A wet floor in a shop or facility is a common hazard to customers and employees. When puddles of water or other liquids form, a business is required to post a bright orange or yellow marker to alert all passersby. The company should then instruct one of its service people to mop up the puddle as soon as possible. If you slip on a large puddle that has not been properly marked by the business, it can be held liability for your injury.
An unforeseen object is another potential cause of a slip or fall. Such an item could easily cause a person to stub his toe, twist an ankle or fall and break a bone. Liability is determined by two things: Whether there was a legitimate reason for the object to be there and whether the business owner has a regular procedure to check for those type of objects. Otherwise, there could potentially be a claim of negligence.
Outdoor winter hazards such as snow and ice can also potentially cause injury by slip and fall. The law differs a little bit in different states, but generally the business owner is held liable if there is an "unnatural accumulation" of ice or snow. The neglect has be more than simply not shoveling or salting for a day or two. Instead, it would have to be a deliberate avoidance of clearing away ice and snow for several days.
In the case that a slip-and-fall accident goes to trial, the business would most likely argue that it was the customer's own carelessness that caused the fall. Did the plaintiff ignore warnings or signs? Was he running too quickly and knock into something he ordinarily would have seen? Was he distracted by his own behavior? A judge may take these factors into consideration when ruling on the liability of a slip-and-fall case.
One standard for determining liability of a slip or fall is reasonableness. Basically, it is an examination by the court of the reasonable steps that a business takes to avoid the situation that led to the slip or fall. For example, if a company has regular inspections, clear lighting, a bright sign or warning of the potential hazard, then in all likelihood, it has reasonably done its duty to alert people to hazards.
