Hardly anyone thinks about floor safety when they step foot in a store, restaurant, movie theater, or even their workplace.
When someone falls on a surface, there are immediate and possibly long-term repercussions. Injuries can include surface wounds, such as cuts, scrapes, burns, and abrasions. A person may have soft tissue injuries, such as swelling, torn ligaments and tendons, and sprains. Severe injuries can include:
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Broken bones, bone fractures
- Back injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Leg and knee injuries
Immediate medical treatment should follow a slip and fall. Even if you feel fine afterward, it is best to see a doctor for a thorough examination. Not all injuries surface immediately after a fall, and some that appear minor at first can become a significant health issue later.
Such injuries can be expensive to treat. Their sudden nature likely means the person who suffers from them is not prepared to pay out-of-pocket for exams, therapies, medications, and more that are part of recovery from such a fall.
Healing time for injuries can mean missing days at work, which means lost wages. Lifestyle changes also follow—a person may not rest comfortably at night or move around without pain. This can be taxing to the mind and spirit over time.
You should not have to bear all of this on your own for an accident that someone else’s negligence caused. If you or a loved one recently suffered injuries after falling on a slick or slippery surface, you could pursue a personal injury lawsuit that helps you recover your damages and losses.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 to schedule a free consultation. A Winter Park slippery floors slip and fall lawyer can advise you on your legal options and next steps.
Florida Law Addresses Premises Liability
Slippery floors are a hazard, no matter where they are, and injuries that occur in a slip and fall case can lead to legal action on behalf of the person who fell. Premises liability cases allow victims to hold property owners and other liable parties responsible for injuries that occur on their property. They also allow plaintiffs to recover compensation from falls due to someone’s negligence.
In Florida, under Florida Statutes §768.0755, the burden of proving negligence on the part of an owner (or other liable parties, such as a landlord or property manager) is on the person filing a legal action.
While property owners are responsible for the upkeep of their premises and alerting others to possible risks and problem areas, they are not always liable for every incident that happens on their property.
That is because in premise liability cases, plaintiffs must prove that property owners knew or should have known about the hazard but failed to act or act prudently within reason to fix the situation.
This especially applies to slip and fall cases that occur in a business establishment and involve a “foreign substance,” as the law says. This foreign substance could be a liquid, such as water, oil, or another substance that does not belong on a floor.
Slip and fall cases are not always clear-cut, and establishing who is responsible can take time. You do not have to do this by yourself. A Winter Park slippery floors slip and fall lawyer can look at what happened and help you establish liability.
They can review documentation related to your fall, such as medical records and police reports, if available, and visit the scene where the fall took place. They also can study photos and video footage of the site and interview witnesses to gain more insight into what happened.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine to discuss the circumstances in your incident today. Call 1-800-747-3733 to schedule a free consultation.
What Happens if You Have a Role in Your Slip and Fall
Sometimes people who sue for a slip and fall injury will share some responsibility for what happened to them. If you are pursuing a personal injury claim against a property owner, they can always counter by saying you are the reason you slipped and fell. They may say you were not watching where you were going or ignored signage that warned of the floor’s slippery condition.
If your case makes it to court, it could determine if you have shared responsibility under Florida Statutes §768.81, the state’s comparative fault law. If you do, the financial compensation you win will be reduced after your share of responsibility is deducted.
An attorney can file a claim with the property owner’s insurer to recover a financial award for you. This settlement could help you pay your medical bills and replace the income you lost as you spent time recovering from your injury.
An attorney could also negotiate with the opposing side, handling all communications with an insurer for you. If negotiations do not end in a favorable settlement that meets your needs, a Winter Park slippery floors slip and fall lawyer is ready to go to court to fight on your behalf.
We understand that you are likely busy and focused on restoring your health. However, if you are considering taking legal action, keep in mind that Florida generally allows four years to file a personal injury lawsuit, according to Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a). The countdown starts on the date of the incident.
It can take time to build a case for financial recovery, so we advise you to act sooner rather than later if you want to file an action. You deserve peace of mind and we want to help you get it.
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The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you or your loved one navigate the legal process of your slip and fall. We offer responsive legal care and always go the extra mile. We would prefer you worry about getting better while we take care of everything else. Call us today to schedule your free consultation. We are ready to start working when you are.
