When a person loses their footing or trips over an object and falls, injuring themselves, it is generally referred to as a slip and fall accident. These are some of the most common personal injury incidents across the country and can cause significant injuries and other damages. Under premises liability law, property owners must take preventative steps to avoid their visitors succumbing to these incidents. To learn how a property owner can prevent slip and fall accidents, continue reading below and work with a skilled Sussex County premises liability lawyer for legal counsel.

What is Premises Liability?

Premises liability is a legal concept that holds property owners responsible for accidents and injuries that occur on their property. Under this law, property owners have a legal obligation to provide a reasonably safe environment for guests. If a lawful visitor becomes hurt as a result of the property owner’s negligence, the owner can be held liable for the resulting damages. Premises liability applies to private homeowners, renters, landlords, business owners, and more.

How Can a Property Owner in NJ Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents?

It is crucial that property owners take certain steps to prevent slip and fall accidents. Below are some of the most pertinent considerations.

  1. Conduct regular inspections: Routine inspections of the property are important to identify and address hazards before they cause an accident and injury. Property owners or their employees should do frequent walk-throughs of the premises to check for and document potential dangers.
  2. Perform maintenance: Regular maintenance of the property is imperative not only to fix issues that have presented themselves but also to prevent problems in the first place. Perform maintenance on all areas of the property to ensure proper functioning and avoid deterioration or unexpected issues.
  3. Keep floors clear: Spills, entrances on rainy days, recently cleaned floors, or debris left out are all common slipping hazards. It is important to keep floors clear and dry to ensure visitors have a danger-free path to walk throughout the property. There should be policies in place to rope off and promptly clean up any spills or hazardous areas.
  4. Install adequate lighting: Poor lighting can prevent people from seeing hazards clearly, so it is crucial that all areas are well-lit for guests. This includes stairwells, hallways, parking lots, etc.
  5. Post warning signs: If a hazard cannot be fixed immediately, warning visitors can help prevent an accident. Wet floor signs, caution tape, barricades, and even verbal warnings can help direct guests away from danger.
  6. Install handrails: Stairs, ramps, bathrooms, and other areas should be equipped with handrails to provide support for the elderly, disabled, those with limited mobility, or any other guest.
  7. Train staff properly: For business owners, employee training is crucial to ensure staff can identify potential hazards and that there are procedures in place to report or rectify any issues.

There are many preventative measures that property owners can take to avoid slip and fall accidents. For more information or to obtain skilled legal advice, contact a knowledgeable attorney at Laddey Clark & Ryan, LLP today.