The Science of Friction in Slip and Fall Cases

When someone falls on something that shouldn't be there, say, a spill or a liquid, this doesn't seem like a case that has a lot of science. But there is actually more science to the typical slip-and-fall case than you may think. That's because of the interaction between the ground and your feet or shoes, which creates friction, and the science of friction does come into play in a personal injury fall case.

Higher and Lower Friction

The higher friction is on a given surface, the more "stick" there is between the soles of your shoes and the ground. You don't really notice it, but the bottom of your shoes creates friction with the ground, which keeps your feet from slipping and sliding out from under you.

But when there is something on the floor that shouldn't be there—say, a spill or snow dragged in from outside —or if the flooring is covered or coated in a material or chemical that makes the floor slippery, the friction goes down, leading to the likelihood of a fall, because now your feet cannot grip the ground down below.

Your Shoes and the Ground

Friction can be created or lost by a number of factors. In many fall cases, the Defendant will ask what shoes you were wearing at the time of the fall. They do this because your shoes can also create or lose friction.

For example, new sneakers with tread and new rubber on the bottom, creates a safer, higher friction coefficient. Compare that to old, worn in sneakers, where the rubber has been beaten up and there is no tread, which would create less friction, and thus, the higher likelihood of a fall.

Factors That Affect Friction

The measure (or coefficient) of friction can be affected by multiple factors. Imagine that you fall on a spill on the floor. You have the friction of the floor itself, combined with the friction of whatever has spilled on the floor, combined with the friction of your shoes, and all of these interplay, to increase or decrease friction.

Different materials can increase or decrease friction as well- you probably know that just from walking on completely dry surfaces, some of which just seem more slippery than other types of surfaces.

Water or liquids obviously decrease friction, but often, the extent to which friction is decreased (and thus, the surface made more dangerous), may depend on the surface underneath—a "tackier" surface may be more resistant to water on it, and thus, make it harder to fall on even a wet floor. 

Although it sounds counterintuitive, even increased friction on a floor can cause a fall. Imagine ice cream that has dried up on the ground and now is what you would call "sticky." The extra "grab" that the dried ice cream has on your shoes can actually make it harder to step and can lead to falls as your feet can actually get stuck to the ground, causing a fall.

For more information, contact the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams, If you have been injured in a Louisiana accident, our Louisiana personal injury lawyers can help you recover the full compensation you are entitled to according to Louisiana law. To contact us, complete our "Contact Us" page here. You may significantly benefit by having an attorney with legal competence and experience assist you with your Louisiana personal injury case. We have offices in Shreveport and handle personal injury cases throughout Louisiana. Thank you for reading and visiting our website.