Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common kinds of accidents, and they are often dangerous. A Plantation, Florida slip and fall accident lawyer can represent you when an injury happens to you.
When you enter a commercial property, you assume it is maintained in a manner that allows you to do so safely, but this isn’t always the case, and dangerous slip and fall accidents are often the result.
If a commercial property owner or manager’s negligence causes you to slip, fall, and be injured, seeking the professional legal guidance of an experienced Plantation slip and fall accident lawyer can play an important role in your ability to recover fully.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Nearly anything can cause someone to slip, fall, and be injured, but some of the most common causes behind slip and fall accident claims include:
- Inadequate lighting – inside or outside
- Poorly maintained outdoor walkways, including parking lots and structures
- Uneven entrances
- Steps up or down that aren’t clearly marked
- Poorly designed, constructed, or maintained stairways – falls from heights are even more dangerous
- Walkways that are crowded by displays, furniture, or anything else
- Dangerously worn floor coverings
- Flooring that is dangerously slippery, to begin with
- Moisture, slippery debris, or both that is allowed to collect in entryways and aisles
- Tripping hazards such as cords or wires that cross walkways
Businesses are responsible for paying attention to risk factors that could lead to slip and fall accidents and taking the necessary precautions to mitigate the danger, which sometimes involves erecting highly visible warning signs.
The Statistics of Slip and Fall Accidents
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares some important statistics related to slip and fall accidents, including:
- One in every five falls leads to a serious injury, such as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or broken bone.
- Each year, 800,000 people are hospitalized for falls, and they are most likely to have sustained head injuries and broken hips.
- Of all broken hip injuries, 95 percent are caused by falling.
- In a recent year, the total bill for medical expenses related to falls exceeded $50 billion.
Slip and fall accidents happen, and they are much more severe than many people realize. Reach out to a reputable Plantation slip and fall accident firm today.
A Note about Falls
Being injured in a slip and fall accident leaves victims twice as likely to fall again, and the psychological effects of slipping and falling often causes these victims to be especially cautious of falling again. Not only can this prove psychologically damaging, but it can also interfere with their ability to get out and engage in healthy exercise that could bolster their overall health and reduce their risk of falling.
Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim
If you are injured in a slip and fall accident on a commercial property, bringing a strong slip and fall accident claim is critical, and to do so, you’ll need to demonstrate four primary elements.
Duty of care owed
To begin, you’ll need to show that you were owed a duty of care – or that the business had a responsibility to your safety. The fact is that the businesses and public facilities we frequent owe all their guests, visitors, and customers a considerable duty of care whenever they are on the premises legally. As such, this element generally is not difficult to establish.
Duty of care breached
The business – or its owner or manager – must have been derelict in its responsibility to your safety in some capacity, and this is where negligence comes into the equation. Slipping hazards often precipitate slip and fall accidents, and if the business failed to adequately address a concern, it may have breached the duty of care you were owed.
The direct or proximate cause of your accident
The business’s failure to uphold its responsibility to your safety must have been the direct or proximate cause of your slip and fall accident. For example, if a grocery store allowed wet leaves and debris from outside to accumulate in its entryway over time, and you slipped and fell as a result, it likely fulfills this element.
You suffered covered losses
Finally, you must have suffered losses – or legal damages – that are addressed by the law, which can include all the following:
- Medical bills, current and ongoing
- Lost income, current and ongoing
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Working closely with a well-established Plantation slip and fall accident lawyer helps to ensure that your total damages are clearly represented and that your best interests are protected.
Responsibilities That Properties Owe You
When it comes to the level of responsibility that the business in question owes you, it boils down to the level of care that other reasonable property owners or managers tend to employ in similar situations.
If you’re injured by slipping and falling on a spill in a restaurant that most restaurant managers would have cleared in the given time frame, the restaurant manager in your claim was likely negligent in their responsibility to your safety.
Another element of this responsibility is that one of the following must apply in terms of the property owner or manager’s knowledge of the slip and fall risk:
- The property owner or manager must have known about the risk factor.
- The property owner or manager reasonably should have known about the risk factor – given the circumstances involved.
Speak with a Plantation, Florida, Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
Rocco Scarfone is a skilled slip and fall accident attorney in Plantation, Florida, who focuses his impressive experience and legal insight on skillfully protecting the rights of clients like you. Our trusted legal team at Scarfone Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of your rightful compensation.
Pick up the phone and call Scarfone at 561-609-1200. You can also reach out to us online today for more information.