Trip-and-fall Incidents
Engineering analysis of trip-and-fall incidents, including pedestrian gait, walking-surface discontinuities, visibility, inspection and maintenance practices, and compliance with applicable standards and guidelines
A trip-and-fall incident can occur when a pedestrian encounters an unexpected obstruction, change in elevation, surface discontinuity, or other deficiency that interferes with the normal movement of the foot during walking. These incidents may occur indoors or outdoors and can involve sidewalks, walkways, parking facilities, entrances, corridors, flooring transitions, and other pedestrian areas.
From an engineering perspective, the analysis of a trip-and-fall incident typically involves determining the physical conditions that were present at the time of the incident, whether those conditions constituted a tripping hazard, whether the walking surface complied with the applicable standards, guidelines, and maintenance requirements, and whether the physical conditions and the resulting injuries were consistent with the reported mechanism of the fall.
An important consideration in the analysis is whether the incident occurred on a public facility, such as a municipal sidewalk, or on private premises. This is because the applicable standards, guidelines, inspection requirements, maintenance practices, and legal framework may differ.
The engineering investigation of a trip-and-fall incident may require inspecting the walking surface, analyzing the pedestrian gait and foot clearance, reviewing any available photographs or surveillance video, assessing the available inspection and maintenance records, and comparing the observed conditions with applicable standards and guidelines.
The following sections explain some of the key engineering considerations involved in analyzing indoor and outdoor trip-and-fall incidents. Trip-and-fall incidents on staircases are discussed in a dedicated section of the Knowledge Centre.
If you are a legal counsel or an insurance professional handling a trip-and-fall claim and would like an engineering assessment of the circumstances, contact EDA Forensics for a complimentary preliminary review of the available information.
How Trip-and-Fall Incidents Occur
Walking involves a repetitive gait cycle in which each foot alternates between a stance phase, when it is in contact with the walking surface, and a swing phase, when the foot moves forward through the air toward the next step.
During the swing phase, the pedestrian’s foot passes relatively close to the walking surface. A vertical discontinuity, raised edge, depression, obstruction, or other irregularity may interfere with the forward movement of the foot. If the foot contacts the hazard while the pedestrian’s body continues moving forward, the interruption can result in a loss of balance and a forward fall.
For this reason, the engineering analysis of a trip-and-fall incident typically considers the size of a surface deficiency, its geometry, orientation, location within the pedestrian path, visibility, surrounding surface conditions, and how it relates to the reported direction of travel.
Other factors that are usually considered include whether the condition was readily visible, whether surrounding materials or lighting made it difficult to perceive, whether the pedestrian would reasonably have expected the change in elevation, and whether the physical evidence is consistent with the reported fall mechanism.
If you are acting for a plaintiff, defendant, municipality, property owner, or insurer in a trip-and-fall case, contact EDA Forensics for a complimentary preliminary engineering review of the available information.
Indoor Trip-and-Fall Incidents
Indoor trip-and-fall incidents frequently involve any of the following:
- Changes in floor level or grade.
- Damaged walking surfaces.
- Changes in elevation at thresholds, transitions, mats, floor coverings, or adjoining materials.
- Localized deterioration,
- Any other unexpected conditions within indoor walking paths.
When examining an indoor incident, measurements are usually taken to document the dimensions and geometry of the alleged hazard. Those measurements can then be compared with applicable building requirements, walking-surface standards, floor-safety guidelines, and other relevant criteria to determine whether the condition represented an unacceptable discontinuity or walking-surface deficiency.
Other potentially relevant factors that can be investigated include:
- the location of the deficiency within the normal pedestrian path;
- whether the condition was permanent or temporary;
- the colour and visual contrast between the deficiency and adjoining surfaces;
- lighting and visibility;
- the occupier’s inspection and maintenance procedures;
- whether the condition had previously been reported or observed;
- whether repair or safeguarding measures were undertaken; and
- whether warnings or barricades were provided when the condition could not immediately be corrected.
The engineering assessment can therefore assist in determining whether the walking surface complied with applicable standards and guidelines, whether the occupier had a reasonable system for identifying and addressing hazards, and whether the identified condition was consistent with the reported trip-and-fall mechanism.
