Slip and fall accidents can leave victims with serious or life-threatening injuries. Accident victims may struggle to cope with devastating medical bills, missed time from work, and lingering pain. Many accident victims are entitled to compensation from those responsible for the conditions that led to their fall. Slip and fall accidents fall under an area of personal injury law known as premises liability. Premise liability means all property owners are responsible for making sure their property is safe. If they fail and someone slips and falls on the property, the victim may hold the owner of the property accountable.
Slip and fall claims are one of the most common types of personal injury cases, but they can be unbelievably complex. If you’ve been hurt in an accident, it’s important that you speak to a Florida slip and fall accident attorneys from Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC.
How Holliday Karatinos Will Handle Your Slip and Fall Case
If you have been injured on someone else's property, our firm can take care of all the details of your personal injury claim from start to finish, including:
- Review everything in a free consultation. We never charge for the initial consultation where we will fully review your case and advise on any action you can take.
- Launch an independent investigation into what happened: To be successful in your claim, you will need to prove the other party was negligent. To do this, you’ll need evidence, which we will collect for you during an independent investigation.
- Identify all possible sources of compensation: Many accident victims don’t understand the full amount of compensation they’re entitled to receive. We will identify all the types of compensation you deserve and fight for full and fair payment.
- Thoroughly document the damages you suffered. You don’t only need evidence to prove someone else was negligent, you also need to prove your damages, or your losses. We’ll collect medical evidence, pay stubs, and other evidence to prove this.
- Work with experts to support your claim: We have an extensive network of experts, including medical experts, vocational experts, and accident reconstruction experts. We will work with them to help substantiate your claim.
- Aggressively negotiate on your behalf: Insurance companies rarely want to pay accident victims what they deserve. We will negotiate with insurers aggressively to demand the fair settlement you deserve.
- Argue your case at trial, if necessary. When insurance companies refuse to provide a fair settlement, we will press forward, taking your case to trial.
These are just a few of the ways our slip and fall accident attorneys can help with your claim. You can trust that our team will take care of every detail, so you can focus on your recovery.
Can I Sue for a Slip and Fall?
Yes. You will need to make sure you meet certain criteria before filing a lawsuit. In Florida, there are three things you must prove to successfully sue for a slip and fall.
- First, you will need to prove that the property owner or business owed you a duty of care.
- You will then also have to prove that the property owner didn’t use reasonable care in maintaining the property. This will include determining how long the hazard existed and if the property owner knew, or should have known, about it. You will also need to show if the property owner had enough time to correct the hazardous condition.
- You must also prove that you were injured as a result of the property not being maintained. Lawsuits and personal injury claims are meant to compensate you for your losses. This means you will need to provide extensive documentation of your injuries and all related losses.
How Much Is My Claim Worth?
No one can determine how much your case is worth without looking at all the facts of your claim. However, there are some common types of damages that can help you evaluate how much your case may be worth. These damages include:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost income
- Loss of future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Household expenses, such as cleaning services if you are incapacitated
- Incidental expenses, such as transportation to and from doctor’s appointments
It’s also important to understand Florida’s comparative negligence law. This law states that if you were partly liable for the accident, the courts and the insurance company will take that into consideration. You will be assigned a percentage of fault, and any compensation you are awarded will be reduced by that same percentage.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Slip and Fall in Florida?
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Slip and Fall Case in Florida?
No one can say with any certainty how long your slip and fall case in Florida will take. It will depend on many factors. The first is how serious your injuries are. Before filing a claim, you must have an understanding of all current and future medical expenses. You typically won’t know that until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). The more severe your injuries, the longer it will take to reach this, and the longer your case will take. Another major factor that will determine how long your case will take is whether the insurance company offers a fair settlement. If it does, then your case will be over fairly quickly. If it doesn’t, you may have to file a lawsuit and go to court.
How to Protect Your Rights After a Slip and Fall Accident
After being injured in a slip and fall accident, you have legal rights. However, it’s important that you take the right steps to protect those rights. This means you must:
- Get medical attention. Your health should be your first priority after an accident. As such, it’s important you seek medical attention right away. Additionally, getting medical help right away will ensure your injuries are thoroughly documented from the start.
- Notify the property owner. No matter where you were hurt, you must tell the property owner. If you were hurt on a business’ property, you may also need to fill out an incident report. If so, make sure you get a copy of it for your records.
- Collect evidence. Evidence will help you prove fault in a slip and fall accident. This can include
- photos of the accident scene
- clothes you were wearing during the accident
- medical bills
- medical records and
- proof of lost wages.
- Continue to document. As you proceed through treatment, keep a journal of how you’re recovering and how your injuries are impacting your life.
- Contact an attorney. You should not represent yourself in a slip and fall claim. An attorney will ensure your rights are protected and help you demand the full amount of compensation you deserve.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Slip and Fall?
If you were hurt, you need a lawyer. There are many things a slip and fall attorney can do that you simply can’t do on your own. This includes reaching out to expert witnesses, subpoenaing evidence if necessary, and accurately determining the full amount of damages you are entitled to receive.
In Summary
Slip and fall claims are one of the most common types of personal injury cases, but they can also be very complicated. At Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, our personal injury lawyers know how to handle these complex claims and prove negligence on the part of a property owner. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help with your case.
