Slip and fall injuries are often more serious than many people believe. Broken bones, torn ligaments, or even a traumatic brain injury can occur after a fall, leaving victims with major injuries that require hospitalization, surgery, and rehabilitation. If you fell after a property owner or manager ignored or overlooked a hazard, you may be eligible for compensation to pay all your present and future needs.
The Port St. Lucie slip and fall injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you recover damages. We offer complimentary case evaluations so you can learn about your options. Call now and let our Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers get to work on your case. We will even come to see you if you cannot travel.
Do I Need To Call A Slip And Fall Attorney About My Injuries?
If you suffered injuries after a fall in Port St. Lucie, there is no reason to try to handle this on your own. Insurance companies often try to lowball this type of claim and may not take your injuries and other damages seriously—but when you have legal representation on your side, they cannot afford to ignore you.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine knows what it takes to win slip and fall cases. We can:
- Collect the evidence necessary to prove your case while you work toward your physical recovery
- Bring in specialists and experts to help us prove your claim and maximize your financial compensation
- Help you make medical and other appointments related to your case
- Manage all communications with the insurance company and other parties on your behalf
- Help you decide whether to settle out of court or take your case to trial
We even give clients their lawyer’s phone number, ensuring you have direct access to your Port St. Lucie fall injury attorney and can ask us questions at any time. This kind of responsive, compassionate service is just one reason why our former clients describe our legal team so positively:
- “Prompt and courteous answers to questions. Great communication from everyone involved with your case. Phenomenal case results.” – Jos I.
- “Shire Patel worked with me on my case and was absolutely amazing!… He was also very responsive and always kept in touch updating me about my case at all hours.” – Daniel R.
What Compensation Can I Receive After A Slip And Fall Injury In Port St. Lucie?
Falls can be costly. For example, traumatic brain injuries might require lifelong care, and broken hips or other bones may need surgery and therapy. Recovering from fall injuries can also force you to take time away from work, compounding the burden of medical bills with a loss of income.
Your damages are based in part on the money you have lost. For many victims, that includes compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Mental health support and care
- Prescriptions and medical equipment
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Lost income
- Reduced earning ability
- Loss of personal property
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we focus on getting you damages for stressful, short-term consequences as well as for challenging, long-term losses. Our Port St. Lucie slip and fall lawyers won’t leave any aspect of your case unexplored.
Other Consequences Of Slip And Fall Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults are especially at risk of falling and face more challenges in recovering, including suffering permanent injuries and being so afraid of falling again that they decrease their activity levels. Not only does this ironically increase the chance of another fall, it can negatively impact the person’s quality of life.
These additional risks and impacts are part of why fall victims can pursue non-economic damages, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Temporary or permanent disability
Regardless of your age, you could be eligible for damages that cover the financial, physical, emotional, and psychological toll of a slip and fall injury. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for a free, confidential consultation. You worry about feeling better. We take care of everything else.
What Role Does Negligence Play In A Slip and Fall Claim?
Any slip and fall claim hinges on proving negligence. To recover the compensation you need, our Port St. Lucie attorneys must collect evidence to demonstrate that the property owner or occupier acted in a negligent manner and that this caused your injuries. Proving negligence requires us to show:
- The Property Owner or Occupier Had a Responsibility to Protect You: We need to show that you were not trespassing and were on the property as an invited guest, a customer, or someone else who had reason and approval to be there.
- They Failed to Keep You Safe: We can talk to witnesses, secure any video of your fall, and collect other evidence to prove the property owner or occupier knew there was a fall hazard and took no action to address it.
- Their Action or Inaction Caused Your Injuries: Your medical records are the primary proof of your injuries, which is one reason it is paramount that you receive prompt medical treatment, up to and including a visit to an ER like the one at Tradition Hospital, if necessary. Eyewitness accounts and expert testimony may also play a role.
- You Suffered Damages: By presenting evidence to show the full range of your damages, we can build a strong case for awarding you maximum compensation for your claim.
What Else Should You Do After A Fall Accident?
Getting medical care is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your case. Other important actions include:
- Reporting the fall to the property or business owner or manager
- Taking photos of the hazard that caused your fall and any visible injuries
- Asking witnesses for their contact information
- Keeping all paperwork (such as bills and receipts) connected with the incident
- Saying as little as possible to the insurance company until you get a chance to consult with us
Our personal injury attorneys understand that the aftermath of a fall is frightening and chaotic, so please do not feel that you have no case if you did not complete all of the above tasks. Be open with us about what happened, and we can provide guidance on where you should go from here.
