Sunrise, FL Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
A trip to a major commercial property in Sunrise, whether it’s a supermarket, a hotel, or a large shopping center, should be a safe experience. We trust that the owners and managers of these businesses have taken the necessary steps to protect their customers from harm. When that trust is broken by negligence, a sudden slip and fall can result in serious, debilitating injuries, from broken bones to traumatic brain injuries. These are not minor accidents; they can have a lasting impact on your health, your finances, and your quality of life.
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If you were injured on someone else’s property, you have the right to hold them accountable. The law firm of Ace Your Case provides assertive and knowledgeable legal representation to slip and fall victims. Our Sunrise FL slip and fall lawyer team is not intimidated by large corporations or their insurance companies. We are here to fight for the justice you deserve.
Injured at a Store or Property? Get a Free Sunrise Case Review
Holding Negligent Property Owners Accountable
Under Florida’s premises liability laws, businesses that invite the public onto their property for commercial benefit have a high duty of care to ensure the environment is reasonably safe. They are not just expected to clean up hazards they know about; they have an active duty to inspect their property for potential dangers that could harm customers.
This legal duty requires them to:
- Regularly check aisles, walkways, and parking lots for potential hazards.
- Promptly clean up spills or remove debris.
- Place clear and visible warning signs around any hazard that cannot be immediately fixed.
- Ensure adequate lighting in all areas, including stairwells and parking garages.
- Repair any known defects like broken tiles, torn carpeting, or uneven pavement.
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When a business fails in this duty, it is considered negligence. A skilled premises liability lawyer in Broward County can build a powerful case to prove this negligence and hold the company financially responsible for the harm they caused.
Your Rights After an Injury at a Place Like Sawgrass Mills
Massive commercial properties like the Sawgrass Mills mall present unique challenges. The sheer volume of foot traffic means there is a constant risk of spills, dropped merchandise, and other hazards. The corporations that own and manage these large venues have sophisticated legal teams and insurance carriers focused on one thing: minimizing their liability. They may try to argue that you were not paying attention or that they were not aware of the hazard.
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As an experienced Sawgrass Mills injury lawyer, we understand how to combat these tactics. We know the level of maintenance and inspection required to keep such a large property safe. We can investigate maintenance logs, surveillance footage, and staffing records to prove that the management knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that caused your fall. We level the playing field, ensuring your rights are protected against these powerful corporate defendants.
Evidence is Key: What to Do After Your Fall
The moments after a slip and fall are critical because evidence can disappear in minutes. The most important thing you can do to protect your rights is to document everything.
- Report the Incident: Immediately notify a store manager or security personnel. Insist that they create a formal, written incident report and ask for a copy.
- Take Photos and Videos: Use your smartphone to take pictures and videos of the exact hazard that caused you to fall before it can be cleaned up, repaired, or removed.
- Get Witness Information: If anyone saw your fall, ask for their full name and phone number. Independent witness testimony can be crucial.
- Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Go to an emergency room or urgent care right away. This creates an official medical record linking your injuries to the fall.
- Decline to Give a Recorded Statement: Do not provide a recorded statement to the property’s insurance company without first speaking with your slip and fall attorney in Sunrise.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in Florida?
In most cases, the statute of limitations for a premises liability lawsuit in Florida is two years from the date of the incident. It is vital to contact an attorney as soon as possible to preserve evidence and ensure this deadline is not missed.
What if the store claims they didn't know about the spill?
In Florida, for a slip on a “transitory foreign substance” (like a liquid), you must prove the business had actual or constructive knowledge. Constructive knowledge can be proven by showing the substance was on the floor for a length of time that a reasonably prudent operator would have discovered it.
Can I still have a case if I was partially at fault?
Yes. Florida follows a modified comparative negligence rule. As long as you are not found to be more than 50% at fault, you can still recover damages. Your final award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
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Plantation Personal Injury FAQs
When Is It the Right Time to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer?
The right time to call is as soon as possible after your accident. There are many reasons why you need to begin the legal process as quickly as you can. The legal process may even begin without you, with many calls from the insurance company trying to either rush you or to pressure you to give a statement. They may try to catch you unaware and trick you into compromising your legal rights. Hiring an attorney could prevent this from happening.
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Equally important, as time passes from the time of your accident, the evidence that could help your claim can become harder to find. People might quickly clear the scene of the accident, and you may lose the ability to contact witnesses. The witnesses that you have may begin to lose their recollection of what they saw. When you hire a personal injury lawyer, they will get to work immediately to gather the evidence before it is lost.
