Individuals living in Texas might mistakenly convince themselves that they have minimal risk of experiencing a slip-and-fall. Many people mentally correlate slip-and-fall incidents with winter weather, which rarely creates much reason for concern for those living in Texas.
However, public slip-and-falls are still a safety issue in Texas even though people are unlikely to experience much ice or snow in public spaces. Instead of occurring outside in parking lots or on unmaintained sidewalks, Texas slip-and-fall incidents are much more likely to occur inside.
Where do those patronizing a business have the greatest risk of slipping, falling and getting hurt?
Entranceways
The moment that someone first steps into a building, they tend to brush off their shoes and rearrange their clothing. The entranceways to businesses can therefore be a lot of sand, dirt and rainwater tracked in by visitors. It is common practice for businesses to put down rugs as a countermeasure. Unfortunately, rugs come with their own set of safety concerns. The failure to secure the rugs to the floor properly could increase the chances of a slip-and-fall occurring, as could a failure to replace or clean rugs that become saturated with either rainwater or dirt.
Near refrigerators and freezers
Many businesses, ranging from convenience stores to grocery shops, may have refrigerators and freezers storing merchandise. Those pieces of equipment can increase the chances of a slip-and-fall incident. Issues with the equipment could lead to leaks and puddling. Patrons who fail to fully shut a fridge or freezer after accessing it could also create hazards if the device defrosts.
Near merchandise
Anytime business patrons handle merchandise, they can potentially create issues. They might drop a jar of preserved olives, creating a mess that could lead to someone falling. Leaking packages and dropped items near merchandise displays are among the more common causes of slip-and-fall.
As a final note, any location inside of a business could have some slip-and-fall risk, especially if the building itself is a bit older. Failure to properly invest in facility maintenance and repairs could lead to leaks and other issues that could increase the chances of a slip-and-fall incident.
Those hurt due to preventable incidents may have grounds to take legal action against the company where the incident occurred. Pursuing a premises liability claim can lead to appropriate compensation for those harmed by the poor business practices of a company.