Tampa Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
Slip and fall accidents are common and often cause serious injuries, including broken bones or head injuries. The CDC reports that every year, injuries from falls send 3 million older Americans to hospital emergency departments, and more than 800,000 are hospitalized.
It is an unfortunate fact that many of these slip and fall accident injuries could have been prevented if property owners and managers had fulfilled their legal duty to maintain their property so that it was safe for visitors. Under Florida law, these negligent property owners and managers can be held liable with a premises liability claim, if they fail to safely maintain their properties or if they fail to warn visitors of known dangers.
If you or a family member were 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 financial compensation for your medical expenses, pain, suffering, loss of income and other expenses and losses. The Dennis Hernandez slip and fall premises liability lawyers have helped hundreds of accident victims throughout the state of Florida and want to help you hold the negligent party accountable and get the financial compensation you deserve.
What Causes Slip and Fall Accidents in Tampa?
A slip and fall accident occurs when you slip or trip and fall when you are walking. This can happen almost anywhere and at any time, including while you are in a store or office building, on a sidewalk, in a parking lot, or even at home.
Sometimes people fall because they are sick or careless, but most of the time, slip and fall accidents happen because a property owner negligently failed to keep their property in a safe condition and allowed a hazardous condition to remain.
Some of the most common slip-and-fall hazards we see in Tampa include:
- Spilled liquid — When liquid spills on the floor of a grocery store, restaurant, or bar, and it’s not mopped up, it creates a slippery condition where customers can slip and fall.
- Uneven, cracked, or chipped pavement — Old concrete or asphalt parking lots, sidewalks, steps, and walkways that are not properly maintained can be cracked, chipped, or uneven, creating a hazard for tripping.
- Water on walkways — Water accumulated from rain or splashed around a pool can be a slipping hazard.
- Poorly maintained handrails or stairs — Broken steps and broken, loose, or missing handrails create a hazardous situation that could lead to slips and falls.
- Code violations — Owners and managers of places of business are legally required to conform to industrial safety standards or building codes. When they do not, they create a dangerous condition.
- Poor lighting — When lighting is inadequate inside or around places of business, people are more likely to fall.
How Do I Win a Slip and Fall Claim in Tampa, Florida?
When property owners or managers know or should have known there is an unsafe condition on their property, they have a legal duty to deal with it and make it safe for visitors, customers, guests, and other people they allow on the property. If you get injured because they negligently failed in their duty to keep their premises safe, you may be eligible for compensation for the expenses and losses your injury caused.
To win your claim, your slip and fall injury lawyer must prove:
- Duty and breach of duty. The owner or manager had a legal duty to make the premises safe for you and failed to do so.
- Injury and damages. You were injured because you slipped or tripped and fell because of the owner or manager’s breach of duty, and you had/have expenses and/or losses because of the injury.
How Much Compensation Can I Get for a Slip and Fall Claim in Florida?
The Dennis Hernandez Tampa slip and fall accident lawyers can help you seek substantial compensation for your injury-related losses and expenses. These losses and expenses may include compensation for:
- Medical expenses, including current and future expenses for emergency treatment, diagnostic tests, hospitalizations, surgery and post-operative care, rehabilitative services, travel to and from medical appointments, medication, and assistive devices.
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity, including current and future income lost because your injury prevents you from doing your usual work or keeping your usual schedule.
- Pain and suffering, including physical pain, emotional problems, stress, trauma, and a decreased ability to enjoy life.
- Other damages recoverable under Florida law.
Contact Experienced Tampa Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys
The top priority for Dennis Hernandez slip and fall lawyers is to ensure you get full and fair compensation for your injuries. We begin by gathering all necessary evidence to prove the property owner’s negligence and to show the full extent of your financial, physical, and emotional damages. We skillfully and vigorously negotiate on your behalf with insurance company representatives and defense lawyers. We guide and support you every step of the way, including preparing to win at trial, if going to court becomes necessary.
Other lawyers do everything they can to avoid going to trial, but we never back down. We put our extensive successful trial experience to work protecting your rights and fighting to win the substantial compensation you deserve.
Call us at 813.250.0000 or fill out the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to get started on your case.