Defective Railing Accidents

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Dedicated South Carolina premises liability attorneys who recognize how dangerous defective railing accidents are and who are committed to zealously advocating for your rightful compensation.

Hand railings are put on stairs and railings are put on elevated landings and walkways for one very important reason, and that is to help protect people from exceptionally dangerous accidents. Those falls that happen from heights, such as from stairs and elevated landings, are some of the deadliest accidents out there, and defective railings are sometimes the cause. If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a defective railing, it’s time to consult with an experienced South Carolina premises liability attorney.

Railings Play a Critical Role

Railings are placed in stairwells and on elevated walkways because these spaces are inherently dangerous. Falls from heights are often life-threatening, and railings are put in place to help prevent such accidents. When you head up a set of stairs or across an elevated walkway, the last thing you’re thinking about is falling and getting hurt, but it happens more often than you may realize, and these accidents are often far less about clumsiness and far more about inadequate railings. Even a careless jostle from a rushing passerby can upset your balance and leave you in urgent need of a well-functioning railing, but if one’s not available to you when you need it, it can prove devastating.

Don’t Assume It’s Your Fault

Many victims who fall on stairs or elevated walkways blame their own clumsiness and don’t want to cause a fuss – even if they’ve been seriously injured. While this is not an uncommon reaction, it’s important to consider the situation more carefully. There is important engineering, construction, and maintenance that goes into safety railings that are intended to protect customers, clients, and other guests, and a defect in any of these categories can lead to serious risks that you may not even recognize. In other words, your slip and fall accident on the stairs or elevated walkway may well be the result of a defective railing, and this fact should not be ignored.

Defective Railings

Railings are designed to help people maintain their balance and stabilize themselves on stairs, and to help prevent falls from elevated walkways and platforms. There are a variety of defect categories that can significantly increase how risky stairs and elevated walkways are.

Defective Design

When railings are more about appearance and less about safety, they put those who rely upon them at a distinct disadvantage. Further, when railings aren’t designed with the specific safety of children in mind, they can lure curious kids into dangerous situations in which they become trapped by the very railings that are intended to protect them. Railings can also include dangerous design elements, such as sharp edges or other effects that pose cutting hazards.

Defective Construction

Even with safe and effective design, if railings aren’t constructed appropriately, they can pose significant dangers. Examples include railings that are not securely attached or that are not positioned appropriately.

Defective Maintenance

Even if railings are designed and constructed with the utmost care, if they aren’t maintained appropriately, they can pose just as dangerous a risk. Railings that have become loose, are cracking or breaking, can’t hold enough weight, or have become otherwise dangerously worn don’t offer the protections they need to, and life-threatening accidents can be the result.

Property Owners

Commercial property owners and managers owe their guests, clients, customers, and other visitors a significant responsibility that includes maintaining their properties in the reasonably safe condition that other commercial property owners do in similar situations. And this includes maintaining safe railings on stairs and elevated walkways. When there is a problem with a railing that the property owner knew about or reasonably should have known about that he or she fails to address in a timely manner, it can lead to injury-causing accidents, and premises liability law addresses these claims.

Your Physical, Financial, and Emotional Damages

The physical, financial, and emotional damages associated with defective railing accidents tend to be considerable. Ensuring that your premises liability claim addresses each category in its entirety can play an instrumental role in your recovery process.

Medical Costs

The injuries you sustain as a result of a defective railing will likely be very serious, and serious injuries often come with ongoing medical needs and can lead to secondary medical issues. Common medical expenses include:

  • Emergency care
  • Surgical care
  • Hospital stays
  • Medical care and treatment from doctors and other medical professionals
  • Prescription medications
  • Rehabilitation
  • Physical therapy
  • Adaptive physical devices
  • Pain management

Lost Earnings

While you make the difficult journey toward recovering your physical health and well-being, you’ll probably spend a good deal of time off the job and will likely experience the lost earnings that go with it. If you face a loss in earning potential and/or an altered career path, it can amount to as significant an emotional setback as it is a financial setback.

Emotional Challenges

In addition to physical and financial challenges like medical expenses and decreased earnings, there is also the pain and suffering you endure, which can be a nearly insurmountable emotional challenge. Without the attention and care they deserve, these emotional consequences can impede your ability to reach your most complete recovery. Common examples of harmful psychological effects include:

  • Increased anxiety and even anxiety attacks
  • Feelings of hopelessness and despair
  • Increased irritability
  • Severe mood swings
  • Emotional lability
  • Self-isolation
  • Accident flashbacks
  • Depressive bouts

Emotional consequences are just as real and just as painful as physical and financial consequences and should not be overlooked.

Look to an Experienced South Carolina Premises Liability Attorney for the Legal Guidance You Need

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a defective railing, the accomplished premises liability attorneys at David Aylor Law Offices in South Carolina understand the gravity of your situation and are standing by to offer the legal help you need. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 843-548-1574 to schedule your free case evaluation today.

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