What is Slip and Fall Coverage?
Slip and Fall Coverage provides protection under your general liability insurance for injuries that occur when customers, employees, or visitors slip, trip, or fall on your restaurant premises due to hazardous conditions.
What You Need to Know
Slip and fall coverage is a core component of premises liability protection within your commercial general liability policy. It covers medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal defense costs when people are injured falling on your property.
Coverage applies whether the fall results from wet floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, obstacles in walkways, weather conditions, or other hazards. The key legal question is whether you knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to correct it or warn people. Your insurance defends you even in frivolous cases and pays valid claims up to your policy limits.
Why It Matters for Restaurant Owners
Slip and fall claims are the single most common liability claim restaurants face—accounting for 30-40% of all restaurant liability lawsuits. The average claim costs $20,000 to $50,000, with serious injuries (broken hips, head trauma, back injuries) reaching $100,000 to $500,000 or more.
Restaurants are particularly vulnerable because of constant spills, wet conditions from cleaning, weather being tracked in, grease on kitchen floors, and transitions between different flooring surfaces.
Aggressive prevention is essential: implement immediate spill cleanup procedures, use wet floor signs religiously, install slip-resistant flooring in high-risk areas, maintain adequate lighting, conduct hourly floor checks during busy periods, and keep detailed logs of inspections.
When incidents occur, document everything immediately with photos, witness statements, and detailed incident reports showing the exact conditions. Your insurance covers legitimate claims, but documented prevention efforts strengthen your defense and reduce claim severity—many claims settle for far less when you can prove rigorous safety protocols.
Slip and Fall Prevention Checklist
Use this checklist to reduce your restaurant's #1 liability risk
🏢 Flooring & Surfaces
💧 Spill Management Procedures
🔍 Inspection & Maintenance Schedules
💡 Lighting & Visibility
🌧️ Weather & Seasonal Protocols
📋 Documentation & Training
Print this checklist and post it in your manager's office. Review it quarterly and check off items as you implement them. Share completed checklists with your insurance agent to demonstrate your commitment to loss prevention.
Critical Stat: Slip and fall claims represent 30-40% of all restaurant liability lawsuits. The average claim costs $20,000-$50,000, with serious injuries reaching $100,000-$500,000+.
Defense Strategy: Documented prevention efforts significantly strengthen your legal defense and reduce claim settlements. Many claims settle for far less when you can prove rigorous safety protocols.