Outdoor Slip and Fall Hazards to Avoid This Summer

 Posted on July 01,2018 in Personal Injury Attorney

The indoor slip and fall hazards you face are consistent throughout the year. Wet tiles, broken steps, and unsecured carpets can cause injuries 12 months out of the year. Outdoor slip and fall hazards, on the other hand, tend to vary by the season.

Some of these hazards are weather-related, like ice and snow during the winter. Others are present all year, but only an issue to consider during certain seasons because they are related to the activities people enjoy at specific times of year. Below are a few of the slip and fall hazards you can face during the summer months. If you are injured by one due to another party's negligence, you may pursue compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim.

Wet Tiles

For many, summer means it is time to hit the pool. Many pools are surrounded by tiles, which can become quite slippery when they are wet.

Steps into Murky Water

Any steps into a body of water can be a slip and fall hazard if they are broken. But when the water is clear, you can often see that they are broken and either choose to tread carefully or to find another way into the water. When water is murky, you do not have this option. In fact, you cannot know what is lurking at the bottom of a ladder into murky water – you could step onto an exposed nail, broken glass, or another sharp object. You could also step onto a compromised rung, putting you at risk of falling.

Dry Rotted Decks and Outdoor Stairs

Wooden objects, like decks and staircases, are susceptible to dry rot. Dry rot is wood decay caused by fungi getting into the wood and consuming it from the inside out. Wood that is kept in moist conditions, like wooden docks, are most susceptible to dry rot.

Dry rot compromises a wooden structure's integrity, increasing its likelihood of breaking and causing a victim to suffer an injury.

Boat Ramps and Swim Platforms

Boat ramps can be home to algae and other life forms that make them slippery, and swim platforms on the backs of boats can become slippery when they are wet. They can both be slip and fall hazards, especially when a swim platform has no handrail or a boat ramp is partially submerged in murky water.

Work with an Experienced Fox River Grove Slip and Fall Lawyer

If you were injured in a slip and fall that could have been prevented if another party had taken greater care, you are entitled to pursue compensation for your related damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about pursuing monetary compensation for your slip and fall damages this way, contact our team of experienced personal injury lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP today to set up your initial consultation in our office. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of Barbara Montavon)