Case Examples

Slips, trips and falls

Premises Liability

A man walking in a store claimed that he slipped on the floor and fell, suffering a fractured wrist. Eye witnesses stated that the man was running, tripped and fell.

What was the mechanism of the fall?
Was the injury consistent with a fall resulting from a slip on the floor during walking as stated by the victim or was it caused by tripping on the floor during running?

Slips, trips and falls

Premises Liability

A railroad worker was replacing an adaptor over a roller bearing on a truck when the incident occurred. He was kneeling down, picked up an adaptor, went to place it over the bearing and let the truck slide down. He claimed that he then stood up and stepped back onto a steel bar, his knee buckled, he lost balance and fell backwards onto his buttocks. He claimed that stepping on the bar on the ground with his left foot was the cause of his fall and as a result, he suffered meniscal tears to both of his knees.

Was the fall consistent with his description of events?
Did the fall cause his menisci to tear?

Slips, trips and falls

Premises Liability

A woman was walking to the counter of an establishment to pay for merchandise when she stepped from carpeting onto a tile floor that had recently been mopped. When she stepped onto the tile floor, she slipped and fell onto her knee and buttocks and dislocated her patella (knee cap).

Was the slip and fall consistent with her description of events?
Was the smoothness of the soles of her shoes or the wet floor responsible for her fall?