Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in Vero Beach, FL Standing Up For Accidents of Negligence
A property owner has a legal responsibility to keep their premises free of any potentially hazardous conditions that could harm visitors or patrons that come onto their premises. If a property owner fails to live up to their legal obligation to maintain a safe area environment and you were injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit.
After experiencing a slip and fall accident, you may be injured to the point that you cannot work and provide for yourself or your family. In addition, you most likely are worried about the mounting stack of medical bills that are beginning to pile up and your inability to work due to your injury.
The legal team of Grall Law Group has a great deal of experience in handling fall accident cases. Our personal injury lawyers are passionately committed to holding the property owner accountable for their negligent actions. We understand that injury victims want justice for their injuries from someone else’s careless actions.
Our slip and fall lawyers can assist you with filing an insurance claim to recover compensation for your lost wages and medical expenses, as well as pain and suffering. Contact our law firm and ask to schedule a free consultation with one of our slip-and-fall lawyers today.
What Are the Main Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 800,000 individuals in the United States are injured and subsequently hospitalized due to slip and fall injuries. Although many of these injuries may be sustained at home, a majority of them occur on someone else’s property due to unsafe conditions.
Although many factors may contribute to slip and fall accidents, some of the most commonly cited reasons include the following:
- Poor lighting
- Uneven or broken pavement or flooring
- Loose rugs or frayed carpeting
- Broken or missing railings
- Broken or missing steps
- Wet or slippery floors
- Clutter or other obstructions
If your slip and fall accident occurred due to a lack of proper care and attention, you could recover compensation for your injuries and lost income. Injury victims have a right to hold property owners accountable for their negligence or careless actions contributing to their slip and fall case.
What are Common Slip and Fall Injuries?
Those individuals who have been injured in slip and fall accidents may be susceptible to a variety of injuries. However, many slip and fall injury victims cite the same type of common injuries that include:
- Broken bones
- Hip fractures
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Knee and ankle injuries
- Elbow, shoulder, and wrist injuries
Some slip and fall accidents may result in permanent injuries, sometimes even catastrophic injuries. These may include spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. In many instances, catastrophic injuries result in injured clients requiring lifelong care and specialized medical treatment that can quickly become a financial hardship for families.
If you have sustained injuries resulting from a slip and fall accident, you need professional legal counsel who will stand up for your rights and fight to recover the financial compensation you deserve.
Should I Settle With the Insurance Company on My Own?
While no law states you must retain a lawyer after you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, it is highly advisable that you consult with an experienced representative before agreeing to accept any type of settlement.
Often insurance companies will offer injury victims what appears to be a generous amount of compensation at that time for their injuries. Many slip-and-fall accident victims are eager to take the money that the insurance company has offered as they have been out of work and are worried about how they will pay their bills. However, many individuals fail to consider the medical bills they may continue to experience and underestimate precisely how much time they may be out of work.
At Grall Law Group, our slip and fall lawyers have the skill and experience to evaluate your case and determine a settlement amount that will not only pay your past and future medical bills and related expenses but also lost wages and account for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of being injured.
If the insurance company is not willing to provide adequate financial compensation for your injuries, it may be necessary to take further legal action to ensure that your future and well-being are protected. We pledge to hold the responsible party liable for the negligent actions that caused your injuries.
When is a Property Owner Liable For My Slip and Fall Accident?
Unfortunately, in slip and fall accident cases, it is not always easy to prove liability on the property owner’s part. As a general rule of law, property owners owe other individuals what is known as a reasonable duty of care to prevent injuries from occurring on their premises.
Under Florida law, the type of duty that property owners have to individuals depends on the other individual’s reasons for entering the premises. The law designated three distinct types of visitors that include:
- An invitee: A person who has been specifically invited onto the property for a business reason or an individual who is there for the property owner’s benefit, as in the case of shopping patrons, business guests, or individuals who are utilizing public parks.
- Licensees: A licensee falls into one of two categories; those being invited or uninvited. The property owner has specifically asked an invited licensee onto the premises. Conversely, an uninvited licensee is a person who has not been asked onto the property by the owner but has a legitimate reason for being present such as in the case of a city or county employee.
- Trespasser: A trespasser has not been invited onto the premises by the property owner and has no legitimate right to the there.
Florida law dictates that property owners owe invitees and invited licensees the highest duty of care. The law also states that a property owner or building manager must inspect the premises to prevent any foreseeable safety hazards from occurring. The same law states that owners owe a lesser degree of care to an uninvited licensee and that there may not be any willful injury directed toward them. Finally, in most normal circumstances, property owners do not owe any duty of care to those individuals who are trespassing on their property other than refraining from committing any acts that may cause them serious injury.
The laws surrounding slip and fall injuries can be overly complex and difficult to navigate independently. For example, the law also provides further protections for business owners when the object that a person slips on is a transitory foreign substance, such as a liquid spilled by another customer. If you have been injured in a slip and fall case, you need to hire an experienced slip and fall lawyer who can answer your questions and explain your legal options.
How Can a Slip and Fall Lawyer Help Me?
If you have been injured on someone else’s property due to a slip and fall, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side. Our law firm can act as your personal legal advocate with the insurance company by helping you to accurately complete all of the necessary paperwork to file a claim. Often insurance companies will automatically deny claims if the paperwork is filled out incorrectly or not submitted in a timely manner.
In addition to assisting with the legal paperwork involved in an insurance claim, we can also collect evidence to strengthen your case should we need to go to court to obtain compensation. However, many personal injury claims involving slip and fall accidents are settled out of court by skilled negotiating by your attorney.
Many individuals do not feel they need the services of a slip and fall lawyer after being injured. Nevertheless, insurance companies often use deceitful tactics to avoid large payouts. However, on average, most injured clients recover a more significant settlement when they initiate legal action with the assistance of a personal injury lawyer than if they did not have legal representation.
At Grall Law Group, our slip and fall lawyers are dedicated to obtaining a settlement that is in your best interest for today and the future. Contact our law firm by calling 772-569-0000 and ask to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.