Orlando Lawyers Representing Slip-and-Fall Injury Victims

What happens if you slip and fall on a wet or slippery floor at a shopping mall, a supermarket, or at a restaurant in central Florida, and you’re injured? You will need the advice and services of an Orlando premises liability lawyer at the Orlando Personal Injury Law Offices.

Under Florida law, a property owner is required to maintain a property in a manner that reduces or eliminates risks to the property’s visitors. When a property is not maintained with safety in mind, a Florida property owner can be held accountable for injuries sustained on the premises.

Property owners, however, are not liable for injuries that they could not prevent. If you are injured on someone else’s private or business property, the owner may be held liable only if he or she knew or should have known about the hazardous condition that caused your injury.

Take These Steps After a Slip-and-Fall Injury

Because every slip-and-fall case is unique, if you are injured in a slip-and-fall incident in central Florida, you should seek personalized advice and discuss your own legal options and rights at once with a central Florida premises liability attorney.

Seek medical attention at once if you are injured in a slip-and-fall accident. You will need the medical records if you file a premises liability claim to seek compensation for your medical expenses and lost wages.

How Do You Succeed With a Premises Liability Claim?

Succeeding with a premises liability claim requires the injured victim, called the “plaintiff,” and the plaintiff’s attorney to prove these elements of the claim:

1. The property owner (the “defendant”) owed the injured party a duty of care.
2. The duty of care was breached by the defendant’s negligence.
3. The breach of the duty of care was a direct cause of the personal injury or injuries.

A property owner breaches the duty of care when he or she fails to take reasonable measures to protect visitors from slipping or tripping, falling, and becoming injured on the property. These are some examples of how a property owner may breach the duty of care:

1. by failing to mop up immediately when a liquid is spilled on a supermarket’s floor
2. by failing to fence and lock a pool area to prevent toddlers from entering
3. by failing to tell visitors about an aggressive dog
4. by failing to keep public areas reasonably free from hazards and debris

When Do You Have No Claim?

However, if you are injured, for example, by falling into a swimming pool or walking into a barbecue pit because you were staring at your smartphone, it is your negligence, not the property owner’s, and you will not be able to file an injury claim.

A plaintiff and his or her premises liability attorney, of course, must prove that the plaintiff was really injured. If you slip and fall on a wet floor in a supermarket, the owner may have had a duty of care and may have breached it, but if you walk away, there are no damages and thus no case.

In most premises liability cases, if the property owner could have prevented a slip-and-fall injury and did not act to do so – even after learning about the hazardous condition and having sufficient time to fix it – the owner may be held liable and may be required to compensate the victim.

How Are Premises Liability Cases Resolved?

Most premises liability cases are resolved when the lawyers for both sides meet out-of-court and negotiate privately to reach a settlement. Premises liability trials are rare, but if private negotiations do not yield an acceptable settlement, your attorney will take your case to trial.

In a premises liability trial, your lawyer will explain to a jury how you were injured and why the property owner should be held liable. Your attorney will then ask the jurors to order the payment of compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and related damages.

If you are injured in a slip-and-fall incident on private property, seek medical attention at once. Then put your case in the hands of an Orlando premises liability lawyer at the Orlando Personal Injury Law Offices. Nothing is a higher priority than your health and your future.

What Will It Cost to Win Justice?

Your first consultation with a personal injury lawyer is provided with no cost or obligation. If you file a premises liability claim, you will pay no lawyer’s fee until and unless we recover compensation on your behalf.

You can reach the Orlando Personal Injury Law Offices at (407) 270-0052, or reach us by using the contact form here on our website. In the State of Florida, every injured victim of negligence has the right to compensation and the right to a good attorney’s help.