The term slip and fall sounds minor, but injuries from falls are a leading cause of many severe complications. A bad fall can lead to brain trauma, spinal injuries, and broken bones. Among the elderly, falls, particularly those that result in hip fractures, can be particularly dangerous.
If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property, you might be eligible to receive compensation from the property owner or manager. Our Pembroke Pines, FL, slip and fall attorneys at our law firm have the vast knowledge, experience, and resources to pursue compensation and can put our skills to work for you.
What Accidents Qualify as Slip and Fall Injury Cases?
Many slip and fall injuries occur because of hazards or dangerous private or public property conditions. Property owners and managers are responsible for keeping their properties reasonably free of hazards. If a problem emerges, the property owner must fix it promptly.
In the meantime, they must take reasonable steps to protect visitors from hazards. These steps include posting signs, roping off the area, and giving verbal warnings of the danger. We’ll investigate your injury’s circumstances and gather evidence proving the property owner’s negligence.
We’ll take photographs and videos, interview witnesses, examine police reports, and confer with expert witnesses. Our attorneys have won compensation in many types of slip-and-fall cases. We have seen this type of accident occur for a variety of reasons, such as:
Wet or Slippery Floors
Property owners must take care of wet or slippery floors right away. For instance, you have probably seen the “wet floor” signs that employees set up in grocery stores while mopping or cleaning.
But the presence of a sign does not necessarily mean that the business has fulfilled its duty to protect you from harm. Where was the sign placed? Was it visible from all angles approaching the area in question?
Was it big, bold, and clear enough to grab your attention? Our attorneys can investigate the scene and gather evidence of the property owner’s liability.
Dangerous Stairs
Staircases are a frequent source of slip and fall injuries, particularly for elderly and disabled individuals. If your injury occurred on stairs, we could build your case on several factors, such as a loose or missing stair, a broken railing, or narrow treads.
Poor Lighting
Owners of commercial properties open to the public must provide ample lighting inside the building and in parking lots and sidewalk areas outside the property. Our attorneys can gather evidence and seek damages if you slipped and fell because poor lighting prevented you from seeing a hazard.
Uneven Floors
A sudden and unmarked change in the elevation of a walking surface is a hazard. If you slipped and fell due to an uneven floor and you feel the property owner did not warn you, we can investigate and build a case.
Unsecured Carpet
Throw rugs, and similar types of carpet not secured to the floor can make it easy to lose footing and fall. Property owners are responsible for ensuring such hazards do not exist in areas accessible to visitors.
If you suffered injuries from a slip and fall accident because of a negligent property owner and don’t see your accident above, there’s no need to worry. Our lawyers can tell you if your case qualifies for compensation in a free consultation.
How Do Personal Injury Attorneys Prove Negligence?
In a slip-and-fall case, your Pembroke Pines personal injury lawyer must prove the negligence of the party responsible for your injuries. To do so, there must be four elements of negligence present:
- Duty of care: The party responsible for your injuries must have had a duty of care obligation which means they must take precautions to avoid causing harm as a reasonable person would.
- Breach of duty: The negligent party must ignore or fail to provide standard reasonable care, which leads to your injuries.
- Damages suffered: Due to the person’s actions, you must have sustained a severe injury and suffered economic and non-economic damages.
- Proof of injuries: The last element you must prove is that your injuries directly resulted from the person’s negligence. We can prove this by using relevant evidence to connect the negligent acts to your injury.
If all of these elements are present in your accident injury, you qualify to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for the accident through negligence and the injuries you’ve suffered. Our lawyers have extensive experience holding liable parties accountable so that you can be confident in the law firm representing you.
How Long Do I Have To Submit a Personal Injury Claim?
According to Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), you have four years to file a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party. The best time to do so is after you’ve received medical attention so you can include the losses you’ve suffered in your claim.
If your accident has a special condition, such as needing more investigation, you may have more time to file your claim. Our experienced lawyers can tell you exactly how long you have to file your claim.
How Should I Deal with the Insurance Company After I Fall?
After you suffer injuries due to a property owner’s negligence, you’ll need to meet with the insurance company. The meeting can seem intimidating, but with the help of a Pembroke Pines personal injury lawyer, you can fight for your rights to compensation.
Insurance adjusters often question crucial details of slip-and-fall accident cases, like when you sought medical attention or even the severity of injuries. We’ll show them the concrete evidence to prove your claim. And if they don’t want to give you the compensation you qualify for, our lawyers can take your case to court and get the settlement you need.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Slip and Fall?
Depending on the circumstances of your accident and the nature of your pain, we can pursue several types of damages on your behalf. Damages you can recover include:
Medical Expenses
Your medical bills could range from minor inconveniences to a financial catastrophe. If you require a hospital stay, the costs can add up quickly, as even a short outpatient visit often results in thousands of dollars in charges.
Certain severe slip and fall injuries, such as to the head or spine, can require months, years, or even a lifetime of therapy and rehabilitation. We pursue the responsible party for both current and expected future medical bills associated with your injury.
Lost Wages
You deserve financial compensation for your lost wages if you have spent time away from work due to your injury. Similarly, if your injury causes lasting effects that reduce your earning capacity, the responsible party should pay for what you can no longer earn. We seek maximum damages for lost wages and earning capacity.
Pain and Suffering
A slip and fall injury can result in severe pain, a difficult recovery process, and loss of quality of life. These damages are not as easy to quantify as medical bills or lost wages.
A skilled, experienced Pembroke Pines lawyer can calculate a fair settlement amount for these damages and fight for the maximum compensation for your claim. Our attorneys have a strong track record of pursuing and winning large sums for injured clients who experienced pain and suffering.
Depending on the details of your accident, your injuries could qualify you for additional compensation. Our lawyers work on a contingency basis, so you don’t pay us unless you win your case. We’re ready to defend your rights and get justice.
Call Our Team of Passionate Slip and Fall Attorneys Today
With a potentially huge sum of money on the line in a slip and fall injury case, you need a passionate law firm like ours. You can trust the Pembroke Pines, FL, slip and fall attorneys at Anidjar and Levine to handle your case with care and professionalism.
We handle your case from beginning to end, gathering all relevant information, amassing evidence, building our case against the responsible party, and taking it to a jury trial if necessary. Call us or fill out the contact form on our website for a free case evaluation.
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