If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property in Orlando, FL, you might be entitled to compensation for the harm you suffered. Our team helps people pursue damages for their injuries. You can focus on recovering from your injuries while we take care of the legal matters.
Our personal injury team can help you file within the statute of limitations, negotiate with the insurance provider, and help you navigate the legal process. We’re ready to do whatever we can to get you the compensation you need.
Proving the Property Owner’s Liability in a Slip and Fall Case
Getting hurt while on someone else’s or public property is not enough to make you eligible for compensation. A landowner must be negligent before the law can hold them responsible. Our Orlando personal injury lawyers have to prove all three of these factors to prove negligence and hold the property manager accountable for your slip and fall injuries:
- A dangerous condition, like a slippery floor, existed on the premises.
- The owner knew or should have known about the condition.
- The owner did not repair the dangerous condition or post adequate warnings about it.
Let’s say a shopping mall had a large fountain in its center. The business owners knew the fountain leaked but did not have it repaired immediately. Also, the owners did not place water-absorbent mats around the fountain, block off the area, or post warnings about the wet floor.
This pattern meets all three elements of landowner negligence. The wet floor was a hazardous condition on the property.
The mall owners knew about the water on the floor around the fountain. The property owners did not repair the dangerous condition, block off the area, or post warnings.
Common Injuries After You Trip as a Result of Negligence
After you suffer a fall, you’ve likely suffered injuries ranging from moderate to severe. The most frequent injuries you can suffer after a fall are:
- Spinal cord injury
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Internal injuries
- Neck injuries
Our team of lawyers can help you determine the value of your injuries and even help you get medical attention if necessary. We can ensure we hold the negligent parties accountable and get you the settlement you qualify for.
Statute of Limitations for a Slip and Fall Accident
According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, you have four years to submit a slip and fall claim. By doing so, you’ll be eligible to receive damages for your pain from the liable parties. Our lawyers recommend you file early.
The earlier you file, the more time you’ll have to gather evidence with your personal injury attorney. In turn, you’ll build a stronger case and have a higher chance of recovering the maximum compensation after you trip and get hurt. Depending on the details of your accident, the time you have to file may vary.
One of our experienced attorneys can tell you exactly how much time you have. However, if you fail to file on time, you won’t be able to obtain the fair settlement you qualified for because the liable parties are no longer legally responsible for the accident.
What You Should Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Orlando
The actions you take after you’re injured impact the amount of compensation you recover. Taking these five steps after a slip and fall accident can safeguard your health and protect the value of your compensation claim:
Get Medical Treatment
Your medical records will be essential for us to prove your injuries came from the fall on the property. Never delay in getting medical care after an injury. If you wait to see the doctor or go to urgent care or the emergency room, it will be harder to prove that the fall caused your injuries.
Also, some injuries do not exhibit symptoms immediately, even though they might be severe. Internal bleeding, back or neck injuries, or head trauma do not always display signs immediately.
Gather Evidence at the Scene
Take photographs of the place where you fell, focusing on the thing that caused you to slip. Once the owner cleans up the area, it will be your word against theirs that there was a dangerous condition when you fell.
Try to get the names and contact information of other people who were around when you got hurt.
Talk With an Orlando Slip and Fall Injury Attorney
The property owner should contact their liability insurance carrier once they know an injury happened on the premises.
Many people are afraid to go up against a commercial liability insurance company on their own. When you get a lawyer to represent you, the insurance company cannot harass you.
Complete All of Your Prescribed Medical Treatment
We know it can be inconvenient and uncomfortable to undergo weeks of treatment, like physical therapy. However, following through with your doctor’s orders can give you a good chance of achieving the best possible outcome.
Also, completing treatment removes any arguments the insurance company might have that you could have gotten better.
Damages for a Slip and Fall Accident You Can Recover
Since each scenario is unique, we cannot predict your compensation for your injuries. Your ability to recover money will be based on the specifics of your case. The following are some typical sorts of damages that plaintiffs in slip-and-fall cases could recover:
- Medical costs for all the appropriate treatments you require as a result of your accident. These expenses include ambulance, emergency room, urgent care facility, surgery, physicians, hospitals, prescription medications, diagnostic exams, and physical therapy.
- The expense of a rehabilitation center if you needed specialized treatment for several weeks, months, or even a year due to a severe accident.
- Long-term care if severe injuries render you dependent on daily help for personal care and medical care.
- Lost wages for the money you could not earn while recovering from the accident.
- Pain and suffering for the discomfort and distress your injuries caused you.
- Other non-economic losses can include disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), loss of enjoyment of life, and your spouse’s claim for loss of consortium.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help with Your Orlando Slip and Fall Case
An Orlando slip-and-fall lawyer can protect your right to compensation and help you avoid some of the pitfalls in these claims. For instance, do not make these three mistakes:
- Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company without your lawyer’s prior approval. The claims adjuster can take your words out of context to try to pay you less money.
- Do not settle your case too early. Until you recover or reach maximum medical improvement, at which you have healed as much as you are going to, settling your claim is taking a gamble that you will not have complications or residual impairment. Once you accept that check from the insurance company, they will not pay you any more money, even if you need surgery or have a permanent disability.
- Do not post any information or comments about the accident or your injuries on social media. The insurance company can take these postings out of context to hurt the value of your case.
If you got hurt from a fall on someone else’s property in Orlando, a slip-and-fall lawyer could help. Our team has extensive experience with slip and fall claims in various settings, such as stores, residential properties, and office buildings.
Contact Our Firm To See if You Qualify for a Slip and Fall Case
If you suffered a slip and fall, our team of Orlando, FL, slip and fall injury lawyers can help you recover the compensation you need. At Anidjar & Levine, we have the experience, resources, and passion to help you hold the negligent party responsible.
We work on a contingency-fee basis, so you owe us nothing unless we win. Call us or fill out the contact form for a free case evaluation today.
We Can Help.
