The truth is that individuals are often injured or hurt on premises which aren’t theirs. They are commonly owned or currently occupied by a third party. The slip and fall accidents can very well result in some incredibly grave and serious injuries such as hip injuries, broken ankles, a variety of orthopedic injuries and even traumatic brain damages and spinal cord injuries, even though the last tends to happen more or less is rare. However, chances do increase when you slip and fall on your head or have a bad fall that leads to slipped disk or spinal cord injuries.
Recover monetary damages
If this is the case, you have to be well aware of the fact that you are fully entitled to recover the monetary damages for you’re the losses that you’ve incurred. The majority of the times, however, the insurance which is placed to protect the owners of the property as well as their managers or other contractors is going to take care of the damages that you’ve had to incur. However, in some cases you are also going to be able to file a civil lawsuit pursuing what you haven’t been repaid by the insurance company.
The slip and fall accidents on the territory of the province of Ontario consist the majority of the premise liability claims in the courts. The law which governs these claims is the Occupiers’ Liability Act and it has been enacted back in 1990. Interestingly enough, this particular act, as well as some others, has never been altered or amended which speaks to the effectiveness of the provisions in it.
Occupiers’ Liability Act
In any case, the liability which is set forth in it is rather broad and it aims to protect the victims of such incidents, regardless of who the current occupier is. This means that you can file your claims towards the owner or towards the tenant, depending on the current case. The Occupiers’ Liability Act doesn’t specify the conditions under which the accident must have occurred but there is an extensive legal practice in that direction. With this in mind, the most common causes for slip and fall accidents in the province of Ontario are as follows:
– Unmarked step-downs
– Inadequate and improper lighting or lacking thereof
– Trip hazards
– Uneven surfaces
– Slippery floors or sticky once
– Snow and ice which hasn’t been properly cleared
There is, however, one way under which the occupier of the hazardous premise can avoid legal responsibility. This is achieved by placing a warning sign or a label which serves the purpose of letting people know of the potential danger. By doing this, the duty of care is transferred onto the person who is passing by on the premises and the owner is no longer liable. The solution is quite fair as it’s not always possible to eliminate the potential hazard immediately.
