What Happens When Poor Lighting Leads to a Serious Injury?
When you are in a restaurant, store, office building, or any other commercial space, the property manager is responsible for your safety. While maintaining safe aisles, halls, walkways, and stairways is a big part of this duty of care, providing you with adequate lighting is another component of this responsibility. Poor lighting can lead to slips, trips, and falls, resulting in very serious injuries and substantial losses. If you’ve been injured as a result of improper lighting, our experienced Charleston premises liability attorneys at John Price Law Firm, LLC, have the legal insight and drive to help.
When Lighting is Considered Inadequate
Not every business needs to be brightly lit at all times. What business owners do owe their guests, visitors, and customers, however, is enough light to navigate the commercial space safely. This means providing enough light to spot any obstacles to their safety and address them safely.
For example, if there is an uneven transition or a spill with a warning sign marking it ahead, there should be enough light to alert you to the danger. Inadequate lighting can be a direct cause of a premises liability claim or an important contributing factor.
Spots Where Inadequate Lighting is Most Likely to Be a Problem
There are certain areas where inadequate lighting is more likely to present a safety concern. These include all the following:
- Stairwells, especially those that are tucked away and not as closely monitored or carefully maintained
- Dark hallways
- Those areas of commercial buildings that see less foot traffic
- Outdoor parking ramps and parking lots, which often don’t receive the same level of maintenance that indoor spaces do
- Sidewalks, which can be difficult to see as darkness falls, are all the more dangerous when outdoor lighting is inferior
Serious Injuries That Are Closely Associated with Low Lighting
Inadequate lighting is very closely associated with dangerous slip and fall accidents, which, in turn, are closely associated with several very serious injuries.
Broken Bones
A broken bone is an exceptionally painful injury that takes a long time to heal. In addition, complications like chronic pain and severe losses in range of motion are not uncommon. When the break is compound, displaced, or shattered, the damage is that much more serious.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be life-altering. They tend to be as painful as they are debilitating, and if the spinal cord is severed or severely damaged, it translates to paralysis.
TBIs
Traumatic brain injuries are another serious injury associated with accidents caused by low lighting. Any injury to your brain is unpredictable and warrants serious concern.
Our Experienced Charleston Premises Liability Lawyers Can Help
Our seasoned Charleston premises liability attorneys at John Price Law Firm, LLC, have earned an impressive reputation for skillfully guiding even very challenging claims involving inadequate lighting toward optimal outcomes, and we’re here for you, too. Learn more about what we can do to help by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 843-552-6011 today.