Slip and fall accidents often occur when you least expect them. These accidents can have disastrous results, including broken and fractured bones. In many cases, someone else may be responsible for paying for the costs of your medical treatment, lost income, and other expenses related to your injuries. You can work toward holding those parties accountable with the help of a Punta Gorda fractured or broken bones slip and fall injury lawyer.
While some slip and fall accidents are minor, others can leave you permanently impaired. A broken hip for an older American, for instance, can have more permanent effects than on a younger person. However, even a young person who experiences broken bones from a slip and fall is likely to need thousands of dollars in medical expenses. If you face medical bills for broken and fractured bones following a slip and fall accident, call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine at 1-800-747-3733 and learn more about getting compensation for your injuries.
Falls Lead to Broken and Fractured Bones
According to the Mayo Clinic, falls are one of the most common reasons for broken arms or wrists. Slip and falls also cause many lower leg and foot fractures. Hip fractures can occur to people of any age, but falls are the primary cause of these often life-threatening injuries to older Americans. Hip fractures almost always require surgical repair and rehabilitation, which can lead to permanent impairments, especially for older adults.
Older people are at a higher risk of falling and suffering severe injuries such as broken and fractured bones. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than one out of four older Americans suffer a fall each year—that’s millions of falls. One out of every five of these falls results in broken bones or head injuries. Hospitals admit more than 300,000 older people each year for hip fractures, 95% of which result from falls.
Liability Depends on the Locations and Causes of Falls
Whether another person or company is financially responsible for your injuries depends on how the fall occurred. Whether it is a private residence owner or a business owner, a property owner must keep the property reasonably safe for others to enter.
This duty includes fixing any conditions on the property that might be hazardous or, at the very least, warning others of potential dangers on the property. If property owners fail to maintain their property according to these standards, and another person suffers injuries, the property owners may face liability or legal responsibility for the injuries and related losses. However, their duty’s extent depends on the type of relationship between the property owner and the injury victim.
Invitees
Invitees are people who enter businesses for commercial purposes or who are guests at private residences. This classification includes customers at stores and people who enter hotels and restaurants for services. Property owners owe the highest duty of care to this type of guest. They are responsible for any hazardous conditions on the property that injure others if they knew or reasonably should have known that the conditions existed.
Licensees
Licensees are people on the property for business purposes. These guests include mail carriers, utility workers, and lawn maintenance workers at a private residence. Property owners still have a duty to keep their property safe for the benefit of others. They are liable for injuries stemming from dangers on their property that they had actual knowledge of or should have known about.
Trespassers
Trespassers, or people who have no legal right to be on the property, do not enjoy the same rights as licensees or invitees. Although property owners must refrain from setting up situations that could harm others, they have no duty to keep their property safe for the benefit of trespassers.
A lawyer from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you understand these distinctions. Call a team member today at 1-800-747-3733.
Deadlines for Filing Slip and Fall Injury Claims
Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a) states that individuals who suffered injuries due to others’ negligence must file their formal claims in court no later than four years from the date their injuries occurred. Although some exceptions to this general deadline or statute of limitations exist, you should never assume that you have an unlimited amount of time to file a lawsuit.
Instead, you should take steps to file your claim as quickly as possible after you suffer injuries. Otherwise, you may miss out on the chance to seek compensation for your injuries. Consulting a Punta Gorda fractured or broken bones slip and fall injury lawyer may be the most effective way to ensure that you do not miss any deadlines for filing your claim.
If you fail to file your claim within the appropriate statute of limitations, you lose the chance to get compensation or hold negligent parties responsible for their actions. The court can dismiss your claim. You then could be solely responsible for the costs of your injuries, which can be substantial when getting treatment for fractured or broken bones.
Learn More About Your Legal Rights
Every personal injury claim is different. Even two cases involving slip and fall accidents that cause broken bones can occur under very different circumstances. When you are unsure about your legal rights to compensation following an accident in which you suffer injuries, a Punta Gorda fractured or broken bones slip and fall injury lawyer may be able to help.
Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to learn more about your legal rights to compensation following a slip and fall accident that caused you broken or fractured bones. By calling 1-800-747-3733 today, you can start the process of determining who is liable for your injuries and whether you qualify to receive any compensation for your injuries from those parties.
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