Slip and Fall Accident Attorney in Fort Lauderdale
If you sustained injuries in a Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident, you may be eligible to hold the property owner or occupier liable for your injuries and related losses. Florida law allows you to recover compensation if there is evidence that the property owner failed to take action to protect you. The slip and fall accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale from the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato may be able to help you build a case. Call (954) 633-8270 for a complimentary consultation with a slip and fall lawyer from our premises liability team in Fort Lauderdale.
Types of Negligence Litigation in The “Slip and Fall” Case
One of the most common types of negligence litigation in the “slip and fall” case. Although these may have gotten some bad press from the media trying to malign those who bring such suits, the victims of slip and fall cases are often legitimately injured and deserving of compensation for their pain and suffering. But one of the hardest things to try to gauge is exactly how much compensation a person can receive for such a lawsuit. Here are some general guidelines that will put this into some perspective and help you to realize what you may be entitled to.
In general, there are four categories that are included in calculating compensation in a slip and fall case. These include: medical expenses, pain/suffering, lost income, and lost earning potential. Let’s look at these individually:
Medical Expenses in a Slip and Fall Accident in Fort Lauderdale
Medical expenses are calculated to include all of the past bills related to your fall as well as all potential future medical bills. This will vary depending on the severity of your injury, where you live, and the amount that your healthcare provider bills for and/or settles for. However, medical expenses are often considered to be a “no-brainer” in such cases and are the bare minimum that are covered in such claims. Future medical bills, however, will require medical testimony to show that you will need future medical attention to rehabilitate or treat your injury.
Learn more about injury statistics and prevention from the Florida Injury Surveillance System – Florida Department of Health.
Pain/Suffering in Slip and Fall Injury
Now let’s go from the easiest of the categories to quantify to the most difficult. Pain and Suffering can be the hardest to put a dollar value on. However, insurance adjusters and attorneys do work to create a formula based on a number of factors. The most common of these is the extent of your physical injury. For instance, if a person slips, falls, and is left paralyzed for the rest of his/her life, then this component will be much higher than, say, a person who slips and sprains an ankle that is healed in six weeks.
Lost Wages in Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident
Here is another relatively easy one to calculate. If you are injured and cannot work for four weeks, then you are entitled to compensation equivalent to the wages that you would have earned in those four weeks. In other words, if your average weekly income is $500 and you are out of work due to the injury for four weeks, then your damages in this would be $2000. This can be proven by keeping copies of your paycheck stubs, tax returns, and copies of your work schedule from your employer.
Lost Earning Potential in Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident
This is another one that is harder to quantify. You will once again need expert testimony to properly quantify this component. This will involve a medical expert who will testify that you will never be able to work again because of your injury. Then, the court will assess compensation based on how much you were projected to have earned in your lifetime.
Need Legal Help? Call our Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
Slip/trip and fall cases may be a common type of negligent injury case, but that does not diminish the severity of these injuries or the plaintiff’s deserving of compensation. If you have been injured in such an accident, contact the slip and fall accident lawyers in Fort Lauderdale at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato to schedule an evaluation of your case. They can help you assess just how much compensation you may be owed and help guide you through the paperwork and expert testimony to prove your case.
We Handle All Types of Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident Cases
Property owners or occupiers may be responsible for injuries that occur on their property under Florida law. If they were aware of a hazard—or should have been aware of a hazard—and a guest, customer, or other visitor suffers an injury because of it, they may be liable. Some common slip and fall hazards include:
Common Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accidents:
- Food or drink spills
- Tracked-in rainwater
- Slick marble, stone, or glass flooring
- Trip hazards in the walkway or aisle
- Poor lighting on stairs and walkways
- Uneven steps or other problems with stairways
- Broken or missing handrails
- Uneven surfaces, such as unmarked step-ups and cracks in pavement
- Torn carpet, missing tiles, or uneven bricks
- Potholes or holes in the yard
- Unsafe ladders and scaffolding
Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accidents can occur almost anywhere. You may have a case if your fall involved inside or outside:
Some Places Where Most Slip and Fall Accidents Occur:
- Grocery store
- Mall or Shopping Center
- Convenience Store
- Restaurant
- Another shop
- Theater, Arena, or Amusement Park
- Public park or municipal building
- Nursing Home or another Long-Term Care Facility
- Office or other business
- Construction Site
- Private Home
If you or a loved one fell because of a hazard on someone else’s property, a Fort Lauderdale slip and fall accident attorney from the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato can review your case for free. We will help you understand if you have a case against the property owner and what you can do to recover damages. Call (954) 633-8270 today to talk to a member of our team.
Fort Lauderdale Slip/Trip and Fall Accident Lawyer Can Help in the Legal Process
Our slip/trip and fall accident attorneys in Fort Lauderdale will be by your side throughout your entire case. We understand Florida’s premises liability laws and what it takes to prove negligence and hold a property owner liable. When you trust us with your case, our Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident lawyer will:
- Review the facts of your case
- Help you understand your options and situation
- Identify all potentially liable parties
- Help you weigh your options and take legal action
- Build a case to prove negligence and liability
- File an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit on your behalf
Building this type of case may require us to rely on expert testimony from medical specialists, reviReach out to the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato for a complimentary consultation today. Call (954) 633-8270 to discuss your fall with a member of our team and learn about the strength of your case against the property owner. Let our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney help you pursue a payout based on the facts of your case.
Recoverable Damages in Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident
When we take on damages in a Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident, we collect evidence to prove your full range of damages. Each case is different, but some of the most common damages following a slip and fall accident include:
- Past and future medical treatment and care
- Ongoing care costs
- Past and future lost wages and benefits
- Diminished earning capacity if you cannot return to work
- Miscellaneous expenses related to your accident and injuries
- Property damages, such as a broken phone or eyeglasses
- Pain and suffering damages
- Other noneconomic damages
- Wrongful death damages, if your loved one passed away because of their fall injuries
Building this type of case may require us to rely on expert testimony from medical specialists, reviews of your relevant medical records, and working closely with other experts. Our slip and fall accident lawyer Fort Lauderdale will put a value on not only your current economic expenses but also your noneconomic expenses and your possible future losses.
Florida’s Statute of Limitations
Florida law limits how long you can wait to file a personal injury lawsuit in a slip and fall case. In general, you may have up to four years from the date of an accident to take legal action on your Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident. When we review your case, we can explain all deadlines that apply.
The sooner we get to work on your case, the more evidence our slip and fall attorneys Fort Lauderdale can collect and the stronger case we can build. Reach out to us as soon as possible following your injury and let us go to work on your case.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
If you or a member of your family suffered injuries in a Slip/Trip and fall accident in Fort Lauderdale, you may be eligible to pursue compensation. Call (954) 633-8270 today for your free case review. We take on these cases on a contingency basis, and you owe us no attorney’s fees unless you recover compensation.
