A slip-and-fall accident can result in serious and even life-altering injuries. Taking legal action against responsible parties allows you to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other mounting expenses.
Slip-and-fall injuries can happen anywhere to anyone; however, vulnerable individuals like the elderly are more prone to severe injury after a fall.
Some common places pose a greater risk than others. Common places for slip-and-fall injuries can include:
Knowing what to do after a slip-and-fall injury is critical not only to help you recover the compensation you deserve for mounting medical bills but also to hold responsible parties accountable.
If you fear you may have broken bones, or sustained a head injury, alert someone to call 911. Even if you are able to move, you will still need to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Slip-and-fall injuries can be visible or they may take some time to present themselves. Having a medical professional examine you is the best way to determine the extent of injuries.
Report your accident immediately to the property owner or the manager of the facility where you’ve fallen. This may mean finding a property owner or manager at the scene or getting their contact information to alert them of your fall.
Talking to witnesses who saw your accident happen and taking down their statements can help you build a strong case.
Document and collect evidence to support your claim. This can include surveillance footage that shows your accident. You can also take pictures of the hazard that caused your slip-and-fall as well as pictures of the injuries you’ve sustained.
Take detailed notes and document everything related to your fall. This includes documenting medical treatment, communication with the property owner or manager of the facility, and other information related to your accident.
Documentation can also include photos and videos of the hazard and past documentation about the facility’s safety policies and records.
The days following a slip-and-fall injury are critical in helping you put together a strong case against the responsible parties. Seeking legal guidance allows you to get a thorough understanding of your rights and legal options.
A slip-and-fall injury attorney will have expert knowledge of Florida laws regarding slip-and-fall injuries. An attorney can help you navigate the process of speaking with property owners, moving forward with an injury claim, and negotiating settlements that insurance companies and property owners might put forward.
A slip-and-fall injury attorney can also help you build a robust case by doing the following:
Responsible parties involved in a slip-and-fall injury case may try to offer a lowball settlement for the injuries you’ve sustained. These settlements may seem comprehensive, but they are often not enough to cover your financial losses and other expenses that result from your injury. Working with an experienced injury attorney allows you to have a resource of sound legal advice you can tap into.
The process of gathering evidence can be overwhelming. Experienced slip-and-fall attorneys have a greater reach as far as working with law enforcement agencies, investigators, and others who can help gather critical evidence. Working with our slip-and-fall attorneys also means you’ll have a robust legal team that can gather critical evidence from the public domain, talk to witnesses, and perform investigative tasks that will uncover evidence to support your case.
Property owners, especially owners that are made up of larger companies, have access to their own legal teams. When you work with an experienced slip-and-fall injury attorney, you’ll have your own legal team that will fight to collect pertinent evidence to establish that negligence on their part actually occurred. Establishing negligence is critical to any successful personal injury lawsuit.
Once negligence has been established, the next component of a personal injury lawsuit is proving and calculating damages. Damages entail calculable and incalculable losses you’ve sustained because of your injury. This can include loss of income, medical bills, treatment costs, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional trauma, and other losses. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you calculate damages appropriately so you can recover the compensation you’re entitled to.
Once a personal injury claim has been established, and a defendant has agreed to enter into settlement negotiations, a slip-and-fall injury attorney will represent your best interests. Our attorneys have professional negotiation skills, and our team is committed to representing and defending you to the fullest extent of the law.
If your case is not resolved through a settlement and goes to trial, our attorneys will provide you with comprehensive legal representation. Our team has experience working with the local court systems and can help you navigate the process, provide effective representation, and advocate for your rights.
In accordance with House Bill 837, injured victims have two years from the date of their accident to bring forward their claim. It’s important to file your claim as soon as you can after your slip-and-fall accident. Doing so allows you to collect evidence while it is still fresh and available. Such evidence may no longer exist or be accessible months after your accident.
Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, are committed to providing you with quality legal representation in the event you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall accident. You don’t have to suffer medical expenses and other financial losses because of another party’s negligence. Let us help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Falls and Fractures in Older Adults: Causes and Prevention. (2022).
Office of the General Counsel Public Records/ Records Custodian. (2023).