Hollywood seems to love slip-and-fall injuries, considering how common they are in movies. Whether skidding across freshly mopped floors or tumbling down flights of stairs, characters in these films usually bounce back unscathed one way or another. But in real life, falls can lead to serious injuries like broken bones, concussions, and even long-term disabilities.
That said, while Hollywood movies exaggerate these moments for comedic or dramatic effect, they highlight common causes of slip-and-fall accidents while doing so: wet floors, icy sidewalks, uneven surfaces, and so on. So they have some educational value.
Let’s look at some famous falls from iconic movies and address the real-world dangers they represent. Because when it comes to slip-and-fall accidents, life isn’t like what you see on the silver screen: You don’t always get back up so quickly.
Home Alone (1990): The Icy Steps
Of all the outrageous booby traps Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) sets for his home’s would-be burglars, the icy steps arguably produce the movie’s funniest pratfalls. By simply pouring out some water and letting frigid December air do its work, Kevin ensures that thief Harry (Joe Pesci) slips and falls not once, but twice (just seconds apart). Dull accomplice Marv (Daniel Stern) suffers similarly on the back steps.
Because it’s slapstick and it happens to criminals, we laugh at this and the other havoc Kevin wreaks on Harry and Marv. In real life, icy steps are among the most common slip-and-fall hazards, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They make up a large share of cold-weather-related injuries each year. For adults 65 and older, falls (icy or otherwise) aren’t just an injury hazard, but a major death risk.
Keeping your own stairs salted will help you avoid slipping. So will winter boots with good traction. When it comes to nearby icy sidewalks and others’ front steps, remind neighbors to de-ice, or contact your local public works agency (about paths that are the municipality’s responsibility).
Bringing Up Baby (1938): Who is Liable in a Slip-and-Fall Accident?
We’re jumping far back in time for this one. But Cary Grant was a physical comedy master. The screwball classic Bringing Up Baby features some of his best work, including this scene with Katharine Hepburn. (Specifically, watch between 0:50 and 1:10.)
Trying to mimic a sleight-of-hand trick the bartender has just shown her, Susan Vance (Hepburn) drops an olive. While bending exaggeratedly to pick it up, David Huxley (Grant), walking past the bar, slips and falls flat on his back (and his hat).
It’s unclear what Grant slips on. Is it the dropped olive, which was likely wet from the bartender’s stash? Or is the floor just wet (hardly uncommon, even in elegant bars like in this scene) and unmarked?
Either way, injuries from falls caused by negligence aren’t usually walked off the way Grant does. In real life, victims of such incidents may be well within their rights to pursue damages and earn restitution from court decisions or slip-and-fall settlements.
Jurassic Park (1993): The Perils of Slippery Bathroom Floors
Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero) is smarmy and cowardly in Steven Spielberg’s landmark dinosaur adventure. But as a lawyer hired to review the park’s safety, it’s a bit unfair that an outhouse floor (which Gennaro slips on in his rush to hide from a genetically resurrected Tyrannosaurus rex) contributes in part to his death. (Albeit less so than the prehistoric carnivore.)
Back in the real world, when we ask, “What is the most common cause of injury in an office?” there’s a clear answer: slips, trips, and falls. Also, per data compiled by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), 85% of worker’s compensation claims stem from injuries suffered by workers slipping on wet floors.
Simply put: It’s in employers’ best interest to reduce slip-and-fall injury risks by cleaning up wet spills quickly and properly marking them until they’re dry.
The Birdcage (1997): Hidden Hazards
Robin Williams, as one of comedy’s undisputed geniuses, was as skilled at pratfalls as he was at verbal gymnastics. One of his funniest cinematic moments, however, was itself a slip-and-fall accident.
When his character Armand Goldman slips in the kitchen while trying to prepare a very important dinner for his son’s fiancée’s parents, it’s not scripted. Williams either got caught up in the scene and slipped from disorientation, or there was something (perhaps a spill, or a loose rug) he accidentally stepped on.
In the movie, the result of this accident is hilarious. But in homes and businesses, loose rugs, carpets, and unsecured floors can easily cause the sort of falls that require slip-and-fall settlements to resolve. It’s wiser to keep floors uncluttered and ensure that every room is arranged with an open pathway.
The Dark Knight (2008): Avoiding Falls From Great Heights
For most of us, workplace hazards don’t include “being thrown from a high window by a green-haired psychotic supervillain.” Falls from heights, however, are shockingly common slip-and-fall injuries.
Fortunately for Gotham City assistant DA Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Batman can swoop aerodynamically down 20 stories or more and catch her before she falls to her death.
While the rest of us lack Batman’s aid, falls from heights should still be considered preventable workplace injuries. Employers must go out of their way to ensure ladders, scaffolding, and other structures are secure and always carefully monitored. Personal protective equipment ranging from harnesses to hard hats is equally important.
Legal Aid for Slip-and-Fall Injuries
If you’ve suffered a preventable slip and fall or other common injury and know it wasn’t due to personal negligence of any kind, call the May Firm’s expert personal injury lawyers right away. We’ll review the facts of your case in a free consultation and help you determine how best to pursue any compensation you deserve.
