Owners of public places are charged with making pedestrian walkways that are sufficiently wide, clear, and safe. This means they should not permit exposed wires or cables to obstruct these walkways. In other words, they should safely clear them from the area before welcoming visitors onto their property. With all that being said, please continue reading to learn what to do if you trip over exposed wires or cables in a public space and how an experienced Toronto slip and fall lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help you rectify the situation.
Why are exposed wires or cables dangerous to encounter?
You may assume that exposed wires or cables are arguably harmless, given that they can be clearly identified as an obstruction in your walkway, and in turn, you are easily capable of sidestepping them. However, they may pose dangers that are not immediately obvious to you.
For example, these exposed wires or cables may have a live current running through them. In this case, you may experience a severe electric shock if any part of your body comes into contact with them. From this shock alone, you may experience muscle contractions that ultimately cause you to lose your balance and slip, trip, and fall.
In a similar sense, these exposed wires or cables may overheat and create a spark that ignites nearby materials. Subsequently, you may find yourself stuck in a serious fire. From this, you may incur thermal burns, smoke inhalation, scalds, cuts, and other types of devastating injuries.
What do I do if I trip over exposed wires or cables in a public place?
If you trip over or merely notice an exposed wire or cable in a public place, the best thing you can do is to immediately alert the property manager or a staff member about the potential hazard. Before running off to do so, though, you should barricade the surrounding area so that another visitor does not accidentally come into contact with it. This may mean moving an object in its way or flagging down a security guard to stand in front of it in the meantime.
Importantly, you must not take it upon yourself to grab these exposed wires or cables and manually move them out of the way. As a reminder, there may be a live current running through them, and the last thing you want is to electrocute yourself accidentally. If you have a strong sensation that these wires or cables are live, you should call emergency services in addition to the property manager.
Lastly, if you believe you got injured after encountering an exposed wire or cable, you must document it. That is, you must take photos of the wires or cables in question; ask the property manager to conduct an incident report; ask emergency services to call an ambulance on your behalf; etc.
There is no sense in waiting any longer if you know you require financial compensation now. So please reach out to a skilled Ontario personal injury lawyer from Merricks Law Group, P.A. today.
