While it is true that a slip and fall accident can happen anywhere, it is vital to recognize that these accidents often occur as a result of negligence. When a property owner or occupier is responsible for the hazard that caused your fall, they could face liability for your injuries.
A committed personal injury attorney at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys could help you pursue justice after a serious fall. This could be against the owner of the property or even the person who leases or manages it. Recovering fair compensation might be possible with the help of a Trinity slip and fall lawyer.
How Slip and Fall Accidents Happen
Slip and fall accidents are sudden, and the injuries are often severe. Slips, trips, and falls can happen on flat ground, steep inclines, or anywhere in between. These incidents are common inside homes and businesses and can also occur on the outdoor property of another person.
Certain hazards are more likely than others to result in a slip, trip, and fall accident. Some of these dangerous conditions are unavoidable, while others could be easily addressed. Common examples include:
- Potholes
- Snow and ice
- Spilled liquids
- Bunched carpet
- Uneven flooring
- Loose extension cords
- Leaking cleaning solution
Any of these unsafe conditions could result in a successful personal injury case. A proactive Trinity slip and fall attorney could evaluate a specific incident to determine if property owner negligence played a role.
Frequent Injuries Following a Slip and Fall
While any fall could result in a serious injury, the most devastating accidents are those that involve damage to the head or neck. A dedicated slip and fall accident lawyer in Trinity could pursue monetary damages for any of the following injuries:
- Broken bones
- Cuts and bruises
- Sprains and strains
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
What Makes a Landowner Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident?
Lawsuits over slipping or tripping accidents in Trinity and throughout the state of Florida almost always fall under “premises liability” law, which, for the most part, works the same as standard personal injury law. The main difference to know is that landowners may have different “duties of care”—in other words, different expectations for what they must do to keep other people reasonably safe from harm—depending on the reason a particular visitor is on their land.
While there are exceptions under specific circumstances, landowners are generally not liable for slip and fall injuries affecting unlawful trespassers on their property. On the other hand, landowners are expected to warn all lawful visitors about all known hazards on their property and to fix hazards reasonably soon after becoming aware of them.
Additionally, commercial property owners are expected to inspect their property regularly so they discover new hazards reasonably quickly after they first pop up. This is why, in some situations, a landowner may be legally liable for a slip and fall accident even if they did not know that the hazard that caused that accident even existed in the first place. A Trinity slipping injury attorney can go into more detail about how a person’s categorization as a visitor may impact their right to file suit over a fall.
Is It Possible to Sue the County over a Slip and Fall?
If a slip or trip and fall accident happens on public property in Trinity, the party who holds civil liability for that accident may be a local government body. However, some unique rules and restrictions exist for personal injury claims against the municipal, county, city, or state government in Florida, many of which are codified in Florida Statutes § 768.28. Working with skilled legal counsel can be especially important to navigating the case process and proactively pursuing fair financial recovery in such a scenario.
Compensation in a Slip, Trip, and Fall Accident Case
A successful personal injury lawsuit following a slip, trip, or fall could result in different types of financial recovery. These are grouped into two distinct categories:
Economic Damages
Economic damages exist for one reason: to return an injured person to their financial position before the accident. This generally means covering the out-of-pocket financial expenses that result from slip and fall injuries. Some of the most common examples of economic losses include medical costs and lost wages.
Non-Economic Damages
When an injured party seeks non-economic damages, it is not to make them financially whole after a fall. Instead, these damages are intended to cover a person’s subjective losses in the aftermath of an accident. It can be more challenging to prove these losses compared to economic damages, as they are subjective in nature. However, the right attorney could show the judge or jury how the fall negatively impacted a person’s life.
The most common form of non-economic damages covers an injured party’s pain and suffering. Other examples include emotional distress or disfigurement.
The Importance of Getting Help from Experienced Legal Counsel
While the information above provides an accurate summary of how premises liability law works and what damages could potentially be factored into a civil claim pursued under it, it is far from a comprehensive guide to how these types of claims work in practice. On top of confusing legal procedures and statutory requirements that the average person should not expect to easily understand, anyone trying to file suit over any kind of slip or trip and fall accident will face tenacious opposition from any insurance provider, private business, or government body they attempt to demand recovery from.
Even a single omission of an important document or a mistake in interpreting the law as written could substantially delay legal proceedings, reduce the total compensation an injured person is able to obtain for their damages, and potentially even lead to the case being thrown out of court altogether. Put simply, working closely with a seasoned lawyer is not just a recommendation but practically a necessity for most slip and fall cases filed in Trinity.
Enlist the Help of a Trinity Slip and Fall Attorney
Now is the right time to seek legal counsel following a slip, trip, and fall incident. You could be entitled to monetary damages when your injuries result from a dangerous hazard outside your control.
Let a Trinity slip and fall lawyer at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys guide you through the litigation process. We are 3 Brothers Helping Others seek fair compensation following an accident caused by another person’s careless or reckless actions. Call now for a free consultation.
(727) 669-2828