Virginia Beach Slippery Floor Accident Lawyers

Virginia law firm secures payment when a slick surface leads to injury

In commercial establishments that invite public visitors, slippery floors can be caused by multiple types of activity, from recent mopping and waxing to trudging in of snow and sleet. These conditions can often result in slip and fall accidents, leading to injuries for which the building owner or operator can be held liable. At Ernest Law Group, PLC, we help victims of wet floor slip and fall injuries recover the compensation they deserve. If you’ve sustained a serious injury because a negligent party failed to remediate or warn of a hazard, our Virginia Beach slippery floor accident lawyers are ready to respond.

Responsibility of businesses to prevent slippery floor accidents

A business open to public visitors has the duty to prevent and to discover and remediate unsafe conditions. An important aspect of a company’s safety protocols is dealing with hazards on the floor which can occur frequently in the course of business and can catch visitors unaware. Businesses must regularly inspect the premises, remediate hazards and promptly and effectively warn visitors of conditions not yet corrected. Businesses that do not adopt and implement safety protocols expose themselves to liability when a customer slips on a wet floor.

Common areas where slippery floor accidents occur

Slippery floor hazards can occur anywhere, such as:

• Malls
• Corporate offices
• Restaurants 
• Retail stores
• Religious places of worship
• Schools
• Gyms
• Grocery stores
• Hotel lobby

You might also slip and fall at a friend’s home, but social hosts are usually responsible only for hazards they know about. 

Types of hazardous conditions that can lead to a slippery floor

Floors become slippery for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Cleaning
• Plumbing leaks
• Leaks from the air conditioning system
• Moisture tracked in from outdoors during inclement weather
• Liquids being spilled
• Customers’ hasty use of a restroom use

Businesses must have protocols in place to address these issues as they happen and before anyone gets hurt.

Frequent injuries when someone falls on a slippery floor

A slippery floor can cause a person to completely lose their footing, so there’s no chance to slow the fall or even brace for impact. Thus, contact with the hard surface is forceful, producing a variety of potentially severe injuries. These can include:

• Bone fractures
• Compressed vertebrae
• Displaced discs
• Head wounds, concussions and traumatic brain injury
• Joint sprains and muscle strains
• Nerve damage
• Torn ligaments or cartilage

When the accident victim is elderly, the effects of the fall can be catastrophic.

Does a wet floor sign prevent slip and fall lawsuits? 

You might have taken afall at a grocery store or another place of business, only to see a “wet floor” sign somewhere off to the side. Posting such an advisory is an important step for preventing a restaurant slip and fall or a shopping center injury. But the sign must provide an adequate warning to passersby, so that the hazard becomes obvious, and they have a choice to avoid it.

How a business posts a sign can greatly impact a slip and fall case. If a judge decides that the sign provided adequate warning, the inattentive victim might share in the fault. However, if the sign gave inadequate warning, a judge could rule that the business was negligent, allowing the victim to recover damages.

Contact our Virginia slip and fall attorneys for a wet floor injury consultation

Ernest Law Group, PLC in Virginia Beach represents victims of wet floor slip and fall accidents in the Hampton Roads area. Please call 757-289-2499 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.