Slippery floors are a threat many people forget about, or overlook, but some of the most slippery floors are also the hardest and unforgiving. This tragic irony results in many different injuries that stem from a slip and fall from a slippery floor. The floor could have been slippery due to a number of issues, and your Boca Raton slippery floors lawyer at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine is prepared to find out and take the liable party to court if necessary. Call our office today for your free conversation about your options at 1-800-747-3733.
Slip and Fall Accident Negligence
Facilities that invite in the public inside, such as retail business, owe a duty to create means of safe and secure passage around the areas a reasonable person may expect to go. If other people were hurt in the same building or same area, for example, you may have a valid legal claim, especially if someone told the building manager about the issue beforehand, but it was not remedied within a reasonable timeframe.
Insurance agents, such as those representing the owner of the area where you were hurt, may try to get information out of you. They are skilled in ways to make you feel comfortable sharing information that can only hurt your case. In these scenarios, it is best to let the legal process unfold naturally rather than throwing a gift to the other side that is trying to minimize the amount of money they have to pay you. Our legal team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine may be able to help you make sense of the picture if you are having trouble with medical bills after an accident on slippery floors.
Florida Statute § 768.0755 holds that injured parties must prove that the owner of the premises knew or should have known about the slippery condition. There is no way for a staff member to know about something they have not seen or been told about. But if it can be ruled through the normal course of their duties at work that they should have seen the slip hazard after some time, then they may start to be more potentially liable. For example, if there is a freezer for ice in a retail convenience store that leaks, consistently creating a leak, it may be a requirement to do more than just put a wet floor sign nearby. Due to a foreseeably chronic problem, there sometimes needs to be more than just a warning sign.
The length of time that can elapse after a hazard forms before a liability lawsuit can be initiated varies depending on facility type, location of the spill, and jurisdiction history. If you are wondering if enough time elapsed before a slippery condition created liability, it may be time to seek help from a Boca Raton slippery floors lawyer at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine. We go the extra mile for all of our clients, and we can be reached at 1-800-747-3733. Call as soon as you can for your free consultation.
How Courts Assign Blame for an Accident Due to Slippery Floors
Courts in and around Boca Raton have different categories of damages that they may award to people who were hurt by slippery floors. The courts use potentially confusing terms like “special damages,” “non-economic damages,” and “punitive damages.” To unpack these terms, one of our office staff can take your call and questions.
In Florida, courts essentially try to reimburse you financially for the money you lost after the accident paying for items such as:
- Related medical bills
- Ensuing therapy (physical therapy or mental health therapy)
- Pain and suffering
- Missed wages or income
- Lost ability to maintain the same skills and job
These represent the extent of negligence claims. Courts sum this all up and give it to the plaintiff, at the expense of the defendant, if the victim’s case prevails.
There is one final category that is rarely assessed, and only in cases of criminal penalties. It is called “punitive damages,” and unlike negligence damages, punitive damages are viewed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as income that goes beyond just restoring an injured victim to their original financial state. Punitive damages are intended to send a message to entire economic sectors or industries. They can sink a small business, but do not typically threaten large businesses. Again, punitive damages are awarded by courts far less often than negligence damages.
Ways in Which Our Boca Raton Slippery Floors Lawyers May Assist You
Several factors limit the amount of time a person has to take action to pursue their legal claims for personal injury in the state of Florida. Florida’s statute of limitations is four years, per Florida Statute § 95.11. After this time expires, there is may be no more way for hurt claimants to raise a lawsuit.
A myriad of other time-sensitive issues must be attended to going into any lawsuit. These include:
- Ensuring your accident is documented (the police report is public record and would need to be amended quickly if it has an error, or the court may assume that you tacitly confirmed the police report by not amending it)
- Ensuring your medical bills are recorded (an error in your medical history can threaten a claim)
- Filing a claim with insurance parties (must be done as soon as possible)
- Conducting urgent evidence discovery (evidence can perish quickly in the field)
- Mailing a demand letter after the appropriate length of time has elapsed
- Tracking down eyewitnesses and securing their testimony
- Helping you journal your experiences and store the details safely
- Building your case strategy (assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to your lawsuit)
- Trial strategy execution (ensuring you are relatable to a jury)
- Post-trial management and closure
There needs to be a good-faith effort to pursue a damage claim with an insurer, or a court may look unfavorably on your lawsuit. This is one reason that you do not have four full years to begin the process. No matter how you look at it, there are a number of different necessary steps that have to be taken before a lawsuit can be filed.
Call Now for Your Free Consultation
Every Boca Raton slippery floors lawyer at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine is licensed and educated in Florida legal research, and knows the laws relating to slippery floors inside and out. We have the experience to be able to judge a solid claim early on and cross reference it against Florida case law. We know what the challenges may or may not look like for a case with limited evidence. Our legal team provides responsive legal care to our clients, meaning that we will do everything within our power to help your legal claim succeed.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine represents people in Boca Raton who were hurt in a slip and fall on a slippery floor. Call our office for your free case evaluation at 1-800-747-3733.
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