If negligent or unsafe property conditions caused your slip and fall accident, you could seek compensation for your medical bills and other expenses. A Bayshore personal injury lawyer with the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can assist you with a premises liability case.
Falls Injure Thousands of Floridians Avery Year
The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) states that fall injuries send more than 8 million Americans to the emergency room every year. In Hillsborough County, home to Bayshore, more than 3,900 hospitalizations for unintentional, non-fatal fall injuries occurred in 2020, according to the Florida Department of Health. Additionally, in 2020, 165 Hillsborough County residents suffered a fatal fall.
Slip and falls, even those from ground level, can result in:
- Hand, foot, and wrist fractures
- Broken arms and legs
- Hip fractures
- Head injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Sprains
- Bruising and lacerations
Our Personal Injury Attorneys Can Identify and Pursue the Awards You are Due
If unsafe conditions caused your slip and fall accident, we will file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the party responsible for the property. This may include the property’s owner or the residential or commercial renter in control of the property at the time of your accident. You can pursue compensation for your out-of-pocket expenses and your injuries’ impact on your quality of life. In general, slip and fall accident awards fall into two categories:
- Economic damages: These awards include compensation for all your past and future out-of-pocket costs, including:
- Emergency room, hospital, and doctor bills
- Medications, medical equipment, and mobility aids
- Medical procedures
- Rehabilitation and long-term care services
- Lost wages
- Lost future earnings if your injuries stop you from working
- Personal property damages
- The value of household services you cannot perform because of your injuries, such as cooking, childcare, and transportation
- Noneconomic damages: Also known as damages for pain and suffering, these awards compensate personal injury victims for the physical, mental, and emotional harm they suffered because of the accident. They may include monetary awards for:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mental anguish
- Loss of sleep
- Physical pain
- Loss of mobility or paralysis
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of cognitive abilities
You Can Seek Compensation on Behalf of a Deceased Loved One
If your loved one suffered a fatal slip and fall injury, our attorneys can help you pursue economic and noneconomic damages on behalf of their estate and surviving family members. According to Florida Statutes § 768.21, compensation may include awards for:
- Medical expenses
- Funeral and burial costs
- The deceased’s lost wages, benefits, and earnings
- The value of potential inheritance the deceased would have saved had they lived
- Surviving family members’ pain and suffering
- The loss of the deceased’s support, companionship, and guidance
Slip and Fall Accident Liability
Property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. If a property owner failed to make necessary repairs, did not take proper safety measures, or failed to warn visitors about a dangerous condition on the property, they may be liable for your accident. Various negligent property conditions can result in a slip and fall accident, including:
- Cracked or broken sidewalks
- Torn or ripped carpeting
- Loose floorboards or tile
- Spills and wet floors
- Lack of lighting
- Lack of hand railings
- Debris or obstructions in the walkway
- Potholes
Our lawyers are not afraid to take on tough slip and fall cases. We will assist with your claim, whether it is against a private owner or a large commercial entity. We help with slip and fall accidents occurring at:
- Apartment buildings or housing complexes
- Hotels
- Theme parks
- Water parks
- Restaurants
- Bars and nightclubs
- Private residences
- Movie theaters
- Retails stores or shopping malls
Florida’s Comparative Fault Law and Trespassing
Florida law allows you to pursue compensation for an injury, even if your actions contributed to your accident. For example, say you tripped on a broken sidewalk, but you were looking at your phone at the time. A court may decide you contributed 40 percent of the fault for your accident and will reduce your award by that percentage. This means if you win $100,000, you will receive $60,000.
However, if you were illegally on the property at the time of your slip and fall, the court may bar you from seeking compensation altogether. According to Florida Statutes § 768.075, property owners usually do not owe a duty of care to trespassers.
Our Bayshore Attorneys Can Help You get Started on Your Slip and Fall Case Right Away
Once you contact our team, we will act quickly to collect and preserve evidence from the accident scene. We will also work to find and interview witnesses while your accident is fresh in their minds. We will immediately take over communications with the insurance company, saving you from dealing with phone calls, emails, and the pressure to accept a hasty settlement that may be less than you deserve. Additionally, our team will:
- Manage our case-related paperwork
- Track your case and adhere to key deadlines
- Enlist medical professionals and other experts for testimony that supports your case
- Help you schedule appointments
- Provide you with your attorney’s cell phone number and 24/7 access to a member of our team
- Represent you in a civil lawsuit
Florida’s Statute of Limitations
No matter what, make sure you leave ample time to build your case and work through the insurance process before the statute of limitations in your case expires. Florida Statutes § 95.11 sets a four-year window to file a personal injury case and two years to take action for wrongful death. If your time runs out, the court will likely bar your lawsuit. An expired deadline could also negatively affect your chances of recovering an insurance settlement, too.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today
Reach out to the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for a free case evaluation. A member of our team is available to take your call and answer your questions. Our services cost you nothing up front. We only collect a fee if we win compensation for you. Contact us at 1-800-747-3733 now.
We Can Help.
