Who’s To Blame For A Florida Staircase Slip And Fall Accident?
When walking between the first floor and second floor of a building—whether you are at work, your apartment complex, or another location—you most likely use a staircase and hold onto the hand rails to help you keep your balance as you proceed up or down the stairs. The majority of the time, the stairs work as they were designed and the handrail stays in place and provides support while walking; however, on occasion, a Florida slip and fall accident in a staircase occurs because of a defect or lack of maintenance.
Stairways are one of the most common places to fall. While some falls are caused by a person running, tripping over their own shoe, or not watching where they are going, other falls are caused by poor lighting, poor design, and other hazardous stairwell conditions, such as poor functioning handrails.
You may be able to hold the building owner liable if your South Florida slip and fall accident and injury in a staircase involved any of the following hazards:
- Missing handrail
- Loose handrail caused from missing screws (not secured properly to the wall)
- Missing section of a handrail
- Inaccessible handrail
- Torn carpeting on stairs
- Failure to use slip resistant materials on stairs
- Faulty stairway design that was not equal in flight or didn’t have the correct tread depth
- Dim or inadequate lighting in the staircase (it was hard to see)
If your fall was the result of any of the above hazards, you may be able to assign blame for your Broward County slip and fall to the owner of the building or property possessor. If you are able to do so following your fall, take pictures of the missing handrail or hazard. Sometimes, poorly designed stairs aren’t noticeable and should be inspected by a professional to determine if that’s what caused your fall. Staircases should be designed properly, and they should be taken care of and maintained sufficiently.
If a poor design or lack of maintenance led to your sprain, broken bones, knee injury, or other injury, you deserve financial compensation for your injuries. Call a South Florida slip and fall attorney at the Law Offices of David Benenfeld at 954-677-0155 for a free consultation to find out more about your rights today.
