Some of the most dangerous trip and fall accidents – or slip and fall accidents – will happen on the stairs. Any time that you accidentally fall can lead to a serious injury, but being on the stairs simply increases the odds that you will suffer some sort of severe injury and it makes the consequence of the fall that much greater.
To help avoid finding yourself in this position, it’s important to understand what signs to look for so that you know that a stairway is unsafe. You may be able to avoid using it entirely if you know that the risk is just too high for you to feel comfortable.
The most common signs
Below are not all of the signs that a stairway is unsafe, but they are some of the more common ones that you’re going to find, so they give you a good starting point:
- The stair tread is worn down
- Stair treads are entirely broken
- The carpet or rug has come loose
- The handrail is loose or not properly secured
- Some of the treads are crooked or uneven
- There are no visual cues to alert you that you’re getting close to a step, such as brightly colored tape at the top and bottom or even on the front edge of each tread
- There is inadequate lighting near the staircase
Even knowing what to look for doesn’t guarantee that you won’t trip or slip and fall while you’re on the stairs on someone else’s property. If this happens and you suffer catastrophic injuries as a result, you must know how to seek financial compensation.