice, and Ontario Weather
Ontario winters need little introduction. Snow, slush, freezing rain, and black ice can turn a routine walk to the car into a painful fall.
Reasonable winter maintenance may involve:
- Monitoring weather conditions
- Clearing snow from walking routes
- Applying salt, sand, or another treatment
- Inspecting for ice after temperatures change
- Addressing drainage problems
- Returning to treat areas that have refrozen
- Keeping accurate maintenance records
One pass with a shovel may not be enough. Conditions can change throughout the day, and melted snow may refreeze after the sun goes down. Effective ice removal often requires monitoring and follow-up.
Ontario also has special notice rules for certain fall accidents caused by snow or ice. For many claims involving non-municipal property, written notice generally must be provided within 60 days. Claims involving a municipality may have a much shorter notice period, often 10 days.
The deadline, required information, delivery method, and possible exceptions depend on the facts. An accident victim should speak with a personal injury lawyer promptly rather than assuming the ordinary two-year limitation period is the only deadline.
When Maintenance Falls Short
Property owners often hire cleaners, employees, managers, or contractors to keep their premises safe. That system only works when someone is actually checking the property and responding to problems.
Fall accidents may be caused by maintenance staff who:
- Miss scheduled inspections
- Ignore complaints
- Fail to clean spills
- Leave floors wet without warnings
- Perform temporary or inadequate repairs
- Fail to clear snow or complete ice removal
- Neglect to document their work
- Do not reinspect an area after conditions change
Poor staff training may also contribute to an accident. Employees should know how to spot a hazard, secure the area, report the problem, and make sure it is properly addressed.
The primary cause may not be obvious at first. Depending on what happened, the negligent parties could include an owner, tenant, property manager, cleaning company, or winter-maintenance contractor.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
The short answer is almost anywhere.
Slip and fall accidents commonly happen in:
- Grocery stores and shopping malls
- Restaurants and hotels
- Apartment and condominium buildings
- Hospitals and long-term care facilities
- Workplaces and offices
- Schools and recreational facilities
- Sidewalks, parking lots, and garages
- Private homes and rental properties
These accidents frequently occur during completely ordinary activities: buying groceries, visiting a friend, walking through a lobby, or returning to a parked vehicle.
A slip and fall on someone else’s property does not automatically mean the owner is liable. It does, however, raise important questions. What caused the fall? How long was the hazard there? Did anyone know about it? Was there a reasonable inspection system? Could the accident have been prevented?
Slip and Fall Injuries Can Be Serious
There is no such thing as a “typical” slip and fall injury. A younger person may walk away with bruising, while a senior citizen exposed to the same hazard may suffer a hip fracture or loss of mobility. In other cases, a seemingly minor injury may become much worse over time.
Injuries sustained in slip and fall cases may include:
- Broken bones
- Hip fractures
- Sprains and soft-tissue injuries
- Back, neck, knee, or shoulder injuries
- Head trauma and concussions
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Cuts and dental injuries
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety or fear of falling
Anyone who has sustained injuries should seek medical attention and report all symptoms. Medical records can help document when symptoms began, what treatment was required, and how the injury has affected daily life.
How Do You Prove a Slip and Fall Claim?
Under Ontario’s Occupiers’ Liability Act, an occupier generally has a legal duty to take reasonable care to ensure that people entering the property are reasonably safe. An occupier may be an owner, tenant, manager, or another person with control over the premises.
Property owners are not automatically liable every time an accident happens. In most slip and fall cases, the injured person must show that:
- A dangerous condition existed.
- The defendant failed to take reasonable care.
- The hazard caused or contributed to the fall.
- The accident caused injuries and financial losses.
Evidence can make or break a fall claim. Useful evidence may include:
- Photographs or video of the hazard
- Surveillance footage
- Witness names and contact information
- Incident reports
- Cleaning and inspection logs
- Maintenance and ice-removal records
- Weather records
- Medical records
- Receipts for medical expenses and rehabilitation
- Proof of lost income
The key is to gather evidence quickly. Spills are cleaned. Ice melts. Defects are repaired. Surveillance footage is overwritten. The scene may look completely different a few hours after the fall happened.
Injured in a Slip and Fall? Seek Legal Counsel
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, your health comes first. Seek medical attention, report the accident, and document the scene if you can safely do so.
You should also preserve your footwear, write down what happened, obtain witness information, and keep your medical bills, receipts, and income records.
When a fall was caused by another party’s negligence, an injured person may be able to receive financial compensation. Depending on the case, damages may address:
- Medical expenses and rehabilitation
- Ongoing medical care
- Lost income and future earning losses
- Housekeeping or care needs
- Non-pecuniary damages for pain and suffering
A slip and fall lawyer can investigate the accident, identify the negligent parties, preserve evidence, communicate with insurers, and explain whether legal action should be commenced.
You may not have seen the fall coming—but you can take informed steps afterward. If you or a loved one has suffered a slip and fall injury, contact our office to discuss what happened and learn about your legal options.
