Giffin Koerth’s Kathleen Denbeigh and Dr. Robert Parkinson have been published in the latest issue of The Lawyers Weekly. Their article, entitled “Anatomy of a slip and fall”, focuses on the slip resistance of modern footwear, and circumstances where it is necessary to consider footwear as a potential contributor to a slip and fall event.

Slippery walking conditions are familiar to Canadians, but ice and snow are not prerequisites for a slip and fall; slips and falls also occur on indoor surfaces, with potentially serious consequences. Such falls are a major source of injury and lost-time costs when they occur in the workplace, and as the population ages, the frequency and severity of slip and fall injuries is likely to increase. There are many factors that can potentially contribute to a slip initiating, including the environment and walking surface, individual walking biomechanics, and footwear properties. The likelihood that a slip, once initiated, will result in a fall can also be influenced by footwear, as well as pedestrian characteristics and their ability to recover balance. A consideration of all factors can provide a full picture of the contributors to a slip and fall, although this article briefly focuses on footwear.

Kathleen is an Intermediate Associate in the Personal Injury Group, and Rob is the Principal of the Biomechanics & Personal Injury Assessment Group.