Holding Negligent Property Owners Accountable For Your Accident
Statistics show that more than 17,000 people die every year nationwide in falls, and countless people suffer serious injuries after slipping and falling. If you sustain injuries as the result of a slip-and-fall accident or a trip-and-fall accident on someone else’s property due to the negligence of the property owner, you deserve compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages and other damages.
At The Barker Law Firm, in St. Petersburg, our founding attorney has over 35 years of experience helping injured clients obtain the compensation they need to move forward after an accident. You can trust our experienced legal team to provide the guidance and advocacy you need.
Understanding Liability In A Premises Liability Case
When an individual is lawfully upon a property, they are legally entitled to the expectation that they are safe and that they will not fall or be injured in any way. Property owners have a duty to ensure that they maintain the property in a safe and hazard-free condition so that those lawfully on the property will not be injured, harmed or killed. Some property owners fail to obey the laws to maintain a safe and hazard-free property. When someone who is legally on the property dies as a result of a fall caused by the property owner’s negligence, the decedent’s survivors may file a wrongful death claim.
Slip and fall accidents typically occur due to preventable or repairable conditions, such as:
- Wet floors
- Defective staircase or handrail
- Rough ground
- Uneven concrete
- Holes
In a premises liability claim, you must prove that the property owner acted negligently. To show this, you must prove that the owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it, warn visitors or make it safe.
What To Do After A Slip And Fall
If you sustain an accident due to a slip, trip or fall accident, here are a few things you should do while still at the scene. The first thing you should do is to collect evidence. Take several pictures of the dangerous condition from several angles with your cell phone. Be sure to take a picture that shows where the dangerous condition existed, for example, if it was a defective or broken concrete condition in the parking lot, take a wide enough picture to show the defect and the surrounding area.
You should also get the correct legal name of the place where your accident occurred, whether it was a grocery store, hotel, medical facility, or some other property that is owned by or operates as a business. Get the full address as well. Report the incident to a manager, owner, employee or someone on duty if there is such a person. Get a copy of the incident report and the name and position of the person that you spoke to. If there were any witnesses to the incident or someone who assisted you in getting up from the fall, try to get their name and contact information, including their telephone number.
After collecting evidence, you need to seek immediate medical attention, even if you do not think you have any serious injuries. Many injuries are not apparent immediately. Seeking a medical opinion right away can prove beneficial to your physical health and your personal injury case.
We Will Fight For Your Right To Compensation
To really protect yourself and your future after a slip-and-fall accident that is not your fault, you need to retain the services of a law firm that has represented injured clients and knows how to deal with insurance carriers.
The Barker Law Firm, will make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve for your injuries, your pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost wages. We will make sure that the insurance company for the at-fault party does not have the opportunity to take advantage of you and settle your claim for a nominal amount, which is likely significantly less than what your case is really worth.
To schedule a free consultation or request additional information about our services, please contact us at 727-564-9473 or contact us online.