Say you are going to attend a wedding reception at a local hotel. While rounding a corner on your way to the ballroom, you slip and fall.
The fall leaves you with a painful ankle injury. How did this happen, and what should you do now?
Falls in public places
Your slip-and-fall incident did not happen because you are clumsy or were not paying attention. It happened because the traction between the bottom of your shoes and the walking surface was inadequate or missing entirely, in this case, on the corridor leading to the ballroom.
Use of proper cleaning solutions
Half of all slips and falls on public flooring occur because of the condition of the floor itself, so the cleaning substance used on the hotel corridor may have caused your accident. The National Floor Safety Institute supports the use of certified chemicals that maintain the necessary traction on the floor’s surface.
Common slip-and-fall injuries
A fall can cause simple bruising, but the impact can also cause serious injuries to your shoulder, back, spinal cord or head. In fact, among the most common types of issues are ankle injuries, and not just sprains. A slip and fall can result in a fractured ankle or a tendon or ligament tear.
Next steps
Evidence is important when you suffer a slip and fall in a public place. You should report the incident to the hotel manager or a staff member immediately. You can then document the accident by taking the names and contact information of any witnesses. It would also be helpful to take pictures of the area where you fell—your cellphone camera is useful for this. Hotel staff may fill out an incident report and you should ask for a copy.
Finally, you must seek medical help promptly. A medical report will tie your injury directly to the fall you took at the hotel. The evidence will be very useful when you file a claim. Multiple parties, including the hotel itself, may be liable for any injuries you sustain, and you are eligible for financial compensation to cover your medical expenses and more.