REPRESENTING CLIENTS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND THROUGHOUT FLORIDA FOR SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS
Thousands of people across the United States are seriously injured due to a slip and fall accident every year.
In fact, a report from the National Floor Safety Institute states that fall accidents account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits, representing the leading cause of visits (21.3%). Slip and fall accidents account for over 1 million visits or 12% of total falls.
Property owners, including businesses, must warn visitors to their property of potentially dangerous conditions.
A property owner has a duty to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition, and if they breach that duty, they can be held liable for a slip and fall claim if anyone is injured.
The duty to ensure safe conditions can be considered violated whenever a slip and fall accident results in an injury that causes the victim pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life or when it results in initial and ongoing medical bills that your insurance company may not cover.
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you are entitled to claim and recover compensation and may do so by filing a personal injury claim lawsuit against the negligent property owner.
Our slip and fall law firm and personal injury attorneys can give you the support you need to claim compensation for your injuries if an accident occurred.
WHEN CAN FLORIDA PROPERTY OWNERS BE CONSIDERED LIABLE FOR A SLIP AND FALL CLAIM?
Duty could arise from the failure to inspect the premises reasonably depending on the risks for that business or premises.
An example of this could be a grocery store or large big box store where things are commonly found on the floor or where moisture might accumulate from the refrigerators. These are commonly known risks and the owners have a duty to inspect these items regularly, if not every hour to two, to ensure that unsafe conditions do not arise.
In some cases, unsafe conditions may be created by a failure to recognize ordinances and safety codes. Consider, for example, businesses that have ramps that aren’t up to code or shelving that isn’t properly observable.
These conditions should not exist because local laws and federal laws give clear instructions on minimum standards for safety. Additional safety requirements such as the proper posting of warnings, notices, and hazard signs are mandated by law, and their absence could point to a failure to show adequate concern for safety. In these types of cases, where building codes and ordinances are not complied with, it is fairly easy to prove that the property owner was negligent.
However, laws are very complicated, and dealing with a slip and fall case lawsuit while you are injured might be overwhelming. You’ll want an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you. In the cases of accidents that aren’t covered by codes, the property owner or business owner will have to have known the condition existed before the slip and fall accident.
This means that it is up to the plaintiff to prove that the condition was there, that they knew about it, and did not take the proper precautions or warn the injured person of the dangerous condition. It is your responsibility to prove all of these items to prevail in the slip and fall case.
That makes it imperative that the appropriate evidence is gathered as quickly as possible. Please review the instructions in the next section before you call a slip and fall accident lawyer to seek legal advice.
BEFORE CALLING A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
- Take photos (as many as you can)
- Gather names and contact information from anyone who witnessed the slip and fall accident
- Don’t give statements to the negligent property owner until you’ve spoken to your lawyer.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FALL ACCIDENT SCENE
In many slip, trip, and fall cases, the most important pieces of evidence are early photographs of the injury and the conditions that caused it. These pictures are best taken while still on the premises.
This becomes extremely important because many businesses will claim that they didn’t see any substance on the floor and didn’t see you fall.
If you have a photograph of what caused your accident, it will be very difficult for them to prove in court that they weren’t responsible. It takes an experienced lawyer to investigate the video that businesses often try to hide or prevent the injured person’s attorney from obtaining.
Some businesses such as Walmart have had numerous appellate court opinions discussing the fact that they have repeatedly tried to hide video evidence of someone falling at their stores. In these cases, the testimony of witnesses is incredibly important.
WITNESS STATEMENTS
Witnesses, especially those you did not work with, are generally considered neutral parties in that their testimony will carry great weight. However, most people generally go to different premises with friends or family.
It will also carry great weight, so ensuring you have as much information as possible is important.
DON’T MAKE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENT
Another important warning: do not give any statements to the business or premises owner about what happened. Anything you say will be used against you, and these people will not necessarily tell the truth or will choose to interpret it in a way that helps them.
Thus, after obtaining photographs (and, if possible) names and phone numbers of witnesses is extremely viable to call a personal injury attorney and have them complete the investigation.
SPEAK TO A SLIP AND FALL LAWYER
If you or someone you know has been injured in a slip and fall accident in the Tampa Bay area or anywhere in the state of Florida, call Christopher Ligori & Associates now at 813-223-2929 (message and data rates apply) or our toll-free number 877-444-2929 for a free consultation with a seasoned lawyer.
Remember: You pay no fees or cost unless we win.
Under Florida law, property owners must show reasonable care to ensure that those entering the property are not at risk of becoming injured. A reasonable property owner has a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions on the premises. They must warn any visitors if there are dangerous conditions that can cause injury.
Failing to ensure safe conditions that result in accidents may represent an unbearable cost for you. Even small injuries can mean thousands of dollars in medical bills and lost wages due to recovery time.
When falls happen, our fall attorneys often find that the property owner was not following the rules that were put in place to protect visitors. If they ignored these rules, our Tampa fall lawyers might be able to prove negligence in your case.
BEFORE YOU CALL ABOUT YOUR SLIP AND FALL, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING
Remember: photos of the cause of a slip or trip and fall accident are extremely important and should be taken immediately with a camera or your phone at the location of the injury. Many causes of falls are repaired or cleaned up immediately; therefore, photos can provide crucial evidence of negligence.
SEEKING A TAMPA SLIP AND FALL ATTORNEY?
If you are someone who has been injured and needs access to Tampa slip or trip and fall lawyers, call Christopher Ligori & Associates at 877-444-2929 for a free consultation.