West Palm Beach Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one sustained injuries or was killed in a slip and fall, you know just how serious a fall accident can be. Unfortunately, slips and trips are very common and more than 1 million people throughout the United States visit an emergency room each year with injuries caused by slip and falls.A slip and fall injury can be expensive to treat and very painful, while a death caused by a slip and fall can cause financial hardship and grief for family members left behind. If a property owner or renter was responsible for conditions that led to the slip and fall, it is important to be aware that Florida law allows injured victims to obtain compensation from this responsible party.

A West Palm Beach slip and fall accident lawyer at Steinger, Greene & Feiner can help injured victims take legal action and recover the money they deserve. Our West Palm Beach law office is located at 1645 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, 8th Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, and you can call us any time of the day or night at (561) 566-5021 to schedule your free consultation!

Conditions Causing a Slip and Fall

Many different hazards can result in a slip and fall injury occurring. For example, some of the top reasons for slips and trips include:

• Changes in flooring surfaces
• Uneven floor tiles or cracked tiles/sidewalks
• Throw rugs or carpets that are unsecured or that slide
• Broken railings
• Stair treads that are too narrow or that are not even
• A drop-down or a change in the elevation of the floor
• Dimly lit spaces
• Wet and/or slippery flooring surfaces

Many of these conditions are considered hazardous conditions. Property owners are expected to either warn of hazardous conditions on their premises or to fix or repair those conditions. While individual homeowner’s have these obligations only for dangerous conditions they know about (or reasonably should know about), owners of commercial or public spaces must inspect their properties regularly to ensure there are no dangers. If a property owner fails to fulfill his legal obligations to visitors and a guest on the property falls, then the owner is to blame and can be held legally responsible for losses.

Common Injuries After a Slip and Fall in West Palm Beach

There are several injuries you may sustain after a slip and fall accident. Older adults and younger children are more prone to serious injuries after a slip and fall, but anyone can get injured. No matter your age, if you are injured in a slip and fall accident because of someone else’s actions or negligence, you have legal options. Our West Palm Beach slip and fall lawyers are here to help you get the compensation you deserve. Our West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys have been fighting for and protecting the interests of individuals and their families through personal injury claims for more than a decade.

Some of the most common injuries in these types of incidents include:

• Broken bones, especially hip, wrist, and ankle fractures in older adults
• Spinal injuries that can result in paralysis or death
• Brain and head injuries that can range from mild to severe
• Internal injuries like internal bleeding or organ damage
• Bruises and lacerations, which can lead to worsening conditions
• Knee damage, depending on the direction of the fall
• Sprains and strains in the tendons and ligaments of the leg

Proving Liability in a Slip and Fall Case

In order to prove liability in a slip and fall case, it must first be determined what kind of visitor you were on the property. There are three general types of visitors, and each one is granted different levels of protection in slip and fall cases. 

The first type of visitor is a trespasser. These are people who are not legally allowed to be on the property or are in an area they shouldn’t be. Property owners are simply required to not intentionally harm trespassers. So, if you venture into an “Employees Only” area while you’re shopping, and you trip and fall over a broom, you likely wouldn’t be able to receive compensation.

The second type of visitor is a licensee. This is a person who is allowed to be on the property but doesn’t provide any kind of financial benefit to the owner by being there. Licensees may include a plumber, a solicitor or even a house party guest. Property owners must take care of any hazards that may be dangerous to licensees within a reasonable time frame.

Finally, invitees are the most protected group. These are people who are on a property for the financial benefit of the property owner, such as a retail shopper or an airport patron. Property owners must take every reasonable step, including conducting inspections, to ensure their property is free of any hazards to invitees.

Once the classification of the visitor is determined, your lawyer will help determine if there was actually a hazardous situation that should’ve been taken care of already. For instance, if you are at an amusement park and there are stairs that have been in disrepair for quite a while, and you trip down them, you may be able to seek compensation.

However, if you’re shopping and a child spills their juice, and you slip in the puddle before employees could have reasonably cleaned it up or put out signage to warn of the danger, they may not be held accountable.

Finally, you must be able to show that you suffered injuries directly related to the slip and fall and that there are real damages that can be compensated. This may include the costs of a hospital stay because you injured your spine or lost wages caused by your inability to work with a broken hip. 

What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident

After a slip and fall accident, one of the most important things you can do is follow all doctor’s orders. Your doctor will prescribe a treatment regimen, whether that means staying off your feet or taking certain medications. If you ignore your doctor’s orders, you may not heal properly — and if you file a lawsuit, the other side may argue you weren’t actually injured since you ignored what your doctor said. 

Second, stay off social media. No one needs to know about the details of your case except you and your attorney. Posting about it on social media (or really, posting anything while your case is pending) can have serious ramifications. Even a seemingly unrelated post can be misconstrued in court and used against you. 

Finally, talk to a West Palm Beach slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible. The sooner you talk to a lawyer, the sooner they can start gathering evidence and start building your case. Take photos of the scene if possible to show the conditions that caused your injuries. This will be invaluable to your attorney. Don’t be afraid to share details with your lawyer, even if they seem unimportant. The more information you can provide, the better.

Relentless Legal Representation for West Palm Beach Injury Victims

A personal injury can occur in a variety of ways, but almost all have the same results in common. Suddenly, your life is disrupted and possibly jeopardized physically, emotionally, and financially by an accident or incident which could have been prevented.

Taking Action in a Slip and Fall Case

If you or a loved one was hurt and the property owner or renter is to blame, you have the right to be fully compensated for all losses. A West Palm Beach slip and fall accident lawyer can help you to make a claim for medical bills and costs; lost income; pain and suffering; or wrongful death damages. You’ll need to prove that the property owner had an obligation to you and breached it in order to be compensated.

Getting Help from a West Palm Beach Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, our West Palm Beach slip and fall accident lawyers can work to help you get the evidence you need to build a strong case. Our attorneys can also help you to negotiate an out-of-court settlement to collect fall compensation or can present your case in court to a judge or a jury.To learn more and for help with your case, give our West Palm Beach slip and fall accident attorneys a call or contact us online today to schedule a free no-obligation consultation: (561) 566-5021