What is the legal definition of a “trip and fall”?

In Washington, a "trip and fall" is legally defined as a type of premises liability accident. In such cases, it is a claim that the owner or occupier of a premises (such as a store, office, or home) failed to maintain the premises in a safe condition or failed to warn visitors of potential safety hazards. Under Washington law, a “trip and fall” is when a person is injured because they tripped, stumbled, slipped, or fell due to a hazardous condition caused or created by a property owner or occupier. The hazardous condition could be caused by something on the premises, such as a loose rug, a wet floor, or a broken stair, or it could be a more hidden hazard, such as a hidden uneven step or a hidden garden hose. The important factor in establishing a “trip and fall” claim is whether the injury was caused by a dangerous condition on the premises that the owner or occupier should have been aware of and should have taken action to fix or warn about. It is also important to show that the injured person was not careless or negligent in any way that caused the fall. Therefore, according to Washington law, a “trip and fall” is when a person is injured due to a hazardous condition on the premises caused or created by the owner or occupier, and the injured person was not negligent in any way.

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