Slip and Fall Accidents

Some of the most common injuries are caused by the carelessness of property owners. People who are harmed by dangerous conditions on someone else’s property have rights to assert. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we have helped numerous accident victims seek the compensation that they deserve. If you have been injured on another person’s property, you should consult our experienced Miami slip and fall attorneys, who can investigate the details of your case and craft a strategy tailored to your situation.

Many types of dangerous conditions can result in slip and fall injuries. Some examples include wet floors, uneven pavement, inadequately removed debris from construction, and loose or deteriorating handrails or guardrails. While these conditions are widespread, their impact should not be discounted. Victims of slip and fall accidents, which can lead to brain injuries or serious fractures, may be forced to leave their work or undergo significant medical treatment.

Recovering from slip and falls can leave you saddled with a heavy financial burden as you try to pay hospital bills or look for a new job. To lighten this burden, a victim can file a negligence claim against the person or entity on whose property they were injured. This requires a victim to prove that:

• The defendant had a duty to use reasonable care;
• The defendant breached this duty; and
• The victim suffered injuries and damages as a result of the defendant’s breach.

Florida property owners must keep their premises free from dangerous conditions for anyone legally on them. This means that they must fix or warn of any risks that they know or reasonably should know about. Failing to fix or warn of a risk generally breaches the duty to keep the property safe for patrons and guests. Slip and falls often happen in commercial properties such as stores, hotels, or restaurants. A customer might slip on spilled food, for example, or trip on a wet floor that had no warning signs. In these cases, the owner of the business may be held liable for the carelessness of an employee if the employee was acting within the scope of his or her employment.

Sometimes property owners will argue that they took no action because they were unaware of any dangerous condition. When this happens, a victim can try to prove that the owner should have known of the risk because it had existed for a significant period of time before the accident or because it was a situation that regularly occurred and thus was foreseeable.

The victim must show that he or she was injured because of the defendant’s carelessness, but damages still may be available if the victim was partly responsible for the accident. Florida uses a comparative negligence rule, which allows people injured in slip and falls to recover compensation proportionate to the fault of the defendant. Even if you were 70 percent responsible for your injuries, for example, you may be able to make a defendant pay 30 percent of the costs arising from them. Damages can include medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and lost earning capacity. A knowledgeable lawyer can help advise you on which types of compensation to pursue.

If you have been injured in an accident on someone else’s property, you should not hesitate to hold the responsible owner accountable for the harm that you have suffered. A lawsuit based on a slip and fall must be filed within four years of the accident, or you may lose the opportunity to have your case heard. You should consider enlisting the assistance of Miami slip and fall attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, who will fight for your rights with the dedication that you deserve. We serve clients in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as other areas of Florida. Even if you are not sure whether you have a claim, take a moment to contact us by calling 877.499.4878 or completing our online form to set up a free initial consultation.