Watching The Game At A Bar? Look Out For These New Haven Slip And Fall Hazards

There are lots of incredible sports events happening right now as we speak. The NBA playoffs are just getting started. The NHL playoffs are in round 1 too. Of course, MLB has just begun as well. A game with your favorite team playing is reason alone to go to the bar and a few drinks with your friends. Because this is a time when you might consider going to the bar we wanted to make sure to remind you that there are some New Haven slip and fall accident hazards that you should be on the lookout for when you head to your favorite watering hole.

One thing you can do before you leave for the bar to keep yourself free from injury is to choose the right footwear. You will want to wear closed toe shoes with plenty of traction. You may not want to go as far as wearing a boot, but you will certainly want to wear something that has plenty of support and traction to protect your feet. In a weird way, your feet are the key to staying safe at the bar. You will likely be among other, rowdy patrons of the bar in a confined space and if you do not have secure footing you may be putting yourself at risk before you even step foot into the establishment.

Once at the bar you should choose a place to sit that is both close to the bar and to the rest room so you do not have to push your way to and from your table to get to the two most important places at the bar. If you’re constantly trying to move people out of the way and taking a long walk to get to the bar or the bathroom you may be putting yourself at a greater risk of being injured. Let’s pause for a moment to acknowledge that you may not be putting this much thought into your trip out with friends, but you should think about these things before you go so you can put yourself in a good position when you get there without making a big deal out of it.

After you’re settled at your spot for the night and have a good view of the game you will need to make sure you are on the lookout for a few hazards that could be put in your way that could injure you throughout the night. You don’t need to spend a lot of time dwelling on these hazards, you just need to be aware of them so you can avoid them.

1.) Slippery floors. Bars have notoriously slippery floors. It makes sense with people passing through the bar all night with full drinks in a crowded space there is bound to be some spillage. When that occurs the floor starts to get wet and can become a hazard that you need to be particularly careful when walking on. If you notice that someone has spilled an unusual amount on the floor, leaving a puddle, you may want to let the bartender know so someone can come out and take care of the spill, eliminating the hazard all together. The best thing you can do to avoid coming in contact with a slippery floor is to step lightly and make sure if there is a spot that has more spillage then other spots you avoid it all together.

2.) Crowds. Depending on the type of bar you want to go watch the game at it can get quite crowded, especially when there is a big game that a lot of people are watching. The more crowded a bar is the greater the hazard that you are going to either get inadvertently pushed and fall over or maybe even get tripped as you walk to and from your table. If the crowd gets too out of control you may want to find another bar to go to as you could be battling this type of hazard all night. If you’re comfortable where you are, take steps to avoid areas of the bar that are particularly crowded and try to go to and from your table when crowds have thinned out a bit.

3.) Uneven surfaces. One of the best things about New Haven is that we have a lot of history and old buildings which have been repurposed for new reasons. Some of these have been turned into bars which is incredible, but it also means that there may be some uneven surfaces in a bar that has been built out in an old building. If you’re in one of these bars the uneven nature of the surfaces that you’ll be walking across could impact your ability to get to and from your table safely. This can be especially tricky if you’ve had too much to drink and are already a little wobbly on your feet. If you don’t feel steady on your feet you might want to rely on someone else to get up and move around the bar.

For some the quiet comfort of their coach at home is the best place to watch the game, but for others, there is nothing like the atmosphere of a bar where everyone is cheering for their favorite team. If you are the later type, you will want to make sure when you head out to a bar that you are extra careful that you don’t experience a New Haven slip and fall accident as the result of crowding, slippery or uneven surfaces. If you are cautious and watch for hazards you should be fine and be able to spend the night out enjoying the company of friends, a few drinks and hopefully a big W.

If you do get injured while you’re out at a bar you may need to speak with an experienced attorney who can review your situation. Contact our office and one of our attorneys will work with you to understand your situation and protect your long-term interests.