Slip-and-fall incidents may be the result of inclement weather or delayed facility maintenance. High volumes of visitors can also lead to slip-and-fall incidents due to the possibility of visitors tracking in dirt and moisture on their shoes or even spilling something inside the business.
Generally speaking, businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their facilities are reasonably safe for any visitors. However, retail establishments often prioritize cost management over facility maintenance and visitor safety. Understaffing can increase the risk of visitors getting hurt at a business.
Skeleton crews can’t manage every need
When companies trim back their schedules to have the fewest workers possible on the clock, the employees scheduled have to carefully allocate their time. They may spend most of every shift directly interacting with customers instead of handling cleaning and facility maintenance.
In some cases, workers may not be able to attend to cleaning and similar tasks until after the business closes for the night. Spills and other potential safety hazards may go undetected for hours. This may constitute negligence. Other reasonable adults might recognize that the company’s negligent choice to minimize workers ultimately resulted in unsafe facilities and visitor injuries.
Everyone who visits the business while the front rugs are saturated or there is a spill left uncleaned is potentially at risk of a slip-and-fall incident. Delays in cleaning are easily predictable and manageable with adequate staff.
Establishing that negligence was the underlying cause of a slip-and-fall incident can help injured people as they pursue compensation. Details ranging from the nature of the slipping hazard to the number of workers on staff may influence the rights of those injured while patronizing a business.