Boynton Beach Slip & Fall Lawyer

A slip-and-fall accident can happen anywhere. Victims can be left dealing with medical bills and lost income. Sometimes a slip-and-fall accident can cause severe, life-changing injuries. Florida law gives you the right to file for compensation if the accident was caused by another person’s negligence or carelessness.

To secure compensation, you must prove that the owner or manager of the property didn’t take the proper steps to deal with safety risks. This is complicated and difficult to do on your own. A Boynton Beach slip and fall lawyer will help you seek the compensation you deserve from the responsible party.

At Steinberg Law, we have highly experienced slip and fall lawyers. We are ready to take on the challenge of working on your claim. We use everything within our power to ensure we succeed in getting you the financial compensation you are rightfully owed.

Moreover, we understand that finding the right personal injury lawyer in Jupiter, Florida can be challenging. This is one of the reasons why we offer a free initial consultation. Call 561-630-0053 today to speak with one of our highly skilled attorneys.

What Are the Most Common Slip and Fall Accidents?

Statistics show that over one million people have to go to the emergency room due to slip-and-fall accidents. Severe falls may cause broken bones, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and even death.

The sad truth is that a majority of these accidents can be prevented easily. Below are some of the most common causes of slip-and-fall accidents.

Structural Defects and Poor Maintenance

These are among the top cause of slip-and-fall accidents. In fact, according to statistics, it accounts for over 30% of the cases. A good example of an uneven or defective structure is torn carpeting.

Improperly maintained staircases are one of the leading causes of falls in America.

Wet and Slick Surfaces

By far, this is the most common cause of slip-and-fall injuries. Data show that wet and slick surfaces account for more than 50% of slip-and-fall accidents. Accidents related to slick surfaces are a normal occurrence in buildings like hospitals, retail stores, and nursing homes.

Weather-Related Conditions

It is impossible to control the weather, but property owners should take steps to prevent accidents. This means removing snow, ice, and debris from storms, and putting up a warning sign if visitors may not see a potential hazard like slick steps.

Hazardous Debris

This is another cause of slip-and-fall accidents. Hazardous debris such as fallen tree branches, stones, and others can make a person fall.

Unlit Walkways and Hallways

Improperly lit walkways and hallways are a hazard that causes all kinds of potential dangers, such as slipping and falling.

Your Legal Status Matters in a Florida Slip and Fall Case

Under Florida premises liability law, a person or company that owns or controls property is responsible for a slip and fall accident when two conditions are met: there was a dangerous condition on the property that caused the slip and fall; and the owner or controlling party knew–or should have reasonably known–about the dangerous condition and did nothing about it. In many slip and fall cases, this can mean the owner of a store is liable for a slip and fall accident because they failed to post a “wet floor” sign on a recently cleaned floor.

In addition to establishing the existence of the hazard and the owner’s knowledge, however, Florida law also looks at the legal relationship between the property owner and the injured party. There are three categories of people who may be on someone else’s property at any given time:

• Invitees — Florida law imposes the highest legal duty of care on property owners as it relates to invitees. An invitee is basically someone invited onto the property for the owner’s purposes. In the case of a retail store open to the public, every customer shopping in that store during regular business hours is considered an invitee.
• Licensees — A licensee is someone on the property with the owner’s permission. But unlike an invitee, a licensee is generally there for their own purposes as opposed to that of the owner. For example, if you visit someone’s home on your own initiative, you are their licensee. In these situations, the owner has a duty to warn you of a dangerous condition that is not “obvious,” but they do not have otherwise guarantee your safety, except against deliberate or intentional acts of harm.
• Trespasser — A trespasser is someone on the owner’s property without invitation or permission. In most cases, a property owner has no duty to protect a trespasser from dangerous conditions on the property. If the owner discovers the trespasser’s presence within 24 hours of a slip and fall accident, the owner is liable only for failing to warn the trespasser of any dangerous conditions that were not “readily observable.” In the case of an undiscovered trespasser, however, the owner is only liable for acts of intentional harm.

How Can a Boynton Beach Slip and Fall Lawyer Help Me With My Case?

There are many ways a slip-and-fall lawyer can help you with your premises liability claim. Below are just a few.

Establish Liability

An attorney will help you establish fault. One of the many ways lawyers use to establish fault includes investigating, collecting proof, and finding expert witnesses.

Negotiate for a Fair Settlement

The first thing many insurance companies will do is try to settle the case as soon as possible, by offering a fraction of what you deserve. A lawyer will ensure you aren’t tricked into accepting an unfair settlement. Your attorney will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.

Represent You in a Trial

It is important to note that compensation claims are often settled out of court through negotiations. However, if negotiations fail, the lawyer will take your case to a civil court.

