Orlando Stairway and Ramp Accident Attorneys

You probably navigate stairways and ramps on a daily basis without giving much thought to how well-constructed or safe they are. Unfortunately, however, stairway and ramp accidents due to poorly designed or poorly maintained ramps, risers and flooring material are relatively common and may cause serious injuries.

Stairways and ramps are usually designed to minimize the risk of falling, but when they are not well maintained, they can be dangerous for those who use them. Trip or slip and fall accidents, for example, can cause serious injuries, such as broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, head and neck injuries, and spinal injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an Orlando stairway or ramp accident because the stairwell, steps or ramp was unreasonably dangerous or in need of repair, you know how painful and difficult recovering physically and emotionally from this type of accident can be. The experienced Orlando premises liability attorneys of Bailey Fisher PLLC understand these difficulties and want to help you recover as much as possible.

We have more than half a century of combined successful legal experience both in and out of the courtroom and are committed to putting our skills and resources to work protecting you and your rights. If you suffered serious injuries in an Orlando stairway or ramp accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your physical injuries and emotional trauma. We will work diligently to hold responsible parties accountable for their negligence and obtain the compensation you deserve for the injuries you have suffered.

Orlando Stairway and Ramp Accident Injuries

Stairs are everywhere in any large city. On any given day, you may find yourself climbing stairs at your office, a hotel, an amusement park, or your child’s school. Although you may not worry about how well the stairways you traverse are constructed or maintained, the reality is that each one poses a potential risk of injury. In fact, according to National Library of Medicine (NLM), there are, on average, over one million stairway-related injuries treated in emergency rooms and 12,000 fatal stairway injuries each year in the U.S. Only motor vehicle accidents cause more accidental injuries each year.

Although younger children and older adults have the highest rates of injury, the majority (67.2%) of emergency department visits for stair-related injuries are by individuals 11-60 years old. According to the NLM, common injuries caused by these stairway accidents include:

Sprains and strains (32.3%)
Soft tissue injuries (23.8%)
Fractures (19.3%)

Ramps pose an equal, if not greater, threat because they must be used by some of society’s most vulnerable citizens — people in wheelchairs or those with physical limitations that make the use of stairs difficult or impossible. To protect people with physical limitations that require special accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets specific standards for ramps intended to be used for handicap access to buildings. To comply with the ADA, a ramp must have the following:

A slope that is no steeper than 12 inches in length for every inch of rise.
A rest platform for any ramp with a rise greater than 30 inches.
A landing that meets ADA measurements at the top and bottom of the ramp.
At least 36 inches of width.
Edge protection along the sides of the ramp.
Handrails that are rounded, solidly fixed, and that meet the specifications for height and length.

Causes of Stairway and Ramp Accidents

When a stairway or ramp is improperly constructed or installed, or the property owner fails to maintain the stairway or ramp, people using them can be injured. Common causes of stairway and ramp accidents include:

Sub-standard materials used in construction
Concrete chipping or cracking
Broken or missing handrails
Stairs or ramps not built to applicable building code or ADA specifications
Wooden steps that have warped or split, or which have deteriorated or become rotten with age
Debris left in a stairway or on a ramp
Inadequate lighting
Water or other liquid accumulating on stairs or on a ramp, or failure of the stairs or ramp to have an adequate slip-resistant surface

Who Is at Fault in an Orlando Stairway or Ramp Accident?

Florida law holds property owners to a reasonable standard of care when it comes to protecting certain visitors. Specifically, the doctrine of premises liability determines the extent of the duty of care that a property owner owes to someone on the property. The highest duty of care applies when the victim is an “invitee.” An invitee, in turn, is defined as someone who was lawfully on the property at the express or implied invitation of the owner to conduct business. A guest at a hotel, a visitor at an amusement park, or a client at a commercial business are all examples of invitees.

As an invitee, a property owner owes you a duty that includes keeping the property in a reasonably safe condition and either repairing or providing you notice of any known dangers on the premises. If the property owner breached this duty, and you were injured as a result, the property owner may be held legally accountable. Moreover, an owner may even be held responsible for dangerous conditions that he/she did not know about, but they should have known about by reasonable inspection. For example, if a routine inspection of an existing ramp would have shown cracks in the concrete, the business owner may be liable for injuries caused by a ramp accident if the business failed to conduct that inspection.

Compensation for Orlando Stairway or Ramp Injury Victims

If you or a loved has been seriously injured in an Orlando stairway or ramp accident caused by a property owner and/or manager’s negligence, you may be able to obtain substantial financial compensation for your injuries, harm and suffering with a premises liability claim. Compensation for injuries may include:

Medical expenses – current as well as potential future expenses
Lost income and diminished earning capacity
Mental anguish
Loss of capacity to enjoy life
Pain and suffering
Disability or physical impairment
Scarring or disfigurement

Stairway and ramp injuries are often very serious and can result in permanent injuries. You may need considerable time to recover from the shock of injury and the injury itself. The Orlando premises liability attorneys at Bailey Fisher would be honored to help you get through the challenging time that follows a serious injury accident.

Get the Help You Need from Orlando Stairway and Ramp Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an Orlando stairway or ramp accident, you need a dependable and experienced advocate in the legal system to ensure that the responsible party (or parties) is held accountable and that you are fully and fairly compensated for your medical expenses, lost income, pain, and suffering. The experienced premises liability attorneys at Bailey Fisher are committed to protecting your rights and fighting for justice and the substantial compensation you deserve.

Call us at 407-628-2929 or submit our online form today. One of our experienced Orlando stairway and ramp accident attorneys will evaluate your case for free. For viable cases, we will follow up with the necessary legal action to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence and recover the financial compensation you deserve for your pain, suffering, and losses.