One slippery floor. Millions in damages.
Slip-and-fall is not a small problem. It is the #1 cause of ER visits in the United States and the #1 cause of injury-related death for adults over 65. Below are real cases and real numbers - because "it won't happen to me" is exactly what every defendant said right before it did.
1 million+
ER visits for slip-and-fall injuries every year in the U.S.
235,000
Bathroom injuries treated in U.S. ERs annually (CDC)
69.9
Fall deaths per 100,000 adults 65+ in 2023 (CDC NCHS)
#1
Cause of injury-related death for adults over 65
50%+
Of all accidental deaths at home start with a fall
$70B+
Annual U.S. medical cost of fall injuries
Sources: CDC MMWR, NCHS Data Brief No. 532 (June 2025), National Safety Council, NFSI.
Real verdicts
These businesses thought they were fine. They weren't.
$644,751,855
Park Social Bar - Winter Park, FL (2026)
One staircase. One fall. The largest premises-liability verdict in Florida history.
In March 2026 an Orange County jury returned a $644.7 million verdict against the owners of the Park Social bar in Winter Park, Florida, after a patron fell down a dangerous staircase in 2017 and was left partially quadriplegic. One of the largest slip and trip verdicts ever recorded - for a single fall on an unsafe walking surface.
$58,358,431
Palmdale, CA - Los Angeles County (2024)
Largest slip-and-fall verdict in U.S. history.
On May 21, 2024, a Los Angeles jury awarded $58.3 million to a Palmdale electrical technician who slipped on ice while servicing equipment and suffered catastrophic injuries (PARRIS Law Firm). The case set the national record for a slip-and-fall verdict - and proved exactly how expensive an untreated slick surface can become.
$13,159,456
Mettler Auld v. property owner - King County, WA (Seattle, 2024)
$13.1 million for a single slip on a wet surface.
After a three-week trial, a Seattle jury returned a $13.1 million verdict for Lesley Mettler Auld, who slipped and fell on July 8, 2021 and suffered serious orthopedic injuries. The defense argued the floor was 'normal.' The jury disagreed - and added eight figures to the judgment.
$11,300,000
Plaintiff v. Target Corp. - Florida (October 2025)
Big-box retailer hit with $11.3M - a wet floor in a Target store.
In October 2025, Morgan & Morgan secured an $11.3 million verdict against Target after a customer slipped on liquid in one of its Florida stores and was permanently injured. Retail giants aren't immune - and the bigger the company, the bigger the check.
$8,000,000
Customer v. Burger King - Florida
A bathroom break that ended a man's career.
A Florida customer slipped on a wet Burger King restroom floor, suffered permanent disabling injuries, and could no longer work. A jury hammered the franchise for $8 million. The cause? A wet tile floor with no warning, no signage and no slip-resistant treatment.
$2,750,000
Diner v. New Jersey steakhouse - Federal court (2024)
One slip. A federal jury. A seven-figure verdict.
A diner slipped and fell at a New Jersey steakhouse and a federal jury returned a $2.75 million verdict against the restaurant in 2024. The kind of number that ends a small chain overnight - and that homeowners' or commercial general-liability policies often refuse to fully cover.
$2,200,000
Customer v. Walmart - Texas (settlement)
Wet aisle. Broken hip. Mid-seven-figure payout.
Walmart settled for a reported $2.2 million after a shopper slipped in a puddle in a Texas store aisle and fractured a hip - one of dozens of Walmart slip-and-fall payouts each year. Even when no one sees the spill happen, retailers are routinely held liable for not inspecting and treating their floors.
$1,800,000
Guest v. Florida hotel chain (pool deck)
A wet pool deck. A spinal injury. $1.8M.
A hotel guest slipped on a wet, polished pool deck and suffered a herniated disc requiring surgery. The settlement: $1.8 million, plus the property's commercial insurance premium jumped sharply the following renewal. Pool decks are one of the highest-frequency slip-zones in hospitality.
Sources: PARRIS Law Firm (Palmdale, CA), Major Verdict (Park Social, FL), Dearie Law Group (Mettler Auld, WA), Morgan & Morgan (Target FL verdict), Jim Adler & Associates (Burger King), public federal court records (NJ steakhouse), and reported retail/hospitality settlement data. Amounts shown are pre-appeal jury awards or reported settlement values.
It is not just lawsuits
The most common place to die from a fall is your own bathroom.
The CDC reports that over 235,000 people end up in U.S. emergency rooms each year from bathroom injuries alone - and the vast majority happen in or just outside the tub or shower. For seniors, a single fall on wet tile can trigger a broken hip, a hospital stay, and a permanent loss of independence. Falls are now the leading cause of injury-related death for Americans 65 and older.
Kids slipping out of the bath
Bare feet, soap, polished tile, no warning. The most preventable ER trip in your house.
Parents on the kitchen floor
A dropped ice cube, a splash from the sink, a pair of socks - and your back is on the tile.
Grandparents on the pool deck
Wet, polished pavers near a pool are some of the most dangerous square feet in any home.
Do not wait for the accident
Every single one of these cases started with a floor that was never tested.
We test your floor for free, today. If it is in the danger zone, we fix it in one visit. If it is not, you walk away with peace of mind and zero cost. There is no excuse to wait.
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