St. Petersburg Slip & Fall Lawyer
Slip and falls are one of the most common causes of serious injury in Florida and the U.S., and unfortunately, many victims are never fully compensated because they try to get away from the scene as soon as possible out of embarrassment, or the at-fault property or business owner covers up the cause of the fall (such as quickly mopping up a slippery area) before the victim or other witnesses are able to take pictures or gather evidence of the property owner’s wrongdoing. While the cause of the fall may be obvious to you, it can be difficult to prove, and even more difficult to be fairly compensated by the negligent party. Our St. Petersburg slip & fall lawyers at the Law Office of Steven G. Lavely are here to help you hold that negligent party responsible.
Where Slip and Falls Happen
A slip and fall can happen anywhere, though in order to file a personal injury lawsuit, victims can generally only hold another party responsible if it took place outside their own home. Common examples of where dangerous slip and falls occur include the following:
- Movie theaters;
- Parking lots;
- Coffee shops;
- Bars and nightclubs;
- Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, independent living;
- Store fronts;
- Malls;
- Restaurants;
- Fast food restaurants;
- Grocery stores;
- Department stores;
- Clothing stores;
- Public sidewalks;
- Public buildings such as libraries, courthouses, museums, and schools;
- At another homeowners’ house, townhome, or condominium; and
- Apartment complexes.
The Most Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Falls are the leading cause of emergency department visits, accounting for 35.7 percent of all trips to the ER (twice that of the next reason for visiting the ER), according to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Moreover, falls are the number one leading cause of fatal unintentional injuries among older adults, according to research published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Fractured wrist, hand, forearm, or collarbone;
- Fractured ankle;
- Sprained or strained ankle;
- Contusions;
- Bruising;
- Whiplash;
- Herniated disc;
- Fractured vertebrae;
- Torn ACL tendon or meniscus;
- Fractured hip;
- Traumatic brain injury; and
- Spinal cord injury.
The Difficult Matter of Proving Liability
In order to prove liability, you must establish the cause of the fall. Once that is accomplished, you must also prove that the business owner/property owner had real or constructive knowledge of the slip and fall hazard, and that proper actions to mitigate the danger (such as repairing a broken hand rail on a staircase) were not taken. This is all much easier said than done, which is why it is impossible to be fairly compensated without the assistance of a skilled slip and fall lawyer.
Call Our St. Petersburg Slip & Fall Attorneys Today For Help
Here at the St. Petersburg Law Office of Steven G. Lavely, our experienced legal team can help you recover your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages, including pain and suffering. To get started as soon as possible, call us at (727) 550-8800 to schedule a consultation at no cost.
