Were you recently injured in a slip and fall accident in Jupiter, FL? Our experienced Jupiter slip and fall lawyers at Shiner Law Group are ready to help fight for your legal rights and get the compensation you deserve. Call us today at (561) 777-7700 to speak with an attorney for a 100% free consultation.
You may be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, loss of income, pain, and suffering, and more. Contact our Jupiter, FL law offices to discuss the legal options that might be available to you following your slip and fall accident. The next steps are very important. Let Shiner Law Group help you with your slip and fall accident case today.
Were You Injured In A Slip and Fall Accident in Jupiter?
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s crucial to hire an experienced Jupiter slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible. Although there is a two-year statute of limitations for filing personal injury cases in Florida, it’s important to act quickly to increase your odds of obtaining full and just compensation for your losses. The talented Jupiter personal injury attorneys of Shiner Law Group are here to help.
Right after being injured in a slip and fall accident, seek medical attention – even if you don’t have any apparent injuries. Many injuries, especially ones involving the brain, aren’t evident right away. The very next thing to do is to hire a skilled personal injury attorney with a proven record of handling slip and fall cases. Shiner Law Group boasts more than 15 years of experience handling slip and fall accident cases around Jupiter, FL. Contact us right away to schedule a free case evaluation.
Jupiter Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
People are seriously injured – and even killed – in slip and fall accidents every day. Here are just a few statistics highlighting the seriousness of this problem not only in Florida but across the country:
- According to the Florida Department of Health, slip and fall accidents are the top cause of death for seniors in the state.
- The CDC classifies slips and falls as one of the top causes of personal injury in the U.S., causing an average of 30,000 deaths per year.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 22% of slip and fall accidents result in the victim losing 31 or more days of work.
- Slip and fall accidents account for 5 to 11% of workplace fatalities.
- More than 8 million emergency room visits per year are attributable to slip and fall accidents, according to the National Floor Safety Institute.
- Per the CDC, the average cost of a slip and fall accident is around $30,000. Every year, such accidents cost more than $34 billion.
As you can see, slip and fall accidents – also known as slip, trip and fall accidents – are serious problems across Florida and the U.S. Because of the serious risks associated with such accidents, many state and federal laws are on the books to protect citizens. Such laws require property owners to maintain safe premises for visitors – whether they are officially allowed on the property or not.
Understanding Jupiter Slip and Fall Accidents
By hiring an experienced slip and fall attorney from Shiner Law Group, you can focus on what matters: recovering from your injuries. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a basic understanding of how personal injury laws protect victims like you in the state of Florida.
In Florida, slip and fall accidents are classified as premises liability cases. Under personal injury law, property owners must protect the public from hazardous conditions. Failure to do so is considered negligence, and victims who are injured on a negligent party’s property may be entitled to compensation under the law.
Although state and federal laws protect the public against property owners’ negligence, visitors to a property – even trespassers – are expected to exercise ordinary care. In other words, they must conduct themselves in a safe and reasonable manner while visiting someone’s property. However, property owners are responsible for maintaining safe premises for anyone who steps onto their property.
Jupiter Slip and Fall Accident Negligence
To shield property owners against fraudulent claims, including staged injuries, claimants in slip and fall cases must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their injuries are a direct result of unsafe conditions. According to state law, an unsafe condition exists when there is an unreasonable risk of harm and when a person wouldn’t or couldn’t be aware of its presence.
In the state of Florida, a slip and fall claim must meet the following criteria to have any legal merit:
- The property owner was aware of the unsafe condition, or they should have been aware of it based on the length of its existence.
- The property owner failed to reasonably notify the public of the unsafe condition.
- The property owner knowingly failed to mitigate or remove the unsafe condition.
Meeting the above criteria may seem simple enough on paper. In reality, however, successfully litigating a slip and fall case is highly complex. To increase your odds of obtaining a fair settlement or verdict in your case, it’s imperative to enlist the help of a knowledgeable and experienced slip and fall attorney. Shiner Law Group has more than 15 years of experience representing the victims of slip and fall accidents in Jupiter. Our team can review your case to determine if it meets the criteria outlined above. If so, we can investigate the matter and guide you through to a negotiated settlement or successful verdict.
Slip and Fall Laws in Jupiter, FL
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in Jupiter, it’s important to know that Florida law dictates two types of legal proceedings for slip and fall cases. Same-level cases are more common, but elevated cases come with a far higher risk of catastrophic injury.
Additionally, such cases are categorized based on the nature of the fall. In a slip and fall accident, the victim’s footing loses friction with the ground, causing them to fall. This most often occurs because of icy conditions or spills. In a slip and fall accident, the victim’s footing meets the resistance of some kind, causing them to fall. This may occur when debris obstructs a walkway or because of uneven flooring.
Determining Liability in Jupiter Slip and Fall Accidents
A crucial aspect of successfully prosecuting a slip and fall case is demonstrating the property owner’s liability in the accident. State law defines three classes of visitors that may be injured in slip and fall accidents:
- Invitees – Invitees are people who visit a property for business purposes or because the property is available for public use.
- Licensees – Licensees may be invited or uninvited visitors to a property. A mail delivery person is an example of an uninvited licensee in such situations.
