Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Lawyers 

In life, we like to think we’re safe wherever we go because we expect stores to be respectable and clean, while movie theaters, hair salons, and restaurants have thought about all dangers that could exist. However, this sadly isn't as true as you might expect and we see examples every single year at The Injury Firm in Fort Lauderdale. Of all the accidents we experience, a significant percentage are slip and fall-related; many of which could have been prevented.

As a professional slip and fall lawyer service, we have years of experience within this niche, and we would love to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. If you live within Broward County, we can start building your case while you recover from your injury. As long as you’ve been injured and there’s a responsible party for your accident, we can help, and it all starts with a free consultation.

Slip and Fall Accident Basics

Just as the name suggests, a slip and fall accident is where somebody falls to the ground after encountering a dangerous environment on the property of another person or a company. Nowadays, they come under the ‘personal injury’ side of the law, which already suggests there is some form of neglect from the other party. The injured party is directly affected by their interaction with the property.

If we look for common examples, one of the biggest would be spillage within a supermarket. With liquid spilled on the floor, you might come along and not spot the liquid because you’re looking at the products on the shelves. Suddenly, you lose your footing on the floor and hurt yourself in some way. Elsewhere, there could be material, products, or any other substance on the floor presenting a danger. For example, uneven or cracked sidewalks, icy or snowy car parking lots, or a piece of cutlery on the floor of a restaurant.

In addition to direct causes of slip and fall accidents, you could also find indirect causes, and this includes poorly lit areas around a building, broken handrails, and flickering lights. If you’ve had an accident, please feel free to contact a reliable personal injury lawyer at The Injury Firm.

Should You Contact a Professional Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Lawyer?

After having a slip and fall incident in the Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach area, you might be wondering whether you should be contacting a lawyer or not. If you have any injury at all after experiencing an incident on property belonging to somebody else, we urge you to get in touch with The Injury Firm because our free consultation will allow you to discuss what happened.

If you’ve been seriously injured due to the negligence of a person or company, you need a trustworthy personal injury lawyer because your life is likely to have changed. If you’ve been forced to take time off work and pay medical bills and various other expenses for something that wasn't your fault, this can lead to financial disarray but we can help.

If you’re stuck at home or in a hospital ward, we will visit you to discuss the event before then launching an investigation with high-trained investigators. As we gather evidence on your behalf, we start to build a comprehensive and unbreakable case which, ultimately, should guide the way to compensation.

At The Injury Firm, we have the resources to achieve the best result, which means that, in addition to compiling the case, we’re happy to take a settlement or go through litigation depending on which will help you the most. Over the years, our passionate and determined approach has allowed us to help thousands, and we would love to add your name to the list.

Proving Slip and Fall Accidents

For the most part, slip and fall injuries and accidents can actually be some of the toughest to prove because it all comes down to liability. In order to receive compensation, you (we) need to prove that there’s a negligent party involved. If there were dangerous conditions on the property, we need to show that the owner either knew about it or had a responsibility to be aware.

Through the eyes of the law, a dangerous condition is anything that puts visitors at risk; anything that the visitor shouldn't need to think about. If you choose our skilled fall accident lawyers at The Injury Firm, we know exactly how to review all evidence and compile a strong case.

Ultimately, slip and fall cases can happen anywhere in Fort Lauderdale, but they generally fall within three categories:

Residential Property - Firstly, we have a residential property, and the landlord or owner may be forced into compensating any visitors or tenants after an accident. With residential properties, there are certain requirements and the most important is the role of the owner or landlord. Should they have been aware of the incident/were they aware? After this, is there a responsibility to repair the issue? Was the accident bound to happen without a repair? Did the incident occur because the owner or landlord failed to resolve the problem?

Commercial Property - Next up, responsibility for commercial slip and fall accidents can fall into the hands of the property owner, employee, or employer. This time, they need to have created the dangerous condition and then failed to take appropriate action to avoid injury. If they weren't, should they have been aware and then have the problem fixed?

Government Property - These days, taking on the government in a slip and fall case can be hard, but you’re still owed compensation if you had an accident on government property. As you work with an experienced personal injury lawyer, they’ll need to consider statutory laws, what branch of the government is responsible, and the various complicated rules that now exist.