What Steps Can Be Taken to Help a Slip-and-fall Case?

One minute you are walking down the aisle of the store shopping for groceries. The next minute you were lying on the ground in agonizing pain. You never even saw whatever it was you slipped on to cause your sudden fall.

This exact scenario happens everyday on private and public property throughout Palm Beach County. And in many of these cases, negligence on the part of the property owner played a critical role in causing an otherwise avoidable accident. If that describes your situation, the Boynton Beach slip and fall attorneys at Steinberg Law can represent you in seeking compensation through a personal injury claim against the property owner.

The steps you take after a slip-and-fall accident can either make or break your compensation claim. As such, you should take the following steps.

Seek Medical Attention

Besides ensuring you get the treatment you need, a doctor’s examination will document the fact that you got hurt in the slip and fall accident. If you don’t seek treatment as soon as possible after the accident, the defense or the insurance company may argue you were not hurt.

Take All the Photos You Can at the Time

Be sure to take all the photos and videos you can immediately after the accident, making sure you capture the specific hazard that caused it. If you fail to capture evidence of the dangerous condition, you can be sure that the property manager or owner will fix it

Report the Incident

You should report the incident immediately to the manager or property owner. You don’t need to cast blame. Just make sure that you have made them aware of your injuries and the hazard that caused them. Once you file the report, make sure you get a copy.

Get the Names and Numbers of Witnesses

If anyone witnessed your accident, make sure you get their names and contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses. Witness statements can be critical in proving what happened.

Contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer

You should always call a lawyer as soon as possible after a slip and fall accident. Your attorney will ensure you don’t miss the deadline to file your claim and build a strong case to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

How Can a Slip-and-Fall Accident Be Proven?

Proving liability or fault in a slip and fall accident case can be challenging. You have to provide clear evidence that the property owner was negligent in their actions. You generally have to prove the following elements.

• A hazardous condition existed on the property.
• The property manager, owner, or caretaker knew or should have known about the hazardous condition if they were taking care of the property.
• Because there were no warning signs, you were unaware of the potential danger.
• You were injured because of the safety hazard.

How Is Liability Determined in a Boynton Beach, FL, Slip-and-Fall Case?

Before diving into liability laws in Florida, it is important to note that the state of Florida follows a pure comparative negligence law. With comparative negligence, the state allows victims to collect damages that are proportional to their percentage of fault.

For example, if a victim is found to be 40% at fault for the accident and the other party is found to be 60% at fault, then the victim will be awarded 60% of the amount of monetary compensation.

The following questions are important in determining liability.

• Did you have express or implied permission to be on the property at the time of the accident?
• Would a reasonable person in the same situation have noticed and avoided the dangerous condition?
• Did the property owner post warning signs about the dangerous condition?
• Were you distracted at the time, possibly contributing to the slip-and-fall injury?

What Is My Slip and Fall Case Worth?

Every slip and fall accident is different, meaning it can be difficult to tell just how much your case is worth without a full case review. A variety of factors will affect the actual amount of compensation.

Some of the things that will likely affect your case worth include:

• Were you partially at fault for the accident?
• How much wages or income did you lose?
• How serious were your injuries?
• What kind of pain and suffering did you experience?
• How much did your medical treatment cost?
• Were you left with any temporary or permanent disability?

Depending on the severity of your injuries, your financial losses, and other factors, you could claim compensation for damages such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Medical expenses
• Any other related expenses.

The only way to know the true worth of your case is by talking to an experienced attorney. Take advantage of our free consultation session to learn the value of your claim.

Is There Any Time Limit For Filling a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?

According to Florida’s statute of limitations, victims of slip and fall accidents have four years from the date of the incident to file a claim. However, the deadline can change depending on certain factors, for example, if a government entity is to blame for the accident.

The best way to ensure you do not lose your chance of pursuing compensation is by contacting an attorney as soon as possible. This will also make it easier for your attorney to obtain crucial evidence and witness testimony.

Hire a Trusted Slip and Fall Lawyer in Boynton Beach!

Under Florida law, property managers and owners must keep premises safe for visitors by dealing with wet floors and other hazards. If they don’t, victims of a slip and fall accident can file a claim to seek compensation for their injuries and expenses. When a property owner is liable for a slip and fall accident, the injured plaintiff can seek compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other economic and non-economic damages recognized by Florida law.

At Steinberg Law, our Boynton Beach slip & fall lawyers have extensive experience handling slip and fall cases, as well as other personal injury claims. We will thoroughly investigate your claim and collect evidence of negligence by the property owner or manager, and fight to get the full compensation you deserve.

Call us at 561-630-0053 for a free initial consultation with a slip and fall accident attorney in Boynton Beach, Florida.