NYC Personal Injury Lawyer » NYC Hotel Waxed Floor Accident Lawyer

NYC Hotel Waxed Floor Accident Lawyer

Freshly waxed floors are a common method of hotel maintenance in New York City. However, when a hotel fails to warn guests or wait for the surface to properly cure, waxed floors can turn into a serious hazard.

If you were injured after slipping on a waxed floor during your hotel stay, you may have the right to pursue compensation from the party responsible for the condition — contact a hotel injury attorney in NYC today.

Call our firm at (212) 564-2800.

Why Do Waxed Floor Accidents Happen?

Waxing is a routine part of hotel upkeep. It applies a protective, glossy coating to hard flooring, protecting the surface from wear while giving it a polished appearance.

However, wax is significantly more slippery than the bare floor underneath, especially before it fully cures. That’s why hotels are expected to close off freshly waxed areas and post warning signs until the surface is safe to walk on.

Common reasons these accidents occur include:

• Failing to post warning signs, leaving guests unaware that a floor has just been treated
• Applying wax unevenly, creating slick patches that are difficult to detect visually
• Allowing guests onto the surface before it’s fully cured, often to avoid closing high-traffic areas for too long
• Using an inappropriate wax or polish for the type of flooring
• Poor lighting, which can make a freshly waxed floor’s sheen difficult to see

Because waxing is typically scheduled during off-hours or low-traffic periods, hotels sometimes decline to post warnings under the assumption that guests will not encounter the hazard. But this decision can backfire.

What Injuries Do Waxed Floor Accidents Cause?

Waxed floors typically produce a specific type of fall known as a backward slip and fall, where a person’s foot slides forward out from under them on the slick surface, causing them to fall backward.

This differs from a typical trip and fall, where someone catches a foot on an obstacle and pitches forward. With a backward slip and fall, victims have less opportunity to brace themselves.

In New York, hotel injuries commonly associated with these falls include:

• Fractures to the wrist, hip, or tailbone from an abrupt, unbraced fall
• Traumatic brain injuries from a direct impact to the head
• Spinal injuries, including herniated discs
• Shoulder injuries, such as dislocations or torn rotator cuffs
• Sprains, strains, and soft tissue injuries

Because backward falls frequently involve the back of the head striking the floor, waxed floor accidents show up disproportionately in traumatic brain injury and concussion cases compared to some other premises liability falls.

Who Is Liable for a Waxed Floor Accident?

Hotels have a duty to warn guests of temporary hazards, including recently waxed floors, and to keep those areas closed off until the surface is safe to walk on.

Liability for a failure in this area may extend to the hotel owner, a management company overseeing daily operations. These claims can also feature janitorial contractors hired specifically to perform the waxing.

If a hotel’s negligence caused your fall, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses connected to your injury. An experienced NYC premises liability attorney can help you determine which party failed in its duty and pursue the compensation you’re owed.

Contact our firm online today.