Can I File a Wrongful Death Claim For A Slip and Fall Accident?
While the snow and ice has cleared from the snowstorm in mid-January, the Pacific Northwest isn’t out of the woods yet. Slip and fall accidents increase during winter months because of icy walkways. Snow, sleet and freezing rain can all turn into hazardous traveling conditions. Pedestrians should take reasonable precautions to protect themselves from a fall by slowing down in icy conditions but property owners can reduce the chances of a slip and fall injury on their property by salting or sanding walkways.
Injuries from slip and fall accidents vary in severity from a bruised tailbone to broken bones and yes, even death. Senior adults over the age of 65 are particularly susceptible to slip and fall accidents leading to serious injuries; falls are the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among the older population. Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures with more than 95 percent of hip fractures caused by falling. According to the National Council on Aging, one in four Americans over the age of 65 has a slip and fall accident every year. Every 11 seconds, a senior adult seeks emergency room treatment for a fall and every 19 minutes, a senior person dies from a fall. In fact, falls are the number one cause of fatal injury among seniors.