The History of Slipping on Banana Peels – A Personal Injury Fable
Have you ever slipped on a banana peel? Outside of a video game or a comedy routine, the answer is almost certainly “no.” While we here at Malloy Law encounter a wide variety of slip and fall incidents, we don’t often encounter banana peels as a root cause. However, the origins of this trope are not fictitious. Banana peels have in fact been a public health hazard at various times and in various localities. The story of how bananas entered the American diet, how their peels entered the cultural lexicon, and how this strange bit of truth became a fixture in comedic fiction, is a fascinating historical narrative. On Today’s Malloy Law blog post, we’ll unpack the history of slipping on banana peels, and brief our readers on what to expect if the impossible should happen to you.
How America Met the Banana
Anyone with a working knowledge of global agriculture surely understands that bananas are not native to America. According to some popular theories, the early forerunners of what we now recognize as the modern banana were first cultivated in New Guinea around 8,000 B.C.E. The popularity of these distinctive yellow fruits means they’re now cultivated en masse in subtropical regions all around the world. 19th century Americans craving a banana or merely curious about them would have faced steep prices to secure them. It’s helpful to consider the bananas, mangoes, and other tropical fruits of the 1800s as analogous to caviar or fine wine in our modern system of global trade. These were luxury goods.
However, evolutions in shipping logistics rapidly decreased prices, and soon the banana was a popular snack all across America. This was especially true in large coastal cities like New York, where the fruits could be purchased fresh off the boat and vendors had reason to be confident in selling them before the end of their shelf life.
Thank Your Local Garbage Man
Readers with a working knowledge of 19th century urban life may have already realized where this story was going. In the 1800s, cities like New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia lacked the modern waste management infrastructure we enjoy today. The absence of available trash cans meant waste often cluttered the streets and sidewalks. That included organic waste, such as banana peels.
While a fresh banana peel is both bright yellow, making it hard to miss, and arguably not viscous enough to serve as a slipping hazard, consider a banana peel discarded days or weeks ago, baking in the sun on a hot sidewalk. What you then have is a ball of brown-black slime which could easily impede an unobservant pedestrian. The historical record, as preserved through newspapers, magazines, and, of course, personal injury legal filings makes the picture clear; people slipping on banana peels was in fact a minor public safety crisis in some American cities. It took organized and professional sanitation workers to bring this situation under control and banish this particularly absurd threat to public safety into slapstick comedy routines.
Slipping on Banana Peels: If It Happens to You
While the circumstances surrounding your slip and fall accident may be hard to believe, it would be advisable to approach it in much the same way you’d approach any other slip and fall. If you suffer a fall, keep the following steps in mind.
- Prioritize Your Health – Seek medical attention if you have any reason to suspect you’ve sustained an injury. A hard record of your injury and its severity will help when seeking compensation.
- Report the Incident – Inform the property owner or their employees ASAP. Make sure the incident is recorded in writing and ask for a copy for your files.
- Document the Scene – Photos taken at the scene of the accident, particularly of any potential hazard that may have contributed to your injury, could prove invaluable. These could consist of:
- Wet flooring
- Floor cracks
- Rugs or mats that are not properly fastened
- Improperly stocked merchandise
- Trash or general debris left in pathway
- Interview Witnesses – Collect statements from any individuals who witnessed your accident. Exchange contact information if they indicate a willingness to testify.
- Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer – Consult with an experienced attorney with experience in premises liability matters, such as the attorneys Malloy Law Offices.
How Malloy Law Can Help
If you or a loved one has suffered a slip and fall accident (whether by slipping on banana peels or by more conventional means) Malloy Law is here to help. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will review your case free of charge and plot a path towards maximum compensation. Contact Malloy Law today and let’s win your case.
