Florida Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Slip and fall incidents occur regularly throughout all areas and affect every person. The resulting injuries from these incidents tend to be severe because they cause broken bones and head trauma. The CDC reports that each year, 3 million older adults need emergency treatment for fall-related injuries, while more than 800,000 require hospitalization because their injuries are too severe.

Most accidents would have been prevented if property owners and managers had maintained their facilities properly and addressed existing hazards. Under Florida law, property owners and managers must maintain safe premises and provide warnings about potential dangers to visitors. Victims who experience negligence can use premises liability claims to obtain justice for this situation.

People who experience slip and fall or trip and fall accidents must deal with medical expenses and lost wages, and persistent discomfort. If your situation matches this description, then you should reach out to Dennis Hernandez Injury Attorneys. Our firm has assisted numerous accident victims throughout Florida. Our team stands prepared to assist you in obtaining compensation while making the responsible party take responsibility.

What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents in Florida?

A slip and fall accident occurs when someone slips or trips, causing them to fall and injure themselves. This kind of accident can happen anywhere: at home, in a retail store, in a parking lot, on a walkway, or anywhere you might be walking.

While you might fall due to carelessness or illness, more often than not, slip and fall accidents occur because of negligence on the part of a property owner. Some of the common causes of the slip and fall accidents we see in Florida include:

• Cracks, chips, or uneven walking surfaces — Old, neglected concrete or asphalt, as seen in parking lots, often has dangerous cracks or chips that can cause serious falls. Uneven concrete walkways or steps can also be dangerous.
• Water on walkways —Water on sidewalks, in parking lots, or around pools can be a slip hazard.
• Liquid spills on the floor — Liquid spills on a floor, as in a grocery store, bar, or restaurant, can also be a slip hazard.
• Obstructions in a retail store aisle — Boxes of merchandise, cords, equipment, or anything else left in a store aisle can cause someone to trip and fall.
• Loose handrails or broken stairs — Loose, broken, or missing handrails or broken steps can cause someone to stumble, fall, and get seriously injured.
• Code violations – Stairways, entry thresholds, handrails, and accessibility features at office buildings, stores, hotels, restaurants, and other places of business often do not conform to applicable building codes or industry safety standards. These code violations can result in dangerous situations for unsuspecting business patrons.
• Inadequate or defective lighting — Inadequate or defective lighting in parking lots and both inside and outside restaurants, bars, hotels, stores, and shopping malls. can result in slips, trips, and falls.

Who Is Liable for Injuries from a Slip and Fall Accident in Florida?

All too often, a slip or trip and fall injury is caused entirely or partially by negligence on the part of a property owner or manager. When that is the case, the negligent party can be held liable with a premises liability claim.

To bring a successful claim against a property owner or manager in Florida, you must be able to prove the four elements of a negligence claim by a preponderance of the evidence. These elements are:

1. Duty – The property owner or manager owed you a duty of care. The duty of care applies primarily to customers, visitors, guests or someone else who was given permission to be on or in the property.
2. Breach of Duty – The property owner or manager breached the duty of care owed to you. They failed to remove a dangerous condition (e.g., poor lighting, uneven pavement, dangerous equipment, slippery surfaces, negligent security), warn others of a known hazard or block off a dangerous area.
3. Injury – This breach of duty (negligence) caused you to slip or trip and fall and suffer injuries.
4. Damages – Because of the injuries, you suffered actual damages. These can be both economic, as in medical expenses and lost income, and non-economic, as in pain, suffering and emotional trauma.

Property owners must take responsibility to either repair known hazards or provide proper warnings about them. Your attorney can establish liability against the owner or manager if they failed to take proper precautions to prevent harm, which resulted in your injuries, thus enabling you to claim full compensation for your damages

What Compensation Is Available After a Serious Fall?

Slip and fall injuries occur because property owners or managers fail to demonstrate responsible behavior. The legal responsibility to pay damages exists for property owners when their negligence results in accidents that lead to premises liability claims.

To successfully file a premises liability claim against a property owner or manager in Florida, you must prove four key elements of negligence. This involves providing evidence that makes your claim more likely than not. The property owner or manager has a legal obligation to maintain safe conditions for all authorized visitors on their property.

• Medical expenses – Existing and future health care expenses associated with your slip and fall injury, including emergency services, hospital bills, diagnostic imaging, surgery, post-operative care, rehabilitative care, travel to and from doctors, prescriptions, medical equipment, and assistive devices.
• Lost wages and other income – Income lost because of injuries from the accident.
• Diminished earning capacity – Decreased or lost earning capacity because injuries from the accident prevent returning to your job or seeking one that pays as well.
• Physical and emotional pain and suffering – Pain, stress, trauma, and emotional problems stemming from the accident.
• Diminished quality of life – Decreased ability to enjoy life.
• Other economic and non-economic damages are applicable in specific cases under Florida law

How to Get in Touch with an Experienced Injury Attorney After a Fall in Florida?

At Dennis Hernandez Injury Attorneys, securing the full compensation you deserve is our top priority. We immediately begin collecting all required evidence to establish negligence while using aggressive tactics to deal with insurance companies and defense lawyers who represent you. Our team creates a powerful case that shows how the slip and fall accident has affected your physical health and emotional state and caused financial losses.

The majority of personal injury attorneys in Florida choose to settle cases fast instead of pursuing trials, but our firm operates differently. We don’t back down. Our extensive courtroom experience has prepared us to take your case to trial so we can obtain the maximum compensation you deserve.

Dennis Hernandez Injury Attorneys provides complete guidance and unshakeable support to all clients throughout their legal journey. Our team exists to defend your rights while achieving victory.

Call Now at 855-LAW-DENNIS or fill in the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to get started.