(407) 712-7300What is a slip and fall accident?
When you are walking through a public area or business, you expect the terrain to be level and provide good footing. Unexpected changes to the surface that cause you to lose your footing and fall would constitute a slip and fall accident.
Injuries from slip and fall accidents can include:
- Broken bones
- Sprained ankle
- Slipped disk
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
Even if you dont think you have been seriously injured in a fall, you should be examined by a medical doctor to ensure that everything checks out. By going to the doctor right away you firmly establish the timeframe for the injury should you decide to file a suit.
What is premises liability?
Property owners or tenets are required under premises liability to ensure that the property or place of business that they maintain is reasonably safe. Public sidewalks must be free from obstructions and breaks in the sidewalk must be clearly marked until fixed. If you were to slip and fall because of negligence on the part of the property owner or tenant, you could be eligible to recover damages.
Construction sites are particularly dangerous and contractors are required to post warnings, block access to the public, and provide adequate safety measures for their employees to prevent construction accidents.
What sort of damages can I recover?
Depending on the extent of you injuries, you can recover for direct medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the negligence is particularly egregious, you may be able to collect punitive damages, too.
Who can file a claim?
Any guest who suffers an injury on someone else’s property is eligible to file a claim. If you are on somebody’s property, you fall under one of the following types of guest:
- Invitee
- Licensee
- Trespasser
An invitee is not necessarily someone you know and have invited over for dinner, but is defined as the type of person a business invites onto the property to conduct business. Visitors at a mall are a good example of an invitee.
A licensee is a visitor invited onto your property in a more social arrangement, like a guest from out of town. Pedestrians walking along the sidewalk in front of your house also fall under the licensee status.
A trespasser is of course the unwanted visitor. Even though they may be on your property illegally, you could still be held liable in a slip and fall accident claim if you fail to ensure the reasonable safety of any type of visitor.
What should I do if I slip and fall?
The first thing to do is see a physician to establish what sort of injuries you might have sustained. If possible, take pictures of the accident site and write down the contact information of any witnesses. It sometimes takes years for a personal injury case to get to court, and you will not remember all the details unless you write things down.
For answers to questions specific to injuries you sustained in a slip and fall accident, contact Colling Gilbert Wright online or by phone at (407) 712-7300 for a FREE consultation. Our attorneys proudly serve clients throughout Florida, including the Orlando area and surrounding communities.
