Highly Qualified Public Restroom Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers in Erie, Pennsylvania

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s Veteran Team of Attorneys will Demand the Best Possible Result for Your Public Bathroom Slip and Fall Injuries in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Thousands of residents and visitors alike use public bathrooms in Erie, Pennsylvania, every day. Although most people use public restrooms without getting hurt, community bathrooms can be extremely dangerous places. Slip and fall accidents in bathrooms are not uncommon. Roughly 36 million Americans ages 65 and older fall each year. Approximately 20 percent of those victims suffer severe injuries, like neck and back injuries, broken bones, traumatic head injury (TBI), acute bruising, and even death. While the elderly have the highest risk of slipping and falling, these accidents can happen to anyone unfortunate enough to use the wrong bathroom.

When improperly cleaned or ill-maintained, every public bathroom has the potential to cause harm to its users. Consequently, most tragic slip and fall accidents result from the negligence or carelessness of property owners, managers, and their employees. According to Patch Media, the public bathrooms in Pennsylvania are among the worst in the United States. In a survey involving various factors, like cleanliness, privacy, lack of toilet paper, no hand soap, and overall cleanliness, the Keystone State’s average score on public restrooms was only 5.2 out of 10. Business owners and managers have a legal duty to identify, remedy, and warn about potential risks that could result in harm. Breach of this legal obligation could leave them responsible for your injuries.

Suppose that you or a loved one have suffered serious harm after falling in a public restroom. Similar to other premises liability lawsuits, a battle-tested attorney will need to determine who owns, inspects, and maintains the subject bathroom. Negligent businesses and their insurance companies have paid more than $175,000,000.00 in judgments and settlements to resolve claims made by Jed Dietrich, Esq.’s clients. While fighting for the compensation that you deserve, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s elite litigators promise to leave no stone unturned. Our leading attorneys would be honored to provide you with a complimentary, no-obligation case evaluation and legal advice. Please contact our seasoned public bathroom slip and fall accident attorneys anytime at 814-839-3939 or by completing the online consultation form.

Slick floors and wet surfaces make community bathrooms hotspots for devastating slip and fall accidents. Some common slip and fall hazards in public bathrooms include leaky pipes, debris left on the floor, puddles around sinks, soap spills, lack of warning signs on freshly mopped floors, clogged toilets, and broken floor tiles. Since a lot more people typically frequent public restrooms, these lavatories require considerably more upkeep than residential bathrooms. When community toilets are not routinely inspected, cleaned, and suitably maintained, they can easily pose a risk to everyone. With this in mind, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s veteran attorneys would like to provide you with the following tips to stay safe on your next trip to a public restroom:

1. Find a Suitable Bathroom: If it is not an emergency, do not just settle for the first public restroom that you find. Try to locate the cleanest bathroom possible. Generally, restrooms run by private businesses, such as cafes, restaurants, and hotels, have tidier and better-maintained toilets.
2. Watch Out for Warning Signs: Although many slip and fall risks may be hard to see, some are obvious. If you see a shiny spot on the floor or a puddle of water, try to walk around it. Be extra cautious on ceramic surfaces and floors with worn tiles because they tend to be extremely slippery.
3. Never Create Hazards: It is important to remember that others may need to use the bathroom too. You should always leave the restroom in the same condition that you found it to help others avoid unnecessary accidents.
4. Consider Your Footwear: Wearing rubber-soled sneakers or neoprene boots will provide you with the most stability on wet surfaces. If you are wearing unstable or slick shoes, like high heels, sandals, or shoes with leather soles, you are more likely to slip and fall.
5. Avoid Distractions: You are much less likely to spot warning signs or potential hazards if you are walking distracted. Thus, you should consider putting your phone away before walking into a public restroom.

While being more cautious can help prevent most falls, unfortunately, some public bathroom slip and fall accidents are completely inevitable. Inadequately cleaned and maintained restrooms can instantly become treacherous for all users. When a victim falls in a bathroom, in addition to hitting the floor, he or she risks striking a body part on the sink or other fixtures. The combination of smashing onto hard surfaces and landing in awkward positions significantly contributes to severe fall-related injuries. Some common damages obtained in public bathroom slips and falls caused by other’s negligence include:

1. All charges for necessary ambulance services;
2. Costs related to your medical treatment;
3. Expenses for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, like painkillers;
4. Payments for mobility devices required to move freely, for instance, braces, canes, crutches, or wheelchairs;
5. Both current and future medical care, such as upcoming corrective surgeries;
6. Loss of income and any other benefits due to missing work;
7. Weakened future career prospects or earning potential;
8. All out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles and rides to and from medical treatments;
9. All property damage, such as a broken phone or glasses;
10. Pain and suffering (both physical and emotional);
11. Loss of enjoyment in life; and
12. Permanent disfigurements and disabilities suffered, such as a severed spinal cord or scarring from a related surgical procedure.

While most public bathroom slips and falls can easily be prevented with routine inspections and proper cleaning, property owners and their insurance companies may attempt to dispute your claim. Possible challenges to your lawsuit include the defense claiming that your injuries were sustained elsewhere, your negligence contributed to the fall, the owner exercised reasonable care in maintaining the bathroom, and staff could not have been expected to know about the hazard. However, with the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s highly experienced litigators fighting for you, we can prove that the property owner was inattentive and should be held accountable. The quicker that you retain Jed Dietrich, Esq., the sooner we can launch our investigation and gather crucial evidence to build the strongest possible case. Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s battle-tested lawyers today at 814-839-3939. Our case evaluations and consultations are always free, so you have nothing to lose by scheduling a meeting.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 814-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!