Slip and fall injuries happen every day. In many cases, these types of incidents are nothing to write home about, but a surprising number of slip and fall accidents can cause serious and long term damage. In fact, in the United States, 2.2 million Americans seek emergency room care annually because of slip and fall accidents, according to the National Floor Safety Institute. While the severity of these injuries varies greatly, knowing what to do after a slip or fall can help you to move forward properly. Here are a couple facts to consider:

• Children and the elderly are more susceptible to slip and fall accidents.

• The most frequently incurred injuries

from slips and falls are joint injuries such as back, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and knee injuries.

These types of personal injury can happen almost anywhere, at any time, and there is not much you can do to prevent it in most cases. The responsibility frequently falls on the owner of the premise on which the accident occurred, which is why slip and fall cases are also known as premise liability cases. In premise liability, the situation can be complicated when it comes to who is at fault in the incident.

When determining liability for your case, there are numerous things to take into consideration. The owner of the premises or an employee must have caused the spill, worn or torn spot, or otherwise slippery or dangerous surface. Another factor is whether the owner knew, or should’ve known, about the dangerous area, but did nothing about it.

Just as important in premise liability cases is the degree to which you may be at fault as well. Ask yourself if your own carelessness could have led to the accident in any way. Were there any warning signs you may have overlooked? Were you doing anything at the time that may have distracted you during the incident? Knowing exactly what happened, acting timely, and getting medical attention no matter the extent of the injuries sustained are the most important steps in premise liability cases.

While knowing the facts on slip and fall injuries may encourage you to be more careful when in public spaces, we must also consider the above-mentioned fact that children and the elderly are always more susceptible to these types of accidents. More than one-third of adults ages 65 years and older fall each year, and these cases quite frequently lead to much more serious consequences than a slip and fall accident in any other age bracket.

Slip and fall cases can become very complicated and a lot goes into deciding who is ultimately responsible, which is why it is important to have knowledgeable legal counsel working with you, should you become a victim of this type of accident. At Hart Law, there are specialized Texas personal injury lawyers (http://www.hartlaw.com/) and Dallas personal injury lawyers (http://www.hartlaw.com/practice-areas/catastrophic-personal-injury-wrongful-death/) specifically that will work for you and your family’s best interests.