Washington residents lead busy, productive lives that often take them in and out of multiple commercial properties in a single day. We rarely give it a second thought when we enter a store, workplace, restaurant, hotel, or apartment complex. Still, the property owner has a legal obligation to us as invitees to their property. Even private property owners have a duty of reasonable care to anyone who legally enters their property, such as delivery workers and repair persons.
It only takes an instant for a slip-and-fall injury in Washington to occur due to an unsafe condition on someone else’s property, but the impacts of the injury can be long-term or even permanent, especially if the fall causes spinal cord trauma.
What are the Common Causes of Slip-and-Fall Accidents In Washington?
When something causes a misstep or prevents the foot from having adequate traction, the foot may suddenly slide out from under the individual, causing them to lose balance and fall hard. According to the CDC, slip-and-fall accidents are a leading cause of injury.
The most common causes of slip-and-fall accidents in Washington include the following:
- Wet floors from mopping, spills, or plumbing leaks
- Icy walkways and steps
- Uneven floorboards or cracked tiles
- Uneven or broken pavement on parking lots, sidewalks, and walkways
- Inadequate lighting
- Broken or missing handrails on steps or staircases
- Broken stair risers
- Unmarked step-ups or step-downs
- Spilled debris or loose gravel
- Improper floor cleaning products that leave a slippery surface
Slip-and-fall accidents from heights, such as stairs or steps, more commonly cause spinal cord trauma, but even a same-height fall can injure the spinal cord through a burst disc fracture with sharp bone fragments that can sever delicate nerves.
Back Injuries From Washington Slip and Fall Accidents
During a slip-and-fall accident, the victim may overextend muscles, tendons, and ligaments while being thrown off balance. Then, the back absorbs the forceful impact of the fall. Common back injuries from slip-and-falls include the following:
- Sprains, strains, and contusions
- Herniated discs (the cushioning layer between vertebrae bursts, slips, or bulges, causing pain and stiffness)
- Whiplash in the cervical spine
- Fractured vertebrae, including burst fractures and compression fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
Because the back is the body’s structural support system and keeps us upright, back injuries are not only painful but also cause stiffness, loss of range of motion, impaired mobility, and chronic pain. The impacts of a slip-and-fall back injury can be permanent if the fall causes spinal cord damage.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries In Washington
The crucial nerves in the spinal cord are responsible for sending and receiving messages between the brain and the body. When an injury damages or severs the nerves in the spinal cord, the injury victim experiences full or partial paralysis, depending on the height of the injury in the spinal column. Injury to the lumbar region or lower spinal cord can result in paraplegia, or paralysis and loss of sensation in the lower body and limbs. Injury to the spinal cord in the cervical spine of the neck causes tetraplegia or total body paralysis.
According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, a spinal cord injury is among the most financially costly injuries and has permanent adverse consequences on all aspects of the injury victim’s life.
Liability In Washington Slip-and-Fall Cases With Back Injuries
Under the fault-based injury laws in Washington, the party responsible for the injury is liable for the injury victim’s damages. A slip-and-fall claim is a common category of premises liability claims. Proving liability requires compelling evidence of the following:
- The property owner knew of the unsafe condition, or should reasonably have known
- They owed a duty of care to the injury victim because they were legally present on the property, and not trespassing or committing a crime
- The property owner breached their duty of care through negligence
- The breach of duty caused injury
- The injury victim suffered damages
The property owner is legally liable for a slip-and-fall injury victim’s damages, such as medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and catastrophic injury.
How Can a Washington Slip-and-Fall Lawyer Help My Case?
A property owner’s insurer may try to assign an injury victim a portion of fault for their fall to reduce the amount they have to pay on the claim, or may deny it completely. Contact an experienced Marysville personal injury attorney from Wells Trumbull to protect your legal rights and maximize the compensation available to you.