Slip-and-Fall Lawyer in Lakewood Ranch, FL
If you were injured in a slip-and-fall accident due to another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Lakewood Ranch slip-and-fall attorney at James Horne Law by call 941-210-6000 today.
A slip-and-fall lawyer can help victims pursue compensation for injuries caused by unsafe property conditions. Slip-and-fall injuries are common. Sadly, they account for over 1 million emergency room visits a year. Slip-and-fall victims can also suffer severe and sometimes life-threatening injuries. And the medical bills for those injuries can add up.
Luckily, there is a path to compensation. Slip-and-fall injuries fall under a personal injury legal theory called premises liability. Under premises liability law, property owners are responsible for maintaining a safe property. When property owners neglect this duty and someone is injured, they can be legally liable for that person’s injuries.
You need an experienced advocate willing to take on aggressive insurance companies. AV-preeminent-rated litigation attorney James Horne understands your pain and is passionate about holding wrongdoers responsible.
At James Horne Law, we have worked with numerous slip-and-fall victims struggling to cope with overwhelming medical bills, missed work, and persistent discomfort. Our clients are more than a case file number or a faceless name on a laptop folder. We care about you and will fight relentlessly to secure the settlement you need.
What Is a Slip-and-Fall Accident?
The term “slip and fall” is used in a personal injury case when someone slips or trips and is injured on someone else’s property. For example, a person who slips on a wet floor in a restaurant or a person who stumbles on a loose rug in an office building may have a slip-and-fall claim.
Slip-and-fall accidents can happen anywhere, but they most commonly occur in walkways like grocery store aisles, public stairs, sidewalks, crowded venues, private homes, and public parks. Many things can cause a slip-and-fall accident, but most are caused by:
- Oily or greasy floors,
- Spills on the floor,
- Slick or icy walkways,
- Rutted and uneven sidewalks,
- Out of place and loose rugs or mats,
- Disorderly spaces,
- Blocked views,
- Inadequate lighting,
- Cords or cables lying on the floor,
- Insufficient or absent handrails, and
- Uneven or loose steps.
Understanding what caused your slip-and-fall injury can be essential to building a strong premises liability case. It will help your attorney pinpoint the type of claim to file and who the liable parties are. At James Horne Law, experienced slip-and-fall lawyer James Horne knows how to gather the evidence needed to establish the cause of your slip and fall. He will fight to ensure the right person is held accountable, which will help you secure the compensation you need.
Determining Slip-and-Fall Liability
All Florida property owners owe every person allowed on their property a duty to keep that property in good repair. To prove that a property owner breached their duty and is liable for a person’s injury, a claimant must show:
- The property owner knew or should have known about a hazard on the property;
- The hazard posed an unreasonable risk of harm;
- The property owner did not employ reasonable care to reduce or eliminate the risk; and
- The property owner’s failure caused the plaintiff’s injuries.
However, while property owners owe the public a duty of care, the specific duty depends on the injured party’s classification when they were injured. The different types of classifications are:
- Trespassers. People who enter a property without legal authorization or the owner’s implied or express permission are trespassers. With some exceptions, the only duty a property owner owes a trespasser is a duty to refrain from causing injury either willfully, wantonly, or through gross negligence.
- Invitees. These are members of the public who the property owner invited onto the property, either by express or implied invitation, so they can transact business. Property owners must warn invitees of any dangers or fix any dangerous conditions they know about or should have discovered with a reasonable inspection.
- Licensees. Licensees are people who are on the property with the owner’s knowledge but who are not there to transact business. In this case, the owner has a duty to fix any dangerous conditions on the property they know of or warn the licensee of the conditions.
Essentially, what a landowner knew about a hazard and when they discovered it often determines the outcome of a premises liability case. For this reason, finding an experienced attorney skilled in interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence, and building a solid claim can make or break a slip-and-fall case.
How Much Is My Claim Worth?
The value of slip-and-fall accident claims varies. Often, it depends on factors such as your medical bills, type of injury, and the evidence supporting your claim. How much your other damages are worth—such as the loss of current and future wages, pain and suffering, and long-term disability or impairment—can also affect your settlement amount.
The specific facts and circumstances of your slip-and-fall accident will govern how much compensation you can receive.
All settlements will include compensation for economic damages, which are tangible monetary losses. They may also include noneconomic damages, which are less concrete and harder to prove. Economic damages may include medical expenses, long-term care, rehabilitation therapy, and current and future lost wages. Collect financial documents such as doctor bills, invoices, and pay stubs to help your attorney calculate and prove your economic damages. Noneconomic damages can include emotional pain and suffering, physical pain and suffering, and loss of self-esteem if the injury results in scarring or permanent disability. Because the specific facts of your accident dictate your economic damages, and because noneconomic damages are harder to prove, working with an experienced slip-and-fall lawyer in Lakewood Ranch can increase your chance of receiving considerable compensation.
Contact a Slip-and-Fall Lawyer
If you’re looking for a slip-and-fall attorney near Lakewood Ranch, call lawyer James Horne. At James Horne Law, our fierce advocates will fight tirelessly to help you get the most out of your settlement. From your first consultation to trial, our experienced team will put our knowledge and skill to work for you. If you have a slip-and-fall claim, contact James Horne Law today by phone or online to schedule your free consultation.