How Can Someone Else’s Negligence Cause A Slip And Fall?
There are a number of ways someone else’s negligence can cause a slip and fall accident. Many premises liability claims name the property owner or occupier as the liable party. This is often the case even when an employee causes the hazard: vicarious liability laws hold employers responsible for the actions of their employees.
That being said, it is possible for more than one party to have contributed to your fall, including:
- Property owners
- Lessees or renters
- Landlords
- Product manufacturers
For example, if a business rents property from someone else and their contract states that the business assumes full responsibility for maintaining the premises, they could be responsible rather than a property owner. Likewise, defective equipment that causes a leak could make the manufacturer liable. The property owner could even share liability with a manufacturer if they failed to recognize and correct a problem that arose from faulty equipment.
Our legal team is familiar with how negligence leads to personal injuries and can help you identify the liable party in your case.
What Counts As Negligence In A Slip And Fall?
Chapter 41 of the Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances requires all residential and nonresidential properties to meet basic safety standards. For example, owners must trim lawns regularly, ensure walkways and parking lots are in good repair, and make sure the property is well-lit and well-ventilated.
Violations of this ordinance that may lead to slip and falls include:
- Liquid spills
- Tracked liquids or other slick substances
- Leaks that cause water or other liquids to puddle
- Cracks or holes in sidewalks or pavement
- Broken tiles, torn carpet, and other trip hazards
- Uneven surfaces
- Unexpected steps or curbs without adequate warnings
- Items like extension cords in a walkway
- Missing, broken, or weak handrails
- Broken lights or poorly lit areas
Such dangerous conditions often point back to poor maintenance or an unaddressed hazard. Once the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine evaluates the details of your accident and determines how the at-fault party acted negligently, our slip and fall attorneys can file a claim with their homeowner’s or business insurance provider. This begins the process of getting you the compensation you need.
How Do Premises Liability Laws Affect My Claim?
As previously discussed, any owner or manager of a business or residential building must provide a reasonably safe environment for guests or residents. However, for a party to be liable, they must have known about the hazard, and the hazard must have existed for long enough that the at-fault party had time to do something about it. For example:
- If you slip less than five minutes after someone spilled liquid, this is not enough time for the owner to have addressed (or possibly even known about) the spill.
- If you fall down stairs that have been falling apart for months or years, this is more than enough time for the owner to have responded.
Sometimes, owners or occupiers try to avoid liability by claiming they were not aware of a hazardous condition. This is known as the reasonable person standard. This standard considers when a reasonable person would have known about the problem and taken action to protect guests.
Our personal injury law firm often finds that owners and occupiers ignore hazards much longer than a reasonable person would.
How Can You Prove Someone Knew About A Slip And Fall Hazard?
As you may imagine, slip and fall cases can too easily devolve into “he said, she said” scenarios. To prove that someone did or should have known about a hazard, the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine works to construct a strong case through evidence like:
- Eyewitness testimony
- Security and bystander video
- Photos of the hazard
- Accident reconstruction
- Timeline of events
- Previous complaints
Constructing a timeline can be particularly helpful, demonstrating how much time elapsed between when a hazard arose and when you fell. Likewise, previous complaints about this or similar hazards can highlight a property owner’s pattern of not addressing risks.
By collecting evidence, our fall accident lawyers in Port St. Lucie can show how negligence caused your injuries.
When Are Property Owners Not Liable For A Fall?
It is also important to note that these laws only protect you if you were not trespassing, as discussed under Florida Statutes § 768.075. Property owners are immune from liability if someone was hurt on their premises while there without permission.
For instance, if you were shopping, eating in a restaurant, or visiting a friend’s house, the property owner has an obligation to protect you. However, if you sneak into a neighborhood pool after hours, slip on wet tiles, and hit your head, it is unlikely that you will be able to file for compensation. Property owners cannot deliberately cause harm to trespassers, but they have no obligation to protect them from fall hazards, either.
The personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can demonstrate that you were entitled to a duty of care and that you now deserve fair compensation.
Our Slip And Fall Lawyers In Port St. Lucie Are Waiting To Hear From You
Call us today. We offer complimentary initial consultations and handle these claims on a contingency basis, which means you pay nothing unless and until we win. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine has been assisting accident victims like you since 2005. Now, our Port St. Lucie slip and fall injury attorneys want to put our legal knowledge to work for you.