Florida Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Slip and fall accidents are among the most common type of injury accidents, occurring almost anywhere to anyone. Unfortunately, they often result in serious injuries, such as broken bones or a head injury. The CDC reports that^,each year, 3 million older Americans are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries and over 800,000 people are hospitalized because of a fall injury.

Sadly, many of these slip and fall accident injuries could have been prevented had people not neglected their duty to maintain their property so that it was safe for visitors. Under Florida law, if property owners or managers do not maintain their property so that it is safe or fail to warn visitors to their property of known dangers, they can be held liable for their negligence with a premises liability claim against the property owner or manager.

If you or a family member has been injured in a slip and fall or trip and fall accident, you may be able to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence and receive compensation for your medical expenses, pain, suffering, loss of income and other losses. The Dennis Hernandez slip and fall premises liability lawyers have helped hundreds of accident victims throughout Florida and want to help you hold the negligent party accountable and obtain the financial compensation you deserve.

What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents in Florida?

A slip and fall accident occurs when someone slips or trips, causing them to fall and injure themselves. This kind of accident can happen anywhere: at home, in a retail store, in a parking lot, on a walkway or anywhere you might be walking.

While you might fall due to carelessness or illness, more often than not, slip and fall accidents occur because of negligence on the part of a property owner. Some of the common causes of the slip and fall accidents we see in Florida include:

Cracks, chips or uneven walking surfaces — Old, neglected concrete or asphalt, as seen in parking lots, often has dangerous cracks or chips that can cause serious falls. Uneven concrete walkways or steps can also be dangerous.
Water on walkways —Water on sidewalks, in parking lots or around pools, can be a slip hazard.
Liquid spills on the floor — Liquid spills on a floor, as in a grocery store, bar or restaurant, can also be a slip hazard.
Obstructions in a retail store aisle — Boxes of merchandise, cords, equipment or anything else left in a store aisle can cause someone to trip and fall.
Loose handrails or broken stairs — Loose, broken or missing handrails or broken steps can cause someone to stumble, fall and get seriously injured.
Code violations – Stairways, entry thresholds, handrails, and accessibility features at office buildings, stores, hotels, restaurants and other places of business often do not conform to applicable building codes or industry safety standards. These code violations can result in dangerous situations for unsuspecting business patrons.
Inadequate or defective lighting — Inadequate or defective lighting in parking lots and both inside and outside restaurants, bars, hotels, stores and shopping malls. can result in slips, trips, and falls.

Who Is Liable for Injuries from a Slip and Fall Accident in Florida?

All too often, a slip or trip and fall injury is caused entirely or partially by negligence on the part of a property owner or manager. When that is the case, the negligent party can be held liable with a premises liability claim.

To bring a successful claim against a property owner or manager in Florida, you must be able to prove the four elements of a negligence claim by a preponderance of the evidence. These elements are:

Duty – The property owner or manager owed you a duty of care. The duty of care applies primarily to customers, visitors, guests or someone else who was given permission to be on or in the property.
Breach of Duty – The property owner or manager breached the duty of care owed to you. They failed to remove a dangerous condition (e.g., poor lighting, uneven pavement, dangerous equipment, slippery surfaces, negligent security), warn others of a known hazard or block off a dangerous area.
Injury – This breach of duty (negligence) caused you to slip or trip and fall and suffer injuries.
Damages – Because of the injuries, you suffered actual damages. These can be both economic, as in medical expenses and lost income, and non-economic, as in pain, suffering and emotional trauma.

In other words, property owners have a legal duty to keep their property free from hazards they know about or should know about. If your attorney can demonstrate that the property owner and/or manager failed to use reasonable care in the operation and maintenance of the property and that failure resulted in your slip or trip and fall injury, then the owner and/or manager can be held liable for the injury and you can be compensated for the economic and non-economic damages you suffered.

What Kind of Compensation Can Slip and Fall Accident Victims Receive?

With help from experienced Dennis Hernandez Florida slip and fall accident lawyers, you may be able to recover substantial compensation for the damages you suffered. This may include compensation for:

Medical expenses – Existing and future health care expenses associated with your slip and fall injury, including emergency services, hospital bills, diagnostic imaging, surgery, post-operative care, rehabilitative care, travel to and from doctors, prescriptions, medical equipment and assistive devices.
Lost wages and other income – Income lost because of injuries from the accident.
Diminished earning capacity – Decreased or lost earning capacity because injuries from the accident prevent returning to your job or seeking one that pays as well.
Physical and emotional pain and suffering – Pain, stress, trauma, and emotional problems stemming from the accident.
Diminished quality of life – Decreased ability to enjoy life.
Other economic and non-economic damages applicable in specific cases under Florida law

Contact Experienced Florida Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys

For Dennis Hernandez slip and fall lawyers, making sure you get the full compensation you deserve for your injuries is our priority. We make sure that all the evidence to demonstrate negligence is gathered in a timely manner, and we negotiate vigorously with insurance companies and defense attorneys on your behalf. We prepare your case to demonstrate your need for compensation for physical, emotional, and financial damages caused by the slip and fall accident.

Many Florida personal injury lawyers do everything possible to settle with insurance companies and avoid going to trial, but we never back down. We will put our extensive trial experience to work fighting for the compensation you deserve. Being a Dennis Hernandez client means getting the guidance and support you need to prevail through the entire legal process.

Call us at 855-LAW-DENNIS or fill in the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to get started on your case.