Slip and fall accidents frequently happen in the Fort Lauderdale area, and while some people walk away from a slip and fall accident unharmed, many falls cause significant personal injuries. Florida Law requires property owners to maintain their property in a safe condition, and if a person is injured in a slip and fall accident caused by a property owner’s neglect, the property owner may owe the injured person compensation. If you suffered damages due to a slip and fall accident, it is vital to meet with an assertive personal injury attorney to discuss the circumstances surrounding your fall and the recourse that may be available. For more than twenty-seven years Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyer Joseph I. Lipsky has zealously advocated on behalf of his seriously injured clients and will work diligently to help you pursue the most favorable result possible in your case. Mr. Lipsky assists people in the pursuit of damages in premises liability claims throughout South Florida.
Slip and fall accidents commonly occur because of liquid or debris which is allowed to remain on the floor for an unreasonable amount of time. While a slip and fall accident can happen anywhere, they are more likely to occur in certain places. For example, slip and fall accidents frequently occur in grocery stores, due to produce on the floor. Restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls are prime environments for slip and fall accidents as well, due to food and beverages being spilled on the floor. Similarly, slip and fall accidents regularly happen in schools, due to spills that are not addressed by maintenance staff. Finally, inclement weather can create a slippery ground or floor in any environment, increasing the likelihood of slip and fall accidents.
Lawsuits arising out of slip and fall accidents are similar to other personal injury lawsuits, in that they usually allege a negligence claim against the defendant, who is typically the property owner. Thus, a slip and fall attorney in the Fort Lauderdale area must prove that the property owner owed the injured person a duty of reasonable care, the property owner breached the duty, and the breach caused the slip and fall accident, which caused the injured person to suffer quantifiable losses.
In most slip and fall cases, the injured person will allege that the property owner breached their duty to keep the property free of dangerous conditions by allowing foreign matter to remain on the ground. The proof needed to impose liability on a Florida business owner with regard to foreign substances on the ground is set forth by statute. Specifically, under Florida law, a person seeking to impose liability on a property owner following a fall due to a transitory foreign substance in a business establishment must establish that the business had constructive or actual knowledge of the dangerous condition created by the substance, and it should have taken steps to remedy the condition. An experienced Fort Lauderdale slip and fall attorney can assist victims with gathering evidence to prove these distinctive elements.
In most cases, it is difficult to prove that a business owner had actual notice of a dangerous condition. Therefore, the injured person must prove that the business owner had constructive notice of the condition, which means that it was present for so long that the business owner should have been aware of it, or that the condition happened regularly and therefore was foreseeable.
Property owners have a duty to maintain their property in a safe condition, which includes ensuring that any walkway on their property or business is free from dangerous conditions that could cause a person to slip and fall. If you sustained injuries in a slip and fall accident on another party’s property, it is essential to retain a personal injury attorney to assist you in proving that the property owner is liable for your harm. Attorney Joseph I. Lipsky is skilled at aiding injured people in the recovery of compensation for the harm caused by negligent property owners, and he will aggressively pursue the full extent of damages that you may be owed. Mr. Lipsky represents people in Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties, including in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Miami, and Key West. You can contact our office through the form online or at 1-888-352-5298 to set up a free and confidential meeting with a slip and fall lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to discuss your case.