If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property in Miami-Dade County, Florida, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries. A slip and fall lawyer in Miami-Dade County, FL, at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can take care of your legal matters so that you can focus on recuperating from your injuries.
A slip-and-fall lawyer can help with a Miami personal injury lawsuit. Call our office today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Establishing Liability in Slip and Fall Accidents
If the property owner was negligent and that carelessness caused you to slip and fall,
the owner might be liable for your losses. You must have measurable injuries, like physical harm. Also, we must prove all three of these factors:
- There was a hazardous condition on the premises.
- The owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition.
- The property owner did not repair the hazard or post adequate warnings.
For example, you are eating dinner at a restaurant. A patron spilled a drink and did not clean it up. Several other patrons alerted employees of the spill, but the employees neither cleaned up the spill nor placed a wet floor sign in the area. Another restaurant patron slipped in the spill and suffered a head injury.
The circumstances of this situation meet the factors required for a premises liability claim. A dangerous condition — the spill — existed on the premises. The owner or employee knew of the condition. The owner or employee did not remedy the hazard or post a wet floor sign.
Damages for Miami-Dade County Slip and Fall Accidents
The amount that you can recover as compensation for your slip and fall accident will depend on the facts of your situation. It can help, however, to know about the common types of damages people can collect in these injury claims.
- Medical bills, for the reasonable treatment you needed for your injuries. The ambulance, emergency room, hospital, doctors, surgery, lab work, x-rays, prescription drugs, and physical therapy are some of the services that can fall into this category.
- Lost wages, for the work you missed without pay because of the slip and fall accident and your recuperation time. You can collect your lost salary, wages, self-employment, and other income.
- Rehabilitation center, if devastating injuries like spinal cord damage or traumatic brain injury required extended treatment at a specialized facility.
- Diminished earning potential if your injuries prevent you from making as much money as before.
- Long-term care, if catastrophic injuries leave you in need of ongoing daily assistance with medical treatment and personal care.
- Disability, if your injuries rob you of the capacity to support yourself through gainful employment.
- Pain and suffering, for the physical discomfort and emotional distress you endured.
- Other intangible losses, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), disfigurement, long-term depression or anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, and your spouse’s claim for loss of consortium.
Six Things You Should Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Miami-Dade County, FL
Every case is unique, and the specific actions you should take after a slip and fall accident will depend on the facts of your case. It is generally a smart decision to do these things:
- Get medical attention right away. Your injuries will likely heal better with prompt medical care. Some injuries do not always come with immediate symptoms. Also, your medical records will link your injuries to the slip and fall accident. If you wait a few days before getting a medical evaluation, the defendant can accuse you of getting hurt because of some other incident, and not the slip and fall.
- Get photographs of the scene with clear close-ups of the hazard that caused your injury. The premises manager or owner will probably clean up the spill or puddle that led to your fall, so you need to be able to prove that the dangerous condition existed.
- Collect the names and contact information of people who might have witnessed something useful to your case.
- Notify the property owner of the accident. Follow up with a notification in writing. Some stores provide pre-printed forms for people to use when reporting injuries sustained on their premises.
- Talk to a slip and fall accident lawyer who serves Miami-Dade County. You do not want to try to tackle the property owner and his insurance company all on your own.
- Complete your medical treatment. If you do not finish what your doctor prescribed, the defendant might try to blame you for long-term problems you experience, claiming that you would have healed better if you have done all the treatment.
Getting Legal Help for Your Miami-Dade County Slip and Fall Accident
If you got hurt from a fall on someone else’s property, a slip-and-fall attorney in Miami-Dade County can help. You can devote your energy and attention to recuperating from your injuries when we take care of your legal matters.
Our Miami personal injury lawyers handle slip-and-fall accident cases on a contingent fee basis, which means that you do not have any upfront legal fees. Our fees will come out of the settlement or award at the end of the process. We do not get paid until you win compensation. Get started today to avoid overstepping any time limits.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation with no obligation.