A person injured in a slip and fall accident at church may be entitled to compensation for damages. Churches have a legal duty to maintain their premises to protect guests from harm. If a congregant slips and falls as a result of an avoidable hazard the church is liable.
How Slip and Fall Accidents Can Occur at Church
Slip and fall accidents lead to more than one million emergency department visits every year. Older people are especially at risk of sustaining severe injuries following a slip and fall accident. More than 20% of slip and fall victims miss work for more than a month due to injuries. Identifying and proving the cause of a slip and fall accident plays a crucial role in the outcome of a personal injury case. Slip and fall accidents are often caused by:
- Dim interior lighting
- Slippery or broken marble or tile floors
- Polished wood steps that provide minimal traction
- Spills that are not promptly cleaned
- Wet floors due to snow or rain
- Uneven pavement in parking lots and sidewalks
Liability for Slip and Fall Injuries
Religious institutions have a legal duty to maintain their property to protect people from foreseeable injuries. If they cannot immediately fix a problem, then they have a duty to warn about the danger. As such, they are at fault for any injuries that could have been reasonably avoided.
To prove a church is liable for injuries, a victim needs to show that his or her injuries were caused by a dangerous condition; the church management knew or should have reasonably foreseen a risk for injury; the church failed to correct, prevent, or warn about the hazardous condition; and the hazardous condition was the direct cause of injuries.
Compensation for a Church Slip and Fall Accident
Victims of slip and fall accidents can sustain a wide range of injuries. Injuries may require extensive medical treatment, hospitalization, and physical therapy to reach a full recovery. A victim may be unable to work, putting him or her under a mountain of debt. Victims of church slip and fall accidents can receive compensation for medical care, pain and suffering, loss of income, loss of future earnings, and emotional distress.
To protect their right to compensation, victims should immediately report the slip and fall accident to the church management, seek medical attention, photograph the scene, and get witness contact information.
