Premises Liability

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 4.5 million Americans are bitten by a dog each year. Of those incidents, one in five requires medical attention. There are steps you can take to help decrease the chances of you and your loved ones being victim to one of these devastating accidents.

Children are at the greatest risk of suffering a serious injury in a dog attack. The CDC reports that the rate of dog bite–related injuries is highest for those ages 5 to 9 years old, and children are more likely than adults to receive medical attention for dog bites. Children need to be taught early and often that not all dogs are safe, and that they should not approach dogs they do not know without parental supervision.

Under no circumstances should a child attempt to pet a dog that is eating, sleeping, or nursing. Children who are frightened of a dog should be taught to walk away quietly. Running and screaming may provoke the dog to chase the child. If approached by an unfamiliar dog, children would be well advised to remain motionless and to avoid eye contact. If a child wants to pet a friendly dog, it is best to let the dog see and sniff the child for a while before making contact.

The experienced Oklahoma City premises liability attorneys with the Maples Law Firm help victims of dog bite accidents get financial compensation for their medical bills, hospitalization and surgery costs, time away from work, pain and suffering, and other related damages. If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog attack, please call our offices at 1(888) 226-6159 to discuss your legal rights and options.

A recent emergency situation in an Oklahoma City school elevator concluded with a positive ending; however, it left serious questions about the safety of the premises and potential negligence on the part of inspections.

Local authorities were called to respond to a 911 emergency at the Classen School for Advanced Studies when three middle school girls became trapped in an elevator shaft with approximately one foot of space separating them from the elevator above. The elevator, which was installed in the school in the mid 1990s, is intended for use only by students who cannot utilize the stairway, and a key is needed to gain access. The old style elevator contains a door/ gate opening system that is meant to lock if the elevator is in motion. Officials are investigating how the girls were able to both enter and exit the elevator if it was in motion, or why they did, according to reporting by News OK. The girls were removed successfully by emergency personnel and reportedly sustained no significant injuries.

A school official claimed the most current monthly examination of the elevator was performed on October 26 for which no safety issues were documented. But the yearly examinations mandated by the city were allegedly not performed in 2010 or 2011. School officials and local authorities are investigating the previous records further, as well as the maintenance policy and schedule to ensure future safety, as reported by News OK. If you’ve been injured in an accident that you think resulted from exposure to unsafe premises, contact the Oklahoma premises liability lawyers with the Maples Law Firm at 1(888) 226-6159 for a complimentary case review.

Every family should spend time developing and practicing a plan for fire prevention, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Both groups are encouraging families make this plan as part of their collaborative campaign on Fire Prevention Week.

The CPSC cited data that shows there were over 386,000 accidental home fires every year from 2006 to 2008. Those fires caused approximately 2,400 fatalities and over 12,500 injuries annually. The fire prevention initiative, in action during October 9 to October 15, stresses the correlation between preparedness and prevention. They provided a set of government approved safety guidelines, including a few of the tips listed below.

• Always install smoke alarms: They should be on each level of a home and in every bedroom. Use a variety of models with both photoelectric and ionization alarms, and make sure they have battery backups. Connected smoke alarm systems are the best, which trigger all the alarms to sound whenever one does. The agencies estimate that around two thirds of fire fatalities happen in residences without smoke alarms (or with ones that don’t operate properly).
• Put together a family fire escape plan: And practice it so everyone knows what to do! The plan should include at least two routes to get out of a given area or room, clear directions for all family members, and a designated outside meeting location.

Fire safety and preparedness is crucial. Have you or a family member been injured in a fire that you believe was caused by another party’s negligent actions? Contact the Oklahoma premises liability attorneys with Maples Law Firm at 1-888-226-6159 for a complimentary consultation.

Property owners in Oklahoma have an obligation to keep their premises safe and in good repair for visitors, employees, and any other individuals that plan to enter that premises. Unfortunately, many property owners or managers do not fulfill this obligation. Whether due to stinginess, laziness, or any other reason, not performing their duty to provide a safe environment constitutes negligence. The most common result of Oklahoma property negligence is a slip and fall accident.

Evidence of an improperly maintained property can be found in a variety of places, but an improperly maintained floor is often the cause of a slip and fall accident in Oklahoma. Common causes of slip and fall accidents include:

• Wet or slippery floors;
• Dirty or debris covered floors;
• Cracked pavement;
• Broken steps; and
• Uneven surfaces.

