Slip & Fall Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, FL Get Compensation for Injured Clients in Broward County and Throughout Florida
A slip and fall is an unexpected and often painful accident that can lead to hospital bills, medical bills and ongoing rehabilitation costs. If the accident occurred on another individual’s property, it’s very possible that the owner’s negligent failure to properly maintain the property or to warn of hazardous conditions caused or contributed to the slip & fall. As you may know, property owners have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors, guests, and customers. As such, the owner may be obligated to compensate you for injuries sustained in a slip-and-fall accident if a breach of that duty caused the incident. At Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A., our Fort Lauderdale slip and fall accident lawyers take pride in providing legal services to the many diverse communities found in South Florida—including the Hispanic community.
We recognize how intimidating it can be to interact with a property owner’s insurance company following a slip and fall, especially if English is not your first language. We are committed to protecting the interests of members of the local Hispanic community, and we are ready to put our combined 35 years of experience to work for you and your family. Call on our slip & fall attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, FL at our office today.
Establishing Liability in a Slip & Fall Accident
You may be wondering about a property owner’s duty of care, which can vary depending upon the reason why you were on the property. In Florida, there are three main categories into which people, um, fall.
- Business invitees
- Licensees
- Trespassers (and child trespassers)
A business invitee is a person who is on the premises to do business at an establishment (to dine at a restaurant, for example), or was specifically invited to the establishment. If you fall into this category, the business owner must maintain safe conditions, monitor and warn of any dangers, and correct any dangerous conditions (like water on the floor of a supermarket, for instance).
Licensees are individuals who are permitted to be on the property in question but are not conducting business. A good example is: attending a party. In this instance, the property owner is expected to warn you of known dangers but does not need to monitor for dangers.
As you probably know, trespassers are those individuals who enter property without permission. Since they are not permitted to be on the property, no duty is owed to them if they are injured in a slip and fall. The law does draw a distinction, though, between trespassers and child trespassers, so a property owner who knows his property may attract children has a duty to block off areas that could attract a child.
What Should You Do if You Slip & Fall in Fort Lauderdale, FL?
Florida law tells us that a potential plaintiff has four years from the time of a slip and fall accident in which to file a personal injury lawsuit (Or two years if there was a fatality and a wrongful death claim is pursued).
But it’s in your best interests to contact an experienced Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following your accident. One reason is that the environment in which the accident took place can change—or be changed—rapidly. If at all possible, you want to take photographs of the area in which your slip & fall occurred, including any dangerous conditions that existed or caused your accident. Then, if you retain a Fort Lauderdale slip and fall accident lawyers he or she can go to work obtaining evidence that supports your case. This might include
- Video surveillance of the area where the slip and fall accident occurred
- The testimony of any and all witnesses
- Accident reports
He or she can also find out whether any other prior accidents were caused by unsafe conditions, and whether any other accidents have occurred on the property. He or she can also help you to document and quantify the injuries that you sustained.
But because the property owner is likely to take steps to repair the conditions that caused the accident, it is vital to contact our slip & fall attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, FL as soon as possible after the accident occurred. Typically, the Fort Lauderdale slip and fall accident lawyers will evaluate the premises and circumstances surrounding the fall to establish liability, including establishing whether the owner breached the applicable duty of care. Some of the factors that might come into play are:
- The length of time the hazard was present
- Whether the owner acted to try to fix the hazard or warn of the hazard
- Whether the owner could have prevented the slip & fall accident
Reach Out to Our Experienced Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers to Discuss Your Prospects for Financial Compensation
If you have sustained an injury in a slip and fall accident—one that occurred on someone else’s property—contact the experienced slip & fall attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, FL of Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A., via phone call or this online contact form, to discuss your case today. We offer a free initial consultation at our office in downtown Lake Worth, or we can travel to the hospital or to your home to meet at your convenience. And if English isn’t your first language—or the first language of one or more interested family members—that’s not a problem. Most of our Fort Lauderdale slip and fall accident lawyers and staffers are bilingual, and Spanish is frequently spoken around our office.
About Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s southeast coast, is well known for its beaches and boating canals. Promenade A1A is another name for The Strip, which is located close to the water. Fort Lauderdale is known as the “Venice of America” because to its extensive network of canals. There are lavish hotels, stores, eateries with outdoor dining, and bars along the entire length of it. Together with the International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum, which features pools and a museum devoted to the history of the sport, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park also has trails and a lagoon. The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival has been held annually since 1986.
Fort Lauderdale is home to Port Everglades, the third busiest cruise port in the country. As the deepest harbor in Florida, it is essential for the state’s oil imports. Baleària Bahamas Express frequently runs international passenger ferries between Fort Lauderdale and Freeport on Great Bahama Island in the Bahamas.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Lauderdale Slip & Fall Accidents
Generally speaking, an employee is not entitled to sure his or her employer in such an instance because the employer has what is referred to as worker’s compensation immunity. The employee is likely limited to workman’s comp benefits, which may cover medical bills and lost wages. But every case is different and you should consult with our slip & fall attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, FL if you have questions.
Yes, a survivor who loses a loved one may recover the value of lost support and service from the time of the accident to the time of death, as well as the loss of future support and services. You can bring a wrongful death lawsuit within two years of the date of the individual’s death (not the accident date).