Although most trip and fall accidents are not the product of malicious misconduct, you should contact a slip and fall lawyer if you have hurt yourself because of:
- Slippery floors – cleaning, melting ice, and slush
- Obstructed walkways and incomplete construction areas
- Uneven floor surfaces – loose carpeting, broken or loose floorboards, holes and cracks in the sidewalk
- Inadequate lighting
- Narrow and unsafe stairwells or broken steps
- Lack of signage demarcating dangerous areas
- Lack of safety features such as barriers and hand railings
- Snow-covered or icy sidewalks and driveways
Whether or not property owners intentionally created hazardous conditions, it is their responsibility to repair dangers to the safety of people who enter their premises. As such, the property’s management could be held liable for their negligence.
Tips From An Attorney For Slip and Fall Accidents
As common as these types of cases are, slip and fall accidents lawyers in the state of Florida have had to fight hard to defend the rights of their clients. Over the last decade or so, Florida case law has shifted the burden of proof to the injured person (the plaintiff) rather than the homeowner, property owner, or business owner, etc.
It is not simply enough to say that you tripped, slipped, or fell at another person’s business, home, or property. Now every element must be proven. It is therefore critical to have demonstrative evidence such as photos, videos, an incident report, witness statements, and so on documenting the specific causation of your injury. Do not discard your clothing or any other potential evidence, including footwear, involved in a trip/slip and fall incident. (Note that, because slip and fall injuries are sometimes not immediately apparent, you have up to four years to file your lawsuit.)
Other actions an experienced slip and fall attorney will tell you to avoid include:
- Do not engage with insurance companies or the owners of the property as anything you tell them will be used against you to jeopardize your chance of receiving fair compensation.
- Avoid any mention of your slip and fall on social media. In fact, as advised to all injury clients, it may be time to back off all social media because ‘anything can and will be used against you’ with regards to your injury claim/case.
- Hiring a slip and fall accident lawyer gives you the reassurance that your claim is being taken seriously and that you are taking the correct steps. Don’t leave the quality of your future to chance.
Here is an example of a case we settled for an injured client: Trip and Fall Case
Have you had a trip or slip and fall accident? Use our Slip and Fall Accident Form to help gather all the necessary information for you to both report the accident and possibly file a future claim.
A slip and fall lawyer will evaluate your case. Get in touch with Sokoloff and Weinstein, P.A. for further information.