- Trespassers – Trespassers are people who have no legal right to visit a property.
Property owners owe invitees and invited licensees the highest duty of care. By law, property owners must inspect their property and take steps to prevent evident dangers to such parties. Their duty of care for uninvited licensees is a bit less. They must avoid causing willful injury to such parties, which essentially means that they can’t do things like direct attack animals or set traps against such visitors. In most cases, property owners have no duty of care for trespassers to their property.
How Property Owners’ Responsibilities Affect Jupiter Slip and Fall Cases
Another aspect that comes into play when litigating Jupiter slip and fall cases involves property owners’ responsibility for visitors to their property. These responsibilities fall into two main categories, and your personal injury lawyer will assess your case to determine if they have been breached in any way:
- Duty of Care and Maintenance – Under Florida law, property owners are required to keep accessible areas safe for visitors. Therefore, they must engage in routine maintenance to prevent unsafe conditions. Property owners may breach this responsibility by not handling the following issues promptly: unsalted ice, unmarked spills, poorly maintained floors and hazardous flooring transitions.
- Duty to Provide Clear Cautionary Signage – As soon as a property becomes aware of an unsafe condition, they have a duty to put up clear signage warning the public of the problem. This signage must be highly visible and positioned in a way that prevents visitors from inadvertently coming too close to the unsafe condition.
Examples of Jupiter Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents encompass a vast array of scenarios and situations. However, some of the most common examples of slip and fall accidents in Jupiter, FL, include the following:
- Construction site accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Accidents caused by unsafe railings, stairwells or balconies
- Residence or apartment complex accidents
- Uneven flooring accidents
- Amusement park accidents
- Accidents caused by negligent security
- Accidents caused by falling debris
Top Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Jupiter, FL
There are many potential causes for slip and fall accidents. Most of them occur due to a property owner’s negligence. Some examples of common causes of slip and fall accidents include the following:
- Poor lighting
- Wet flooring or wet conditions
- Icy conditions
- Unmarked gaps or flooring transitions
- Unmarked steps or level changes
- Metal walkways
- Obstructions on walkways
- Uneven surfaces
- Loose railings
- Cracks in walkways
Common Jupiter Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall accidents and slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere at any time. In an instant, your life can be upended from injuries incurred in this type of accident. Common injuries of slip and fall accident victims include the following:
- Brain Trauma – People often hit their heads in slip and fall accidents, incurring head and brain injuries. A slip and fall accident may result in concussion or another traumatic brain injury, or TBI.
- Broken Bones – Slip and fall accident victims often have broken bones, which can impede their ability to return to work or otherwise resume normal activities. For example, according to the CDC, 95% of hip fractures are caused by slip and fall accidents. Such injuries often cause a downward spiral for victims that may even result in death.
- Cuts and Bruises – Cuts and bruises incurred during slip and fall accidents can leave behind scars that negatively impact victims’ lives long into the future.
- Back and Spinal Cord Injuries – According to a study by the University of Florida, back and spinal cord injuries are the most common injuries incurred in slip and fall accidents. Depending on the nature of the injury, consequences may include herniated or bulging discs or even paralysis.
- Other Pain and Suffering – Injuries incurred by slip and fall accident victims often go beyond the physical. Such incidents can also cause considerable mental anguish for victims, who may be entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering.
- Wrongful Death – When someone dies from a slip and fall accident caused by another party’s negligence, their survivors may pursue a wrongful death claim. Shiner Law Group can assist you in pursuing such a claim if your loved one died in a slip and fall accident in Jupiter.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Expect from My Slip and Fall Claim?
The types of compensation that you may be entitled to from filing a successful slip and fall accident claim fall into two categories: general compensatory damages and special compensatory damages.
General compensatory damages involve the less tangible consequences of being injured in a slip and fall accident. They may include damages for mental anxiety, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship.
Special compensatory damages make up for expenses directly related to your accident. These damages may compensate you for the following losses:
- Medical expenses – past, present and future
- Lost wages
- Diminished or lost earning capacity
- Incidental or travel expenses
- Legal expenses
How a Jupiter Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Can Help
Given the legal complexities involved in successfully pursuing a slip and fall accident claim, it’s vital to line up effective legal representation as quickly as possible after being injured in such an incident. For more than 15 years, Shiner Law Group has effectively represented Jupiter slip and fall accident victims, obtaining millions of dollars in damages for them while ensuring that their rights are protected every step of the way.
A skilled Jupiter slip and fall attorney will guide you through the process of filing a personal injury claim in court, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries and regaining control of your life. They can identify the liable party, establish and demonstrate that negligence occurred and file a claim with the court on your behalf.
Contact Shiner Law Group for Your Jupiter Slip and Fall Claim
The experienced Jupiter personal injury lawyers of Shiner Law Group will aggressively protect your rights while pursuing your slip and fall accident claim. Many times, they can negotiate fair settlements for clients. However, they are also ready and able to bring your claim to court and will work diligently to obtain a successful verdict in your case.
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall or slip and fall accident in Jupiter, FL, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries and other losses. The slip and fall accident lawyers of Shiner Law Group are here to assist you, so contact us today at (561) 777-7700 or fill out our online case consultation form to schedule a free evaluation of your case.