Winning a slip and fall case depends on specific circumstances that meet certain criteria. Proving that your injury derived from negligence on the property owner’s part is crucial. An experienced lawyer such as FGB Law in Port Charlotte Florida can help build a strong case that you possess everything that is needed to succeed in a slip and fall claim. If your claim is deemed worthy of pursuing, an attorney can help you prepare your claim and seek the compensation you deserve based on your individual situation.
There are several steps you should take to ensure you’re putting yourself in the best position to protect your right to seek legal compensation while preparing for your case.
Case Preparation
You should obtain important documents and any other evidence that may help prove your claim, such as:
- Injury reports – To help strengthen your claim, you should file an accident report and request a copy for yourself. You could report it to the police, or if the accident occurred on commercial property, you could report it to the property’s business manager.
- Photo documentation – Take pictures of your injuries, and the scene of the accident, if you are not too severely injured to do so. Include different angles of the scene, and emphasize any hazards or factors that could have contributed to your accident. Photos can be considered valuable evidence in your case.
- Video footage – Survey the area surrounding the accident site noting any video/surveillance cameras. Look for traffic cameras if the business or property owner does not have cameras on the facility. Your attorney can assist in retrieving the footage on your behalf.
- Medical documentation – For the sake of being awarded compensation, it is crucial that you hold onto copies of all your medical expenses, ranging from things like the emergency room, follow-up visits, any tests and treatments you receive, therapies, prescriptions, and any medical report you obtain. In the outcome that your case is successful, it is probable that you will be reimbursed for all of those expenses, and possibly future expenses as a result of the accident.
Keeping a personal medical journal will help give a better perspective on the amount of compensation you deserve. Document things like appointments, improvements in your condition, or setbacks, and the duration of pain and suffering you’ve endured.
Case Validation
Some victims don’t pursue a slip and fall claim because they aren’t entirely confident their case will result in financial compensation. In Florida, to have a viable claim your attorney and yourself must prove that there were dangerous conditions that resulted in your injury, and the property owner was or should have been aware of these conditions, but they failed to rectify the situation.
Dangerous conditions could be:
- Wet or polished floors, making them slippery
- Uncleaned spilled liquid or food
- Ripped carpeting or rugs
- Loose floorboards
- Insufficient lighting
- Loose or broken handrails
- Cracked or broken steps
- Faulty wiring
- Debris or other deterrents on the floor
In the event that you were injured on someone else’s property, for one of the reasons listed above, or for a reason not mentioned, it is recommended that you contact an attorney to determine if you have a valid case worth pursuing.
Do not hesitate to contact an attorney, many slip and fall victims are not aware that there is a time limit in which you can file your claim. If your file is claimed outside of that time frame, your case could potentially be thrown out.
In Florida, victims that were injured have four years from the day of their accident to file a claim. In some cases, there could be specific factors that would shorten that deadline, this is why it is crucial to reach out to an attorney quickly after your accident occurred. The sooner you contact a personal injury lawyer, the more time you allow yourself to gather all the necessary elements in building a strong case.
Those slip and fall injury victims that choose to hire legal representation have a much higher chance of reaching the desired compensation for their accident as opposed to those who decide to represent themselves.
The lawyers at FGB Law Firm have extensive experience with slip and fall injuries and always have your best interest in mind.