Slip and fall injuries occur much more frequently than people realize. The body twists or jerks into unnatural positions, resulting in serious injury. In the process, it tears muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues in the process. The injuries from slip and fall incidents can result in substantial medical expenses and other damages like lost income or pain and suffering.
Slip and fall incidents are also unique, as they are more predictable than other types of personal injury incidents. They are more common in certain types of businesses, such as grocery stores and restaurants, where spills are frequent. These types of businesses usually have policies in place to prevent incidents. Failure to follow these policies can be used against a business if it results in an injury.
Corporate Policies to Prevent Slip and Fall Incidents
Businesses, particularly those with previous slip and fall lawsuits, may implement corporate policies to prevent such incidents. These policies include incident reporting, constant video surveillance, and routine inspections. Let’s look at a restaurant with multiple prior lawsuits from patrons injured by slipping on a spilled drink. The restaurant may have a policy requiring a specific employee to inspect the floor every hour and record details and results of each inspection. Or they may have a policy requiring the first employee to notice a spill to clean it up immediately. If a slip and fall incident occurs anyhow, the restaurant will point to the appropriate policies and procedures in place to keep such incidents from happening.
Using a Company’s Policies Against It
Failure to follow corporate policy can backfire on a company. Let’s look back at the restaurant. If their policy states that spills must be cleaned up within 5 minutes, and the inspection report shows it took twice that long, they can face significant consequences. Corporate policies, when disregarded, can harm the business more than help, especially when injuries result from negligence.
Contact Schwed, Adams & McGinley
At Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A., our experienced personal injury attorneys have over 200 years of combined legal practice representing slip and fall victims in South Florida. We also proudly represent victims from motor vehicle accidents and other personal injury scenarios. We know how to use a company’s own corporate policies against it to recover maximum compensation for our clients’\ injuries. If you, a family member, or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall incident in Florida, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A today at 877-694-6079 or [email protected] for a free consultation.
