Restaurant Liability

Going out to eat with family or friends is supposed to ease the stress of day-to-day life. When visiting a restaurant, you never expect to be entering a dangerous place that may lead to injury. However, when restaurants fail to maintain their property safely, patrons could sustain serious harm. The premises liability attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon represent individuals who have been injured on commercial property. We are dedicated to our clients in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties, sparing no energy in facilitating their pursuit for compensation after an accident caused by someone else’s careless actions.

Dining establishments must keep their property reasonably safe for patrons. This includes areas inside the restaurant as well as its vicinity, such as parking lots. Business owners are responsible for dangerous conditions that arise on their premises and making sure that they are either repaired or that visitors are properly warned. Restaurants can become unsafe places if the proper measures aren’t taken. The following are examples of potential hazards that may make a dining establishment dangerous:

• Spills left on the floor;
• Uneven pavement, sidewalks, or broken steps;
• Unlit, or poorly lit, parking lots and stairwells; or
• Stock or other items stored improperly.

If a business owner fails to maintain its property properly, an injured patron may be able to pursue damages in a premises liability lawsuit.

In Florida, businesses owe differing degrees of care to people entering their property. Invitees, like restaurant patrons, are visiting a property for a commercial purpose and thus are due the highest level of care. Owners serving customers at their restaurants are required to conduct regular inspections for any hazardous or defective conditions that may occur on the property.

Under Florida law, to hold a restaurant liable for an injury on its premises, a victim must show that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of a hazardous condition and failed to take proper action. To establish a restaurant owner’s “constructive knowledge,” which is often necessary, the injured person must show that the danger was present long enough that a restaurant owner should have known of its existence, or that it was foreseeable as a regular occurrence in the course of operating the business. For example, if a restaurant owner knows of a leak that is consistently producing puddles on the floor, but does nothing to fix it or warn customers, it may be liable for any injuries that result.

A restaurant owes its customers a duty of care both inside any building that it controls as well as in surrounding areas, including parking lots. If you’ve been hurt due to a restaurant’s lack of care, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries. Damages that you may want to pursue could include past and future medical expenses, lost income or earning capacity, and pain and suffering. It is vital to consult a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible following an accident, since these claims must be filed within four years of the date of injury.

If you’ve been injured in an accident at a Miami restaurant, the slip and falls at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can discuss your legal rights and options. The team can offer seasoned and zealous support for your premises liability claim. Please call 877.499.4878 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation.