Stairway falls cause some of the most serious slip and fall injuries due to the height and hard surfaces involved. Property owners must maintain stairs safely, and defects like broken steps, missing handrails, or inadequate lighting create significant liability exposure.
Common Stairway Hazards
Missing or defective handrails are frequent contributors to stair falls. Building codes require handrails on stairs of certain heights; absence of required handrails establishes negligence.
Uneven steps with inconsistent riser heights or tread depths disrupt natural walking rhythm and cause missteps. Building codes specify acceptable variation limits.
Damaged treads including worn nosings, loose carpeting, broken materials, and slippery surfaces create obvious hazards.
Inadequate lighting prevents people from seeing steps clearly, especially at the top and bottom of staircases.
Visual deception from monochromatic color schemes, confusing patterns, or optical illusions that make it difficult to perceive step edges.
Building Code Requirements
Building codes establish minimum stair safety standards. Key requirements typically include maximum riser height and minimum tread depth, handrails on both sides for wider stairs, specific handrail height and graspability requirements, adequate landing areas, and lighting requirements.
Code violations that contribute to stair falls establish negligence per se in most jurisdictions.
Handrail Liability
Handrails prevent falls by providing stability and arrest points. Missing handrails where required, loose handrails, and handrails at incorrect heights all create liability.
Even where codes don't specifically require handrails, their absence on hazardous stairs may constitute negligence based on the general duty to maintain safe premises.
Notice and Knowledge
Stair defects are often long-standing conditions that property owners clearly knew or should have known about. Unlike transient spills, broken steps and missing handrails don't appear suddenly—owners have ample opportunity to discover and address them.
This makes constructive notice easier to establish in stair defect cases.
Types of Properties
Commercial buildings with public access must maintain stairs for customer safety. Businesses bear the highest duty of care to invitees using their stairs.
Residential buildings require landlords to maintain common area stairs safely for tenants and guests.
Single-family homes present liability when homeowners invite guests onto unsafe stairs, though duties may be lower for social guests than business invitees.
Severity of Stair Fall Injuries
Stair falls often cause serious injuries due to falls from height, impacts on multiple steps, lack of arrest points without handrails, and hard surface impacts at landing.
Common injuries include broken bones, head trauma, spinal injuries, and severe soft tissue damage. The severity of these injuries typically supports substantial damages.
Evidence in Stair Fall Cases
Document the stairway thoroughly. Photograph the overall staircase, the specific defect, handrail condition (or absence), and lighting conditions. Measure step dimensions if possible—inconsistent risers or treads can be measured and compared to code requirements.
Note when the building was constructed and any apparent renovations—older stairs may have been grandfathered under previous codes.
Defenses to Stair Fall Claims
Property owners argue the plaintiff should have used the handrail, the hazard was open and obvious, the plaintiff was distracted or moving too quickly, or the plaintiff was wearing inappropriate footwear.
These defenses may reduce but rarely eliminate liability when actual stair defects exist.
Pursuing Your Claim
Stair fall cases often involve significant injuries and clear liability—code violations, missing safety features, and long-standing defects. An experienced premises liability attorney can document building code violations, retain safety experts if needed, and pursue appropriate compensation for your injuries.