Every day in Broward County, people visit places open to the public, like supermarkets, parks, hotels, office buildings and malls. Nobody expects to suddenly fall down and seriously hurt themselves, but such incidents happen every day in South Florida.
Often, these unfortunate falls are not random chance but the result of negligence from property owners. Which is why Florida personal injury law includes a cause of action called premises liability. A careless property owner can make their premises unreasonably dangerous, creating the conditions for disaster.
Proving premises liability
If you were injured in a slip-and-fall accident and believe the property owner was to blame, you must prove the following:
- The owner knew (or reasonably should have known) about a hazardous “trap” that was not obvious and failed to repair it or warn legal visitors about it.
- You were injured as a result.
Examples of a “trap” include a puddle on the floor or a loose handrail on a staircase. A responsible store or hotel would mop up the water and repair the railing, or at least put up a sign warning customers about them. A negligent business might not — and allow somebody to get hurt as a result.
A trip-and-fall accident can cause a lot more damage than you might think. A sudden fall can badly injure your head, neck, back, spine or limbs. The pain and physical limitations are often so severe that the victim needs extensive medical care to recover – if full recovery is possible. It is not uncommon for the victim of a negligent property owner to have to stop working for months or years. Expensive medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering are just a few of the potential damages a victim can seek in litigation.