Most Common Slip and Fall Incidents

When it comes to slip and fall incidents, they can happen at any time and anywhere in the world. With the world full of dangers and places to lose footing, it isn't restricted to one location or reason. However, we’ve listed some of the most common causes of slip and fall incidents below:

• Wet flooring
• Dropped product
• Highly waxed floors
• Electric extension cords
• Smooth, wet tiles surrounding pools
• Cracked or uneven sidewalks
• Obstacles in walkways
• Broken stairs
• Elevators and escalators
• Homes and businesses
• Bad weather, such as snow, rain, or sleet
• Inside or outside
• Concrete, linoleum, carpet, or tile
• Sidewalks and walkways
• Poor lighting concealing a danger
• Missing handrails
• Debris on store floors
• Broken bumpers for parking
• Potholes in street
• Buckling or lost carpets
• Oil spilled in parking areas or driveways
• Steep ramps

While some incidents are more serious than others, they can all lead to a number of health issues. For example, over the years, we’ve seen nearly everything including strained ligaments, paralysis, strained tendons and muscles, soft tissue injuries, broken bones, pinched nerves and bulging discs, head/brain injuries, and even death.

Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Cases

In Fort Lauderdale and right across Florida, there are thousands of slip and fall cases every single year. As mentioned, the hardest part of the process is usually working out who is responsible. At times, we find that the victims have partial responsibility, while at other times will see the other party having full responsibility. With properties such as homes and businesses, the owners are responsible for keeping the land free from dangers that have the potential to harm. Since we’ve seen thousands of different slip-and-fall cases through the years, we feel as though we’re in a prime position to assess blame for any case that comes our way. Often, the first step we review is whether the owner kept the property as safe as possible.

Once we know this information, we can then weigh their actions against our behavior of ourselves. Did you cause the accident inadvertently? If we’re to take your case to court, we need solid foundations, and this comes from you being the innocent party and the business having a responsibility to be aware of and act upon the dangerous condition.

If we stick with the example we used previously of liquid on the floor of a store; you may have slipped and injured yourself. If this was the case, there would be some key questions to determining blame, starting with the reason for the floor being wet in the first place. Then, did the liquid cause the incident directly? Had the floor been in this state for long? Was the shop aware of the spillage? Were employees being proactive in their approach to clear the spillage (i.e., were they getting wet floor signage or warning customers)?

As you work with The Injury Firm, our main aim will be to win what we call ‘damages’. Essentially, this is the title for compensation, and it’s calculated after assessing how the accident has affected your life. Therefore, the amount of money you receive will depend on your injuries, ability/inability to work, medical bills, and more. Below, we’ve listed the most common damages you can receive with the right slip and fall attorney in Fort Lauderdale.

Lost Wages - If the slip and fall injury has left you unable to work, this is a direct impact of the accident so you should receive some level of compensation. If you’re forced to change jobs/careers, this could allow for more compensation.

Medical Bills - Once again, you wouldn't have had these bills without the accident, so you should retrieve an amount depending on what you’ve already paid and what you’re likely to need in the future, whether it’s for medication, hospital visits/stays, injections, physical therapy, examinations/screenings, or any other medical expense.

Damages (Punitive) - If the behavior of the defendant was especially poor or considered outrageous, you may also be awarded punitive damages, and this is to punish the defendant while sending a message that this isn't acceptable to others.

Pain and Suffering - Finally, you could also receive compensation for the mental and physical suffering experienced as a direct result of the accident.

Settlements for Slip and Fall Accidents

For the majority of slip and fall cases, they actually never make it to trial because the owner of the property wants to settle the case before it gets this far. If you team up with an experienced slip and fall attorneys like ourselves, this is especially true. If you want to help your own case after an accident, there are certain steps you can take;

• Spend some time writing down the details of the accident, including the main cause, whether it was a slippery floor, weather conditions, poor lighting, or an object that shouldn't have been obstructing a walkway; at this stage, also note the location of the incident.

• If possible, get some photos of the scene (or get a loved one to take photographs using a mobile device). If you get a picture of the cause of the incident, you prevent the owner from covering it up and destroying the evidence.

• Next, inform the property owners, whether it’s a homeowner or an employee, that the accident has occurred. If you’ve been injured, the manager should ask you to fill out an accident report, so make sure you get a copy and tell the truth so they can’t absolve themselves of the blame.

• Make sure you keep all clothing in the same condition it was after the accident to prevent the owner from blaming your shoes or baggy trousers. If you plan on wearing the shoes, you might damage them, and then it’s tough to prove their condition at the time of the incident.

• If you need medical attention, make sure you get this as a priority before then filing away all the medical documents you receive in the time ahead.

• If there are any witnesses who saw the accident, take down their contact information or, better yet, ask them to write down a brief statement of events.

• Finally, get some pictures of your injuries at different stages, including just after the accident, after medical treatment, one week after the accident, etc.

