Slip and Fall
Overview
Slip and fall injuries may happen more than you think. Slip and fall injuries may be different from typical physical injuries. Sometimes, you may feel injured even when your body doesn’t leave a physical mark. Sometimes, the cause of the slip/trip and fall is related to a business or property owner’s failure to warn or cleanup its premises. Slip and fall accident victims may place the blame on themselves, even though it may not be your fault. Soft tissue damage is one of the most common injuries related to slip and falls. Unfortunately, soft tissue injuries may linger for years. If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of a slip and fall accident, contact us now.
Document A Slip and Fall/Trip and Fall
- If you are able to do so: Take pictures of the scene of the accident (as long as you do not need emergency medical assistance)
- Seek medical assistance
- Call a premises liability lawyer
Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries can leave a long-lasting impact on your future health, including:
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Bulging disc
- Contusions
- Fractures
- Ligament Tear
- Soft tissue damage
- Slipped disc
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
Business Owners Owe You A Duty
After a slip and fall, you may blame yourself, however, the accident may not have been your fault. Sometimes, a business forgot to warn you of their slippery floor or failed to secure its railing or building steps to code. Happens all the time. An injury lawyer will go to the establishment and conduct a review of the surface where you were injured.
Trip and fall injuries may occur when a business owner tries to save money. Business owners may cut back on budgeting for new safety features, security, lightning, or construction codes. Business owners owe a duty to maintain their premises in a safe condition. Often, victims are injured in a similar manner at the same establishments. A property owner’s careless attention to their premises may have caused you injuries.
A Business Owner’s Failure To Warn
If the business owner failed to make a repair or warn patrons of a hazard, the owner has breached its duty to its patrons. As a result, the owner may be liable for all of your injuries resulting from the hazard. The patron can recover damages for past and future medical bills, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and loss of income. Slip and fall injuries can have a serious impact on your future health and physical well-being. If you or a loved one have been injured in a slip and fall accident, seek immediate medical help. To learn more, contact a Slip & Fall Attorney in Jacksonville Beach now.
The property owner should have cleaned up the spill. The staff should have directed customers to avoid the slick floor while it dried. The property owner should have fixed the shaky railing or broken step. This may sound familiar to your case. Don’t blame yourself. Too often, companies blame consumers for the company’s own mistakes. That piece of rebar you tripped over doesn’t make you clumsy, the property owner had a duty to repair it or warn of its hazard.
Notably, the property owner must safeguard and repair its premises within a reasonable time. The property owner should know of a liquid on its floor or faulty maintenance. The property owner may have policies in place to regularly inspect its premises, but may have failed to protect you.
Common Causes Of Slip and Fall Accidents
- Abrupt edges on sidewalks
- Acorn and leave collection
- Broken railings
- Cords crossing a floor
- Cracked sidewalk
- Failure to warn of a slippery floor
- Floor surface change
- Inadequate lighting
- Narrow walkways
- Rain collection
- Raised sidewalk
- Rebar protruding from cement
- Slick paint
- Slippery grocery store floors
- Uneven stairs
- Unsecured rugs or carpets
- Wet floors in parking garages
Slip And Fall Liability
Florida law has a set of construction and premises liability statutes that attempt to protect consumers from slip and fall injuries. Premises liability injuries can occur anywhere. Some common examples include: shopping malls, restaurants, sporting events, apartment complexes, and many other publicly and privately owned establishments. Public and private businesses owe patrons the highest duty of care, as recognized by Florida law. Therefore, when a business invites residents to shop or eat at its location, the business agrees to inspect its premises, maintain its premises, and warn of dangers on its premises. If a business owner conducts a search of its premises and finds a hazard, the owner has two options: (1) The owner can fix the hazard; or (2) has to warn its patrons of the hazard. If the business owner fails to do either, you may have a slip and fall claim.
Slip And Fall Accident Factors
Exclusion
- Was there a legitimate reason for the area to be hazardous. For example, was the floor being washed?
Failure to Warn
- Was there anywhere else the object could have been stored to make the premises safer?
- Did the business owner warn of the danger?
- Could a warning sign or barrier have been created to prevent injury?
Policies and Procedures
- Did the owner have proof of this procedure?
- Does the business owner have a standard procedure in place for examining the premises?
Repair
- Could the business owner make it safer?
- Did an object cause the slip, trip, and/or fall?
Time
- Did the hazardous area exist long enough for the business owner to be aware of it?
News & Resources
Premises Liability | Learn More About Premises Liability | Forbes | https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2015/04/13/what-every-business-owner-needs-to-know-about-premises-liability/#7ca44af07944