You’ve Had a Slip and Fall Accident, Here’s What to do Next
“Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” We all know this universally recognized statement as a comedic punchline — but in our line of work, it’s so much more. A slip-and-fall accident can occur on the street or sidewalk, a stairway, or a swimming pool… It really can happen anywhere. If you slip and fall on another person’s property and are seriously injured, you are going to need the expert advice and guidance of a Fort Myers personal injury attorney with experience dealing with slip-and-fall cases.
How a Slip-and-Fall Accident Occur?
A slip-and-fall accident occurs when a person loses foot traction while walking, and is no longer able to maintain balance, causing them to fall either forward or backward. Some slip and fall injuries can be severe; some embarrassing, but it’s important that you, as the victim, not be embarrassed when the incident occurs; it’s not your fault. Stop, take a deep breath, and seek out where the fault lies. Then it’s time for you to take action, and call us at the law offices of Wolf & Pravato. Let us be the ones to put the blame where it belongs.
What is Florida Premise Liability Law?
The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, a leading personal injury law firm in Fort Lauderdale, has extensive knowledge about, and successfully experienced in premises liability cases. A premise liability law is based on the idea that a property owner or renter is obligated to ensure that his or her premises are safe for visitors and guests. If the owner or renter breaches this obligation, he or she can be held liable for any damages that may occur as a direct result of an accident that happens on their property. As premise liability law specialists, we can help prove negligence by collecting evidence from the accident scene, gathering relevant documents, and helping to prove your right to compensation for things like pain and suffering (past, present, and future), medical expenses (past, present, and future), lost income (past, present, and future), loss of enjoyment of life, and wrongful death damages. Without the help of a premises liability lawyer, fighting for compensation will not be an easy feat.
Common Slip & Fall Accidents
Slip-and-fall accidents most commonly occur in outdoor spaces, at work, or in public places such as retail, grocery stores, and hotels. These businesses have a duty of care to uphold to their customers and/or shoppers. These places that are open to the public are legally obligated to make sure their property is safe for those who may come onto the premises. The property owners must take extreme care to check for any hidden dangers such as snow or ice accumulation in the entryway or loose carpeting, and repair any apparent hazards such as problems with an escalator or elevator or faulty staircases. Other hazards include an item not displayed properly that could fall in the pathway of a customer, poor lighting in the store leading to poor visibility, or lack of cleaning up a prior incident such as if a customer spills their coffee and an employee neglects to clean it up right away, leaving a puddle on the floor that could easily cause someone to slip.
They are also responsible for warning their customers if there are existing property threats that are not visibly obvious, i.e. putting out a caution sign if the floor is wet and/or oily. Grocery stores, for example, should also make frequent aisle and bathroom checks to ensure all is clean and safe for shoppers. If something were to happen at any one of these open-to-the-public locations, the business may be liable for any injuries sustained if it can be proven that the slip and fall occurred due to unsafe conditions on the property. What exactly the store will end up being responsible for depends on the specifics of each particular case.
Who is Responsible for Slip & Fall Accident in Store?
The owner of a store is responsible for any unsafe conditions if the actual unsafe condition was created by him or her, i.e., extra slippery wax used to clean the floor, or if he or she was aware of the condition and did not take the necessary steps to fix it. The injured party is responsible for proving that the owner knew about the poor conditions that caused store accident, or should have reasonably known about it, and failed to take care of it. The injured party would also need to find a way to show that the condition was not obvious to them to the point where they could have avoided the accident. For instance, if the injury happened because you tripped over a large item that was very clearly on display in the store, you will not likely have a case. Customers are expected, within reason, to have the common sense to protect themselves in situations that are very apparent and noticeable.
How to Prove Slip & Fall Negligence?
In the case that the accident could have been prevented due to the property owner’s negligence, this is where having a good personal injury lawyer comes in handy. You need a lawyer who can prove the level of duty that is owed to you by the property owner or renter, and that this level of duty was breached, making the property owner or renter negligent of the situation that directly caused an injury which led to some kind of financial or physical loss that you, the victim, should be compensated for.
What are the Common Slip & Fall Injuries?
Common injuries that can result from a slip-and-fall accident include broken bones or fractures of the arms, legs, wrists, hands, ankles, feet or hips, back or neck injuries, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, knee injuries, spinal trauma, herniated discs, and in the most severe case, even paralysis. If you have experienced any one or more of these injuries due to the negligence of a property owner or renter, Wolf & Pravato is ready to handle your case, and maximize your recoveries. We provide each client with the highest level of personalized respect and attention. Every client’s case is different, and every client deserves unique care for their individual situations.
Our Team Has Handled Thousands of Personal Injury Cases
For 21 years, our team has handled thousands of personal injury cases, many of which have involved slip-and-fall accidents. With each case comes more knowledge about our community and how to best serve our clients. Our four office locations in Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami allow us to conveniently and efficiently serve people in communities all over South Florida, including Aventura, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Coral Gables, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hallandale Beach, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Margate, Miami, Miami Beach, Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach, Port Charlotte, Port St. Lucie, Tamarac, Tampa, West Palm Beach, and Weston.
Contact the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato For Help:
If you or a loved one have been the victim of a slip-and-fall accident in South Florida, it’s time you reach out to the law offices of Wolf & Pravato so our team can thoroughly review your case and explain your legal options. You should not have to suffer at the hands of someone else’s negligence. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, and let our skilled team of attorneys help get you the compensation you deserve.
We also help the victims of slip and fall accident in the following cities:
