Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Ottawa
Slip and fall accidents might sound harmless. However, in actuality, these all-too common accidents can be extremely dangerous. This is especially true to members of vulnerable communities, including senior citizens.
Falls are responsible for the overwhelming majority of injury-related hospitalizations for senior citizens across the country. 85% of seniors’ injury-related emergency room visits throughout the nation are the result of a slip and fall accident. Furthermore, 95% of all hip fractures sustained by seniors across the country are sustained in a slip and fall.
Seniors who fracture their hips because of a slip and fall accident could not only withstand years of prolonged pain and discomfort, but could even prematurely lose their lives. That is because seniors often require complicated, invasive hip replacement surgeries in order to cope with the extreme physical pain associated with their injury. Unfortunately, due to a number of possible complications, many seniors do not survive the first year following their hip replacement surgery. Indeed, 30% of seniors who undergo hip replacement surgery lose their lives within one year of the procedure.
Even if their hip replacement surgery is successful, injured seniors may continue to live with aches and pains for years to come. They could lose their mobility, their ability to live independently, and their dignity, all because of someone else’s negligence.
Injury-causing slip and fall accidents in Ottawa are, in fact, most frequently the result of someone else’s negligence. Since the provincial Occupiers’ Liability Act requires all owners/occupiers of commercial or residential properties to fulfill a duty of care to others, they might be considered negligent if they fail to meet their legal responsibilities in that regard.
It is incumbent upon property owners/occupiers to routinely inspect their premises for hazardous maintenance issues that pose an immediate threat to human health. They must respond to these issues in a timely manner. If the hazard cannot be repaired or removed from the premises, the people responsible for safeguarding visitors’ physical well-being on the property should, at the very least, clearly display warning signs to inform guests about the safety issues on-site. Failure to take any measures to prevent a slip and fall accident could be considered negligence.
Any number of seemingly commonplace, run-of-the-mill maintenance issues can change the entire course of a slip and fall accident victim’s life. Examples of unsafe hazards that frequently lead to injurious slips and falls in Ottawa include:
- Improperly cleared snow and/or ice
- Spilled liquids
- Broken or missing handrails
- Poor lighting
- Wet floors
- Uneven surfaces
- Loose carpeting
- Cracked sidewalks
- Potholes
- Cluttered walkways
- Broken tiles
- And more
If you sustained compensable injuries in a slip and fall accident that occurred because of a property owner/occupier’s failure to responsibly address unsafe issues on their premises, you might be entitled to compensation. To learn about options for legal action that might be available to you, contact our Ottawa slip and fall accident lawyers today and receive a free initial consultation.
Call 1-800-JUSTICE Today
Our slip and fall accident lawyers serving Ottawa are passionate about helping injured members of the local community recover the compensation they are rightfully owed. To take advantage of a free initial consultation and receive the benefit of personalized, case-specific legal advice, call 1-800-JUSTICE and speak with Preszler Injury Lawyers today.
