Personal Injury Law

Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays? Can You Prevent Premises Liability Lawsuits?

By Flaxman & Lopez

?Tis the season ? not only for good cheer, but also for injuries. Many Florida slip and fall accidents and personal injuries occur at this time of year. There are most of us heading out and visiting and a few more dangers as well ? increased traffic, more wet leaves on the ground, and other risks. A slip and fall accident on your property is not only devastating, but it can lead to a Florida premises liability claim against you ? probably not the way you envision spending the holidays. Luckily, there are many things homeowners can do to ensure that their homes are safe for guests:

1) Take care of lighting. Proper lighting can help prevent many crimes and also many Florida slip and fall accidents. Ensure that your property is well-lit and add more spot lighting if necessary. You can buy temporary lights that don?t require wiring at your hardware store. If your outdoor lights are on a timer, make sure to adjust them for the shorter days. As well, consider adding reflective materials to steps and other dangers to make them even more visible.

2) Rake wet leaves. Wet leaves lead to many Florida slip and fall injuries, so always rake them promptly. Wet leaves are especially dangerous on asphalt and hard surface walkways.

3) Don?t let grass grow long. Long grass can conceal obstacles and can cause visitors to trip. If your schedule is so hectic that you are having trouble keeping up, consider hiring someone to mow for you. Make sure that clippings are removed from the grass, as these can be slippery as well.

4) Remove obstacles from walking areas. Any obstacles ? toys, loose stones, overhanging branches, can be a danger. Take a walk around your property regularly and remove such obstacles promptly.

5) Improve treads. Consider adding stick-on treads to stairs and to any walkways that seem slippery in the winter.

6) Take care of leaks and pools. Dirty gutters often cause big pools of water, and water causes many slip and falls accidents. Cleaning your gutters is a priority. Beyond that, look for any pools of water and clean them up promptly.

7) Take a look at your pool. Florida pool accidents and near-drownings are every homeowner?s nightmare, so if you have a pool, make double sure that it is closed up correctly for the winter and properly secured against intruders.

Full post as published by Florida Injury Lawyer Blog on November 19, 2010 (boomark / email).