Slips and falls are further divided into kinds or types of falls. Namely, a person can have two kinds of falls: same-level (or same-surface) falls and elevated falls. The most common
type of fall is the same level, but we sometimes see more serious injuries from an elevated kind of fall.
Same-level slip and fall accidents can be further classified into four categories:
1. Trip-and-fall accidents, in which pedestrians encounter a foreign object in their walking path;
2. Stump-and-fall accidents, in which a moving foot encounters an impediment in the walking surface, whether it is a tacky point on the surface or a defect that impedes the foot;
3. Step-and-fall accidents, in which the foot finds an unexpected failure or hole in the walking surface and
4. Slip-and-fall accidents, in which the interface of the shoe and the floor fails to support the walker’s center of gravity over the base area.
Second Type of Slip & Fall Accidents: Elevated Falls!
As previously indicated, elevated falls occur less frequently but generally result in more severe injuries that usually culminate in some type of permanent impairment to the function of a particular body part. Elevated falls can occur from vehicles, motorized equipment, ladders, loading docks, buildings, and any structure off the ground upon which a person can position him or herself.