Slip and Fall Stats in Fort Lauderdale

Sadly, millions of people are still affected by serious injuries and slip and fall incidents every year. According to the Florida Health Department, this came to a total cost of over $3.6 billion in 2012, and we’ve seen similar numbers ever since. If we stick with the figures for 2012, we can also see that:

• Hospital treatment was required in around 62,500 cases of these accidents
• The main victims of these incidents were aged over 85 years
• Nearly 2,500 died from a slip and fall accident
• The split between male and female deaths was nearly 50/50
• Only 35% of non-fatal hospital trips were for men
• These accidents commonly result in broken bones, lacerations, and brain injuries
• The best way to recover compensation was through a slip and fall lawyer

Why Choose a Professional Service?

With all of this information in mind, it leaves just one question to be answered; why should you choose a professional? At The Injury Firm, this is a question we frequently receive as personal injury lawyers because some people consider going it alone. While this is certainly a possibility, there are some key reasons why this would be a bad idea.

Nasty Tactics and Techniques - If you’re dealing with a company especially, they’re going to do all they can to turn the case in their favor, and this is something you won’t have experience. Every year, we deal with the nasty techniques insurance companies use to absolve the company of any blame.

As perhaps the main example, you’re likely to be contacted by the insurance company or somebody representing the insurance company, and they’ll ask for a statement. For most people, they think this is normal but what they’re actually trying to do is get you to make a mistake. As you speak on the phone, they’ll be asking leading questions to get you to admit the injury isn't so bad. Suddenly, even the slightest slip-up will be used against you in the case, and your compensation will be limited or non-existent.

Difficult Language and Processes - After this, we should also mention the difficult process involved in getting compensation after a slip and fall incident. Not only will they be using language and asking questions you don’t understand, but you also don’t know what is and isn't normal and this can be damaging. The minute the defending party senses weakness on your side, they’ll change their game plan from ‘damage limitation’ to ‘we aren't paying anything’.

Time and Effort - If you’re going to represent yourself in a case, you’ll need to dedicate time and effort to building the case from scratch and learning everything you need to know about the process. While you’re reading textbooks and guides online, the defendant will be building a stronger case, and you’ll be at a disadvantage from the beginning. Let’s face it; this isn't a skill you’re likely to need again, so why waste time when there are professionals like The Injury Firm waiting to help?

Despite not becoming a doctor for an ailment or learning the dental trade to assess tooth pain, people seem to be willing to become a slip and fall lawyer when there’s so much at stake. At The Injury Firm, we’ve spent every single day involved in personal injury claim as well as slip and fall claim for many years. Today, we have an advanced team that has all the qualifications required alongside experience to overcome any hurdles that come their way.

Although we don’t doubt your ability to learn a topic and then protect yourself in court, it makes sense to let professionals do it. Considering you’ve experienced an injury and probably want to be at home resting, the last thing you need is the pressure of having to compile a case for litigation. With the right rest, you can get back on your feet and back to work sooner.

Resources - As a trustworthy personal injury lawyer in Broward County, we have all the resources required to bring a strong case to court. To start this process, we have fantastic investigators who know what to look for in a case. Over time, they’ll obtain evidence of the accident, and witness statements, and they’ll visit the scene to see if they can spot anything that will help your case.

Since we know the tricks of the trade, we’ll know how to build a case that stands the best chance of bringing success.

No Pressure - If you were to represent yourself, you might have certain time restraints because you’ll want to get back to work or because you need to pay the bills. With The Injury Firm, we can suggest solutions and make sure you get the money you deserve so your finances aren't an issue moving forward. Rather than settling for something less, our resources will stretch to your needs without a problem.

Negotiation Skills - Leading on from the previous point, we’re experts in negotiation, which can be helpful for achieving the right compensation. If they’re willing to settle outside of court, we can negotiate a fantastic deal. If they aren’t willing to budge, we then have the resources to see the case through, and this is where many slip and fall lawyers fall down. With smaller law firms, they won’t have the manpower or the tools for litigation, but we can do everything.

Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has had an accident and you need a personal injury lawsuit, we urge you to get in touch today. The sooner you reach out to one of our legal experts, the sooner we can start to compile the evidence and build a case that leads to success.

If you aren't sure of what step to take next or have some questions you wish to ask, we would love to hear from you. Whether your question is about the damages, your injury, our process, your experience, your likelihood of winning the case, or anything else, make the call today. Remember, you’ll get a free consultation where you can ask whatever’s on your mind, so why not take advantage of this today? 954-951-0000