Outdoor Trip-and-Fall Incidents
Outdoor trip-and-fall incidents may involve sidewalk discontinuities, pavement deterioration, cracks, potholes, settlement, localized depressions, damaged walking surfaces, excessive slopes, or transitions between adjoining materials.
For these incidents, an engineering site examination can document the dimensions, geometry, location, and condition of the alleged hazard and assess whether the walking surface complied with the applicable standards, municipal requirements, maintenance policies, or accepted engineering practices.
An important distinction is whether the walking surface is publicly maintained or located on private premises.
For public facilities such as municipal sidewalks, the investigation may include consideration of the applicable municipal maintenance requirements, minimum maintenance standards, inspection or patrol practices, and municipal level-of-service policies.
For private facilities, such as parking areas, building entrances, and other privately maintained pedestrian areas, the investigation may instead focus on the applicable occupiers’ liability framework, relevant walking-surface standards, and the inspection and maintenance system used by the occupier or property manager.
In both cases, relevant considerations may include:
- the dimensions and geometry of the surface discontinuity;
- the condition and deterioration of the walking surface;
- whether the deficiency was located within a foreseeable pedestrian path;
- lighting and visibility;
- drainage or environmental conditions that may have contributed to deterioration;
- inspection frequency and documentation;
- previous complaints or maintenance requests;
- the length of time the deficiency may have existed;
- whether repairs were undertaken within the applicable timeframe; and
- whether temporary warnings, barricades, or other safeguarding measures were provided before permanent repairs could be completed.
The engineering analysis should determine whether the defect exceeded the applicable criteria, whether it should reasonably have been identified through an appropriate inspection and maintenance program, whether it was addressed within the required or reasonable timeframe, and whether it likely contributed to the incident.
Key Considerations in a Trip-and-Fall Investigation
A trip-and-fall investigation should consider the available evidence collectively rather than relying solely on the measured height of a surface discontinuity. Depending on the circumstances, the following considerations may be relevant:
- Condition and geometry of the walking surface:
The dimensions, slope, orientation, shape, and location of the alleged hazard should be documented. Measurements may include the vertical change in elevation, horizontal dimensions, slopes, transitions, and surrounding surface characteristics.
- Pedestrian gait and direction of travel:
The investigation should consider how the pedestrian approached the alleged hazard and whether its location and geometry would reasonably interfere with the normal swing of the foot during walking.
- Photographs and surveillance video:
Photographs taken near the time of the incident may document the historical condition of the walking surface. Surveillance video can be particularly valuable because it may identify the pedestrian’s path, gait, point of contact, direction of fall, surrounding pedestrian activity, and the condition of the area before and after the incident.
- Visibility and conspicuity:
A measurable discontinuity may be more or less foreseeable depending on its visual characteristics. Lighting, shadows, colour contrast, surface texture, surrounding features, and the pedestrian’s approach direction may affect whether the condition was readily detectable.
- Applicable standards and guidelines:
The measured condition should be compared with the applicable building requirements, walking-surface standards, municipal maintenance standards, engineering guidelines, and relevant policies.
- Inspection and maintenance practices:
Available records should be reviewed to determine whether an appropriate inspection system was in place, whether the hazard had previously been identified or reported, and whether appropriate corrective action was taken within the applicable or reasonable timeframe.
- Warnings and temporary safeguarding:
Where an identified hazard could not immediately be repaired, the investigation should consider whether reasonable temporary measures were implemented to warn pedestrians or restrict access to the affected area.
- Causation:
The existence of a walking-surface deficiency does not necessarily establish that it caused the incident. The geometry and location of the condition, the reported direction of travel, photographs, video evidence, witness accounts, and the mechanics of the reported fall should be considered when determining whether the deficiency likely contributed to the occurrence of the incident.
Ultimately, the engineering investigation seeks to answer several fundamental questions, such as:
- Did a walking-surface deficiency exist?
- Did it exceed the applicable standards or accepted criteria?
- Was the condition documented, previously reported, or of sufficient duration that it should reasonably have been identified through the applicable inspection process?
- Was an appropriate inspection and maintenance system in place?
- Were appropriate measures taken to repair, warn of, or safeguard the condition?
- Did the condition likely contribute to the trip-and-fall incident?
If you are involved in a trip-and-fall claim and would like an independent engineering assessment of the available evidence, contact EDA Forensics for a complimentary preliminary review.