Last year, the magazine “Death and Taxes” reported on a new phenomenon that appears to be taking the world by storm.
It basically involves people tweeting photos of themselves as or just after they’ve fallen down the stairs. This may seem a bit odd – and it is – but such evidence would come in handy if and when these people decide to make slip and fall injury claims.
Any piece of evidence you’re able to collect that demonstrates the circumstances surrounding your accident could prove extremely helpful to a compensation lawyer.
According to “Death and Taxes”, sometimes the reason these people have fallen down the stairs is because they were taking a photo of themselves. If this is the case, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make a successful public liability injury claim.
Why? Because in order to receive injury compensation, you have to demonstrate the owner or designer of the public space you were hurt in was remiss in their duty of care to you.
If you can prove they were in some way responsible for your fall, then you may be eligible for compensation. Otherwise, you’ll be left to pay medical expenses out of your pocket.
A surprising number of people are injured each year as a result of having fallen down the stairs.
According to a study released by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre, titled “The Relationship Between Slips, Trips and Falls, and the Design and Construction of Buildings”, fall-related injuries outnumber fire-related injuries by “one or two orders of magnitude”.
In addition to this, “injuries related to stairways outnumber civilian injuries from fire by a factor of approximately 35”. The study also reveals that injuries related to stairways are a lot more common than injuries related to motor vehicle accidents.
In Australia, the number of people who were hurt in some way as a result of having fallen down the stairs increased by a total of 70 per cent between 1993-1994 and 2002-2003.
These accidents are the “leading cause of non-fatal injuries” in Australia, the US and many other countries around the world, claims the study, and they’re also one of the main causes of spinal cord and brain injuries.
While the vast majority of falls take place in a residential setting, a significant portion occur in public spaces. If this has happen to you, get in touch with the compensation lawyers at Gerard Malouf Partners today.
They can help you determine whether or not you could be eligible for compensation.
