Stairway Injuries

Building codes in Florida have clear guidelines for tread depth, riser height, the inclusion of handrails, and much more when designing and building stairways. In addition, things like lighting and proper maintenance must go into keeping a stairway safe for travel. These requisites are set forth to reduce the number of stairway falls and accidents in the United States each year. But there are still, alarmingly, more than 1 million injuries caused by falls on stairways each year, as well as roughly 12,000 deaths each year. As you can gather from these shocking statistics, stairways can be dangerous to the young and old alike, and any fall must be taken seriously. 

In many falls, the injured party may realize immediately that the accident was their own doing, whether due to trying to get up or down the stairs too quickly, missing a step, or many other reasons; however, many of the 1 million injuries each year are avoidable and are the fault of the property owner who failed to keep the stairway safe for travel. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed due to a stairway accident that was caused by dangerous conditions either created or ignored by a property owner, then you may be entitled to compensation for a range of damages.

 

Request a Free Consultation With The Team at Bernheim Kelley Battista Today

Our law firm offers a free consultation for victims of stairway accidents so we can discuss the specifics of the accident and provide advice on how best to move forward with a legal case. Accidents of any type have serious impacts on a victim and their loved ones, and while no amount of money can undo the damage caused by the accident, an individual does not deserve to shoulder the financial burden this accident caused. We are here to help. 

Contact us as soon as possible to request your consultation and get started on building a compelling argument for the compensation that you rightfully deserve. Many people fail to realize that they are owed much more than what an insurance company will willingly offer until it is too late. But when you are being represented by the team at Bernheim Kelley Battista & Bliss, you can be confident that an experienced slip and fall accident attorney is fighting for your rights every step of the way.

Common Causes of Stairway Accidents

The following are just a few of the many different ways that someone may slip or fall down a stairway. If the cause of your stairway accident is not mentioned below, this does not mean that you are not entitled to compensation. Contact us as soon as possible so we can go over the details of your fall and get a better understanding of who was at fault for your accident.

Poor Lighting

Trying to navigate a dark stairway is difficult and dangerous. Property owners must address this with adequate lighting that is always on or has motion detection to stay activated while someone is using the stairway. Failure to do so is negligent and increases the risk of an accident — an accident for which they are liable.

Broken Handrails

Handrails provide a person with stability and support as they go up or down the stairs and must be securely fastened to ensure that the handrail does not collapse unexpectedly and throw the individual off balance. Leaning onto a handrail, only to have it break under you, can be extremely dangerous and can lead to a serious fall.

Faulty Stair Treads

When a stair tread is either broken or missing entirely, the person on the steps will either need to recognize this problem, skip the step, or fall when their foot goes to plant on the next tread. Either way, this is a glaring issue that should be resolved by a property owner before anyone else uses it because they are often liable for injuries or deaths stemming from this type of problem.

Slippery Steps

A wet stairway can be a serious risk for anyone traveling up or down, especially when there is no grip tape or carpeting on the treads. In northern states, ice is a major factor in stairway accidents, but water on a stairway can cause serious problems without being frozen.