When people think of slips and falls, they generally imagine slick surfaces, like ice and snow, dangerous terrain, or risky behavior, such as carrying an oversized box down a narrow flight of stairs. Yet, according to the National Safety Council, slips and falls remain the leading cause of injury-related deaths among those aged 65 or older. But slips and trips are not just for the elderly; they also account for about five percent of all workplace injuries and around 15 percent of all accidental deaths. Moreover, a recent study found that, even among healthy, young adults, falls are surprisingly common.

Study on College Students Shows Falls, Trips Happen at Any Age

Conducted by researchers from Purdue University, a recent study on 94 college undergraduates shows that humans – regardless of their age –  struggle to stay upright. With an average age of 19, these students were asked to answer a daily email over the course of 16 weeks. In it, they were asked if they had experienced a slip, trip, or fall in the last 24 hours. More than half (52 percent) reported 1,495 trips or slips by the end of the study, and 46 percent reported 82 full-blown falls.

In February, a nearly 600-foot tall crane crashed onto the buildings, cars, and pedestrians in downtown Manhattan. One man, a Harvard-trained mathematician, was killed. Three others were injured. What rights do these individuals have under the law? Can they seek compensation? And just how difficult will the process be?

How Frequent Are Construction Site Injuries?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, approximately 1.6 percent of all roadway crashes occur within construction work zones. Of those, approximately 0.6 percent were fatal (576 fatalities), 30 percent resulted in injury, and 69 percent caused only property damage. Most occur during active work hours (70 percent).

Although many Americans have voiced their opinions that there are too many reality shows on the air, the genre remains a solid staple on the airwaves. There is one particular, high-rated reality show which continually tests our societal consciousness as actors portray various scenarios that either evoke public compassion and action or blurred lines of indifference.

One of the most popular segments of this show is when an actor portrays a staged slip and fall accident in either a grocery or big box store. Although the actor is portraying a carefully crafted personal injury and ready to sue the host merchant, the show's host and his crew are privy to the fall and delight in exposing the various reactions. As the charade is exposed, we as the audience are enlightened as a large percentage of unsuspecting bystanders are quick to out the clumsy imposter but in all reality, these types of accidents can be quite serious.

The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) provides statistical data on slip and fall accidents, especially for our elderly citizens. Following is a sampling of the data.

Premise liability accidents are common lawsuits alleging personal injury in Wisconsin. Premises liability involves responsibility for injuries that arise from accidents on someone’s property. Such accidents, which may include slip and fall or trip and fall accidents (often devastating or fatal for older adults), occur in restaurants, hotels, water parks, parking lots, amusement parks, your neighbor’s house, and in a myriad of other locations.

If you are injured on another party’s premises and there is any chance you have been injured in any way, take certain steps to ensure that you preserve your claim and can recover the maximum amount available for the injuries you sustained, and contact a veteran personal injury attorney today.

What Should You Do Right after a Premises Liability Injury Occurs?

Whether you are a buyer or a seller of real estate it can be a nightmare to have a home with basement leak issues. It has the potential to not only put a large dent in your budget to fix the problems, it can lead to costly civil litigation if you fail to disclose it properly and misrepresent the condition of the property. If a homeowner has basement leak issues and fails to reveal it on a real estate disclosure form, it could subject the homeowner to costly civil litigation.

What are the penalties or potential costs for failing to properly disclose property defects in Wisconsin? There are certain Wisconsin statutes that deal with consumer misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct that are relevant to these real estate misrepresentation claims.

Section 100.18, Stats., deals with the damages associated with the publishing of untrue, deceptive or misleading advertisements with the intent induce the public in any manner to enter into a contract.  If a seller were to violate this statute by misrepresenting the condition of real estate in order to induce a buyer to purchase the property, the seller could be subject to paying the buyer his pecuniary losses, including costs of collection and attorney fees. §100.18 (11)(b)(2), Stats.