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Calling a lawyer to get started on your case is a crucial step in the legal process. Knowing that you have someone on the job with the experience and tenacity to fight for you can give you at least some peace of mind during an undoubtedly difficult time.
How Do Insurance Settlement Negotiations Work?
An insurance claim is just like any other negotiation. You have a number in mind for what you think that you should receive for your injuries, and the insurance company has a much lower number in mind for what it wants to pay. Your insurance claim begins when your Plantation personal injury attorney files a demand letter with the insurance company. This is when the adjuster goes to work to try to save money for their bosses.
The insurance adjuster may outright deny your claim or question liability. They may come back with a settlement offer. When the number seems low, and it will, know that this is just their opening offer. Your Plantation injury attorney will likely reject the offer and respond with your own demand.
Eventually, you will lower your number, and the insurance company will raise theirs, and you could meet somewhere in the middle. This is a time-honored dance that personal injury lawyers have been doing with insurance companies since the advent of courtrooms. Even when you seem very far apart from the insurance company, most cases eventually will settle.
What Happens After I File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Filing a personal injury lawsuit is an early part of the claim process. Most cases will never go far enough to see the inside of a courtroom. Statistically speaking, a vast majority of personal injury cases are settled out of court. However, if your case does make it to court, you should expect going into it that the trial process may take one to two years to complete. The legal system is far from rushed, as courts and judges have busy schedules and full dockets.
In the short term, you can expect motions and attempts to obtain evidence. Many people associate a lawsuit with a trial, but that only happens after many months of the nuts and bolts of the legal system. The phase of your case that will take the longest time is discovery. This is when the two sides obtain evidence that the other has in their possession. At this point, you may even need to sit for a deposition.
Filing a lawsuit will not cut off settlement negotiations. As was previously mentioned, most cases will settle without a trial. If anything, litigation may give each side more incentive to settle. The two parties usually continue negotiating right up until the point when the jury is seated.
What Evidence Can Prove My Injury Claim?
Negligence is the basis of every personal injury claim. When you file a lawsuit in court, you have the burden of proof. It will be up to you to show that what you say is more likely than not to have happened. You need to back your claim up with evidence.
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Your Plantation personal injury lawyer will work to gather things that can backup your side of the story, including:
— Witness statements from people who say your injury or accident
— Pictures of the scene of your accident
— Security camera footage
— Expert witness testimony that could reconstruct the accident
— Maintenance logs of the area or vehicle involved
— Medical records that can help prove damages
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These are things that can be difficult to get on your own and piece together to tell the story of what happened. Injury lawyers in Plantation, Florida, know how to both get the evidence and use it to prove that someone else was responsible for your accident.
What if I Cannot Work Due to My Injuries?
Your personal injury damages include both economic and non-economic compensation. Economic compensation aims to pay you back for the actual money that you lost. This includes bills that you paid and earnings you lost. This specifically pays you back for lost wages from your job when you are unable to work. Since you would have worked, this is money out of your pocket.
Lost wages in a personal injury settlement are much broader than you think. Of course, this includes the time that you have already missed from work. It also encompasses time that you will miss from work in the future. You do not need to outright miss work to receive compensation for this. For example, if you were qualified for a promotion but cannot get it now because your injury limits you in the type of work that you can do, you can get compensation for the reduction in your earning capacity.
Lost wages are often a very contested part of your personal injury claim because you can bet that the insurance company will see things differently to try to lower its bill. They may dispute what your possible earnings are or use a lower rate of inflation to calculate what they may be in the future.
Hear It From Our Clients
“Ace Your Case Excellent Attorneys”
Personal injury attorneys Craig Posner and Eric Feingold are both excellent attorneys, but more importantly, they are excellent people. I have seen first hand their hard work and dedication to clients. I would not hesitate to recommend their services to others.
“Great Guys Who Take Their Job Seriously”
Great guys who take their job seriously. They took care of me when I had my accident and made sure I was walked through 100% of the way.
“Pleasure And Blessing To Have Ace Your Case Represent My Family”
It has been a pleasure and blessing to have Ace Your Case represent my family. They always kept me updated on our case. The staff was excellent they always got back to me on questions I had. I highly recommend them and will continue to use them if needed.
“Not Only Very Efficient But Caring As Well”
These lawyers are not only very efficient, but caring as well. I would not hesitate to refer them to anyone.
“I Highly Recommend Them!”
Big thanks to Eric and Doug for doing a great job with the handling of my auto accident. I highly recommend them!