A slip and fall accident victim can suffer a variety of injuries, including bumps, bruises, scrapes, lacerations, broken bones, and head and/or brain injuries, all of which may require emergency care as well as continuing medical treatment. Unfortunately, this also incurs substantial medical costs.

Any injury accident that occurs on another’s property falls under the scope of Oklahoma premises liability law. To be entitled to compensation for the losses suffered, a victim must be able to prove that the property was not reasonably maintained or repaired and/or that there was no reasonable warning for a hazardous condition, and that one of the aforementioned situations caused the injury.

The knowledgeable Oklahoma City slip and fall accident lawyers at Maples Law Firm, LLP, have helped numerous injured victims pursue compensation from negligent property owners and companies. To discuss the details of your accident with one of our premises liability attorneys and to learn more about your legal rights, call us today for a free consultation at 1-888-226-6159.

Personal injuries resulting from slip and falls in Tulsa and throughout Oklahoma still remain high in spite of numerous safety regulations to reduce accidents at corporations and other places of businesses. Although businesses hold a duty of providing a safe workplace, the truth is that sometimes this does not always occur.

Employees can be severely injured in slip and falls, breaking bones and even suffering concussions. In more serious instances, slip and falls can be fatal.

A 2007 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report indicated that a significant number of employee work absences were caused by falls on floors, walkways, and ground services. The following year in 2008, The Bureau of Labor and Statistics noted that 84 deaths occurred as a result of slip and falls on hard ground surfaces.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) attributes slip and falls to four main causes:

• Workers
• Machines and Equipment
• Workplace Environment
• Improper Management

The ASSE focuses on preventative measures for workers. Workers can suffer from slip and fall injuries by not wearing proper footwear in slippery areas, which increases the dangers of walking in slick areas. The best precaution is to purchase tread safe footwear, or footwear with sturdy rubber soles with multiple ripples, or “tread grips” similar in appearance to tires.

However, this precaution is not enough to prevent slip and falls. Workers should be alert of slick areas and notify employers of wet spaces and leaks. Always seek areas that potentially have places where you can grip something stable in the event of losing your balance. For instance, some work areas have strong stationary tables which can help you prevent yourself from falling, if you do slip.

The ASSE also recommends knowing the types of floors where slip and falls would be most likely to occur. For instance, marble type walkways would present a greater hazard than tiled floors, when wet. Workers should tread more carefully in these areas.

Lastly, workers should learn how to fall to minimize injuries. Inevitably, there will be times when falls cannot be avoided. Safety sites recommend that workers stay calm when falling. Tuck your body in a way to avoid neck and back injuries by rolling together and attempting to bend knees inward. You should avoid wildly flailing arms as this may make falling worse. Following a fall, you should immediately ice the area of contact and seek medical attention.

The Oklahoma slip and fall attorneys of Maples Law Firm are highly skilled and qualified at helping clients obtain compensation needed to cope with a slip and fall. For your free legal consultation, contact our office today at 1-888-429-0609.

Facilities that house dangerous materials must take every available precaution in ensuring that the surrounding community is safe, and should be even more vigilant in ensuring the safety of their employees. However, as a recent chemical spill in Beechmont illustrates, people in the surrounding area of a chemical plant are still at significant risk in the event an accident does occur. According to a Courier Journal article, a class-action lawsuit has been filed by affected-Beechmont residents who sustained injury as a result of the spill.

Reportedly, a chemical spill at the Nuplex Resins plant resulted in chemical vapors seeping into sewer pipes and into the city’s water supply, affecting nearby residents in the process. The lawsuit cites loss of property value as one result of the chemical accident, and at least one diagnosed incident of chemical exposure. The plant manufactures resin for industrial-grade paints, and has had a spotty track record of wastewater disposal since the year 2000. Compensation for loss of property values and adverse health consequences are being sought after in the suit.

Regardless of whether or not a place of business is handling and disposing of dangerous materials, that company has the responsibility of maintaining not only a safe work environment, but also of protecting neighboring residents as well. A failure to protect employees while on the job is considered negligent action on the part of a business owner. An individual who is adversely affected by a company’s failure to monitor a premise’s safety and prevent hazardous conditions may be able to hold property owners liable.

At Maples Law Firm, our skilled Oklahoma premises liability attorneys represent individuals injured in Oklahoma accidents that take place due to a property owner’s negligence. If you’ve sustained injury on another person’s property, whether while on the job or as a customer at a local business, please contact us today at 1-888-429-0609 for more information and a free evaluation of your premises injury case.