Personal Injury Lawyers

Slip and fall accidents are the most common claims in premises liability lawsuits. Premises liability law involves the legal responsibility of owners and occupiers of property for mishaps experienced by persons on the property and their resulting injuries. One of the most common causes of such injuries is a trip and fall or slip and fall, such as on an icy sidewalk, a loose or uneven stair tread, or a piece of debris or spilt liquid on the floor. If you have been injured as the result of a fall, you may need an Orlando slip and fall lawyer.

About Slip And Fall Accidents

Some of the common types of slip and fall and trip and fall accidents include:

  • Sidewalk and parking lot accidents
  • Accidents in cluttered stores
  • Elevator and escalator accidents

In a situation where a person is injured in a slip and fall, the property owner may be liable if:

  • He or she caused the unsafe condition, such as spilling liquid and not mopping it up.
  • He or she knew about the dangerous condition but did not take steps to correct it.
  • He or she should have known about the hazard because a reasonable person taking care of the property would have discovered and corrected the dangerous condition.

More than a million people each year visit emergency rooms in the United States because of falls. Some fall victims have minor injuries like cuts or bruises, while others break hips, suffer concussions or even damage their spinal cord. Falls can even be fatal.

If you are hurt in a fall on someone else’s property in Orlando, the law may give you the right to make a claim against the person or company that owns or controls the property.

Whether you fell on public property, in a private home or in a business such as a store or a restaurant, there are some important actions to take after a fall accident:

  1. Get medical help right away. You should see a doctor or go to a hospital immediately after a fall. Not only do you need to get your injuries checked out and treated, but you also need medical records showing the extent of the damage and injuries caused by the fall. Some major injuries (for example, a traumatic brain injury) show few immediate symptoms. Timely medical care and diagnosis could save your life. Evidence of the extent of your injuries will also be valuable when you pursue a fall injury claim.
  2. Report the accident immediately. You need to alert the person or company in charge of the property as soon as the accident happens. This means telling the homeowner whose house you were in, calling the landlord or alerting the manager at a business. If the injury happened at a business or in an apartment, the storeowner or landlord should make a formal accident report, and you should ask for a copy. If you need to leave the accident scene for medical treatment, be sure to call back later to get an accident report.
  3. Be careful what you say after the accident. Whether you are dealing with a homeowner, a landlord or a business manager, you should avoid getting emotional, casting blame, admitting guilt or arguing about how and why you fell. You don’t want to say anything that could be used to undermine your potential claim for compensation. You also don’t want the situation to escalate into an argument. Simply report the facts of your injury in a straightforward way.
  4. Get witness contact information. You should obtain the names, addresses and telephone numbers of anyone who witnessed the accident. These witnesses can back up your story if the property owner tells a different version of events in an effort to escape liability for your fall injuries.
  5. Take pictures. Be sure to take detailed photographs of the location where you fell, as well as any conditions that contributed to causing the fall (a broken tile or puddle of spilt liquid, for example). Try to ensure the pictures are time-stamped so it is clear exactly what the conditions were at the time of your accident. For example, if a homeowner clears the snow from a driveway and salts it an hour after your accident, it could become more difficult to prove that it was slippery and unsafe at the time of the fall.
  6. Keep and preserve the clothes and shoes you were wearing. These can be useful evidence to show that the fall was caused by the negligence of the property owner.
  7. Call a lawyer. You should contact a New York slip and fall attorney as soon as you can after you have suffered a fall injury or other accident caused by negligence. An Orlando premises liability attorney can help you to get started gathering evidence before it disappears, and can also make sure you don’t answer questions unnecessarily or say anything that you should not. It is especially important to consult with an attorney before you sign anything or negotiate with the insurance company that covers the property owner. Insurers focus on their own profits rather than on providing you full and fair compensation for your injuries.

Settling a Fall Case
Without Going to Court

Many cases are settled out of court. A settlement may be possible in a slip and fall case if the defendant or defendant’s insurer makes a reasonable offer that you believe is fair compensation for your losses. You must ensure the compensation is sufficient, as you cannot change your mind after settling.

You do not need to delay filing a civil suit because of settlement negotiations, as negotiations can continue up to the time when the jury delivers its verdict. It is common for a defendant and plaintiff in a slip and fall case to continue negotiations even as a civil lawsuit moves forward in court.

Do I Have A Case To Take To A Slip And Fall Lawyer?

If you have been injured in a fall on someone else’s property, the law may entitle you to compensation if your accident was caused by negligent maintenance or failure to correct or warn about a hazard. It is essential to understand whether your accident gives rise to a fall injury case, as you must take action to obtain compensation for your losses.

Determining whether you have a valid fall case requires an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident, as well as an understanding of negligence laws in Orlando.

Our attorneys can answer questions such as:

  • Do you have a claim for a slip and fall?
  • Who do you have a claim against?
  • What can you expect when you make a slip and fall injury claim?

Elements Of A Successful Fall Claim

To make a successful claim for a fall accident, the claimant has the burden of proving:

  • The defendant was negligent or failed to live up to a basic obligation to ensure safe conditions on his or her property.
  • The defendant’s negligence was the direct cause of the fall.
  • The fall caused your injuries, and you suffered losses because of them.

It is important to review the circumstances of the fall. If the property owner’s negligence was a cause of your fall injuries and you can prove it, then you may have a claim.

The property owner’s negligence is determined by an assessment of whether the owner fell short of the duties owed to guests. Property owners who invite guests to commercial spaces (such as stores and restaurants) have an obligation to inspect their properties regularly and either correct dangerous conditions or warn patrons of them.

Property owners who invite casual guests such as friends and neighbours into their homes also have an obligation to warn of dangers or correct them. However, they do not need to inspect their premises.

To make a claim, you will need some proof that the defendant failed to live up to these obligations. The evidence could include such things as maintenance records, photos showing dangerous conditions or witness testimony about hazards.

A personal injury attorney can also tap into a network of expert witnesses who can explain to a jury how the fall was the result of the defendant’s negligence.

Examples of Potential Defendants in Fall Cases

You may make a claim against a property owner whose negligence caused your fall. Other situations include:

  • If an individual or business was renting a property and assumed control and responsibility for that property, you may have a claim against the renter if that party’s negligence caused the fall.
  • If the injury occurred in an apartment, your claim may be against the landlord if the injury happened in common spaces. Your claim may be against the tenant if your injury occurred because of unsafe conditions the renter created within the apartment.

Injuries on public property, such as on dangerous sidewalks, can also give rise to a claim against the government entity responsible for maintenance. However, suing the government is more challenging because of limited governmental immunity protections.

An attorney who focuses on premise liability cases can assist in determining who you might have a claim against.

What to Expect When Making a Slip and Fall Claim

When you contact a slip and fall attorney to make your claim, you must prove liability by a preponderance of the evidence. If you present sufficient evidence the defendant is liable, you may be awarded compensation in a jury trial.

Many slip and fall cases are resolved out of court, which means a negotiated settlement is reached between the defendant (or insurance company) and the victim. The settlement should provide full and fair compensation. You should not accept a settlement or sign paperwork until an attorney has reviewed the documents to ensure you are being adequately compensated for all your losses.