Every day, we walk by potential hazards and are fortunate enough to avoid injury. However, there are times when this is not the case and someone slips, trips, and falls due to maintenance issues, avoidable hazards, and failures by a property owner or manager to provide a safe environment. If you are injured from a slip and fall due to a hazard that the property owner should have warned you of or repaired, then there may be an opportunity for you to seek compensation for your injuries and the associated damages in a tort claim.
These claims are commonly known as slip and fall claims, and the Orlando personal injury lawyers at Fasig | Brooks is available for a free consultation to discuss your accident in detail as soon as possible. The sooner we are working together on your case, the sooner you will be able to prioritize your recovery without taking on the additional stress of your legal issues. Read more about slip and fall cases in Orlando below, and contact us as soon as possible.
Statute of Limitations for Slip and Fall Claims in Florida
One of the first things to know about your slip and fall is that there is a Statute of Limitations in Florida that will block you from any legal action once it expires. For slip and falls, there is a limit of four years from the day of your injury (or from the day you first realized that you were injured). While this may seem like plenty of time, it is important to act quickly so your attorneys have plenty of time to build your case and possibly negotiate an out-of-court settlement.
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Common Injuries From a Slip And Fall Accident
The following are just a few of the common injuries from a slip and fall accident. Whether or not your injuries are listed below, contact us as soon as possible.
Fractures
Falling on a wet floor or tripping over an obstacle often leads to the victim falling and either extending their arms to catch themselves, or landing on their elbows to brace for a fall backward. Either way, the resulting injury can be a fractured bone, commonly the wrists for a forward fall or the elbows for a backward fall. However, there are many other fractures that can result from a slip and fall accident in Orlando as well.
Bruises
Bruising happens when the surficial blood vessels are damaged the blood pools under the skin. Depending on the size of the area impacted, the bruising can be in a small local area or may spread. Bruises can range from black, purple, and dark blue, and fade to a yellow, green, or orange as they begin to dissipate.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a specific soft-tissue injury to the neck or shoulders when the head is jerked forward and back in a rapid “S” motion. This jerking motion causes serious injuries to the soft tissues like the ligaments, muscles, or disks in the upper spinal cord and can result in stiffness, soreness, difficulty sleeping, or loss of mobility, among many other painful effects a victim may endure.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by a traumatic injury to the head or skull and include things like concussions, fractures, or contusions. Any TBI must be treated by a doctor as soon as possible to ensure that a recovery plan is developed and that no additional complications arise. If you suspect that you or a loved one has suffered a TBI, contact a doctor immediately.
Sprains
Falls commonly result in sprains as people put their hands out to catch their fall and cause soft tissue damage to their wrists or ankles. Minor sprain.s may only need to be put into a soft cast or wrap in order to recover, but more serious sprains may need surgical intervention to facilitate a full recovery
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Compensation for Slip and Falls
In order to seek fair compensation for your slip and fall accident, your attorney will need to consider a range of damages including both economic and non-economic damages. Your economic damages include any impact from your injury that comes with a set dollar value, such as medical bills and lost wages; on the other hand, non-economic damages include damages without set dollar values, things like the actual pain and suffering that you have endured. Non-economic damages are more complicated to calculate but are no less important.
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Factors That Can Cause Falls
There are many different situations that can lead to a fall, but the most common include things like wet floors, ice (often in places colder than Orlando), and hazards that have not been addressed by an owner. These other hazards include things like loose handrails or faulty stairs, deteriorating floorboards, and debris left around an area while visitors are allowed to pass by. Regardless of the cause of your fall, the most important question we will set out to answer initially is that the owner either knew of the hazard or had a reasonable expectation of knowing and that they failed to address the hazard before you were injured.
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