Common Causes Of Shopping Mall Slip-And-Fall Accidents

When you step foot inside a shopping mall, the last thing you’re thinking about is your personal safety. Instead, you turn your attention to your favorite stores, the food court and possibly even meeting up with other people.

However, you don’t want your personal safety to drift too far out of mind, as you never know when a dangerous situation could present itself. For example, slip-and-fall accidents in shopping malls can result from all the following:

• Spill: Maybe another individual spilled their coffee at the food court and neglected to clean it up. As you’re strolling through, checking out your options, you step on the spill and fall hard to the ground.
• Recent floor cleaning: Most shopping malls take pride in maintaining a clean environment, which includes the floors. For this reason, they mop and polish them regularly. If this is done during normal business hours, it’s critical that signs are used to warn shoppers.
• Elevator: Elevator accidents are among the most dangerous, as they involve powerful mechanical components. For instance, if an elevator jerks while you’re entering or exiting, it could knock you off your feet.
• Escalator: Just the same as elevators, escalators pose a safety risk, such as if it stops unexpectedly or speeds up for no reason.
• Debris: Even with people constantly cleaning the corridors and stores, debris can make its way to the ground. Common examples include coffee cups, soda cans, food wrappers and shopping bags. If you’re not paying attention to where you’re walking, and even if you are, you could step on a piece of debris that causes you to lose your footing.

Should you suffer an injury in any type of shopping mall slip-and-fall accident, here’s what you need to do:

• Stay where you are as you assess your injuries
• Call for help or ask a bystander to assist you
• Take photos of the accident scene
• Collect evidence, such as if a particular object caused the accident
• Seek immediate medical attention

Once you understand your injuries, prognosis and treatment plan, revisit the accident and learn more about your legal rights for seeking compensation from the negligent party, such as the owner of the mall.