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Last reviewed: November 2026
Stuart Slip and Fall Lawyers
A wet floor with no warning sign. A broken stair. A dark parking lot. When Stuart property owners cut corners on safety, shoppers, tenants, and guests get hurt — and Florida law makes proving these cases harder than most people expect. Shiner Law Group's Stuart slip and fall attorneys know exactly what the law requires — and how to prove it. No fee unless we win.
Hurt in a Fall on Someone Else's Property in Stuart?
Property owners in Florida owe their visitors a legal duty: keep the premises reasonably safe, fix dangerous conditions, and warn about hazards they know or should know about. When a grocery store leaves a spill on the floor for an hour, when an apartment complex ignores a broken stairway light, when a restaurant lets grease build up at its entrance — and someone gets hurt — that's not an “accident.” It's negligence.
But Florida law sets a real trap for fall victims. Under section 768.0755, Florida Statutes, if you slipped on a transitory substance in a business, you must prove the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard — that it knew, or that the condition existed long enough that it should have known. Businesses defend these cases by claiming the spill “just happened.” Beating that defense takes evidence: surveillance footage, inspection logs, employee statements, and prior incident records — all of which the business controls, and none of which survives long without a preservation demand.
Shiner Law Group moves immediately: preservation letters for video before it's overwritten (often within days), incident report demands, and site inspections. You pay nothing unless we win.
No upfront cost, ever. Every case is handled on a strict contingency fee. Call (772) 777-7700 for a free, confidential consultation, available 24/7.
Why Stuart Clients Choose Shiner
Fell on Someone's Property? The Video Is Being Overwritten.
Evidence disappears quickly — camera footage is overwritten, skid marks fade, and witnesses move on. Call now for a free case review, available 24/7.
What to Do After a Fall in Stuart
The steps you take in the first hours and days can make or break your claim.
Report the Fall Immediately
Tell the manager or property owner and insist on a written incident report. Get a copy or photograph it - unreported falls become “it never happened” defenses.
Photograph the Hazard
The spill, broken step, missing sign, or lighting - before it's cleaned or fixed. Include wide shots showing the absence of warning signs.
Get Witnesses and Preserve Your Clothing
Witness names and numbers, and keep the shoes and clothes you wore - unwashed. They're evidence.
Seek Medical Care Right Away
Falls cause fractures and head injuries that worsen without treatment - and gaps in care become the insurer's favorite argument.
Do Not Give a Recorded Statement
The property's insurer will call quickly and ask leading questions designed to blame you. Decline until you have counsel.
Call Shiner Law Group Fast
(772) 777-7700. Surveillance video is often overwritten in days. We send preservation demands immediately. Free consultation, 24/7.
Who responds matters: for most falls there is no police report. Ask the manager for a written incident report, photograph the hazard, and keep your shoes and clothing. We send preservation letters for video, cleaning logs and maintenance records.
Florida Premises Liability Law: What You Must Prove
Florida gives fall victims rights — and a demanding burden of proof.
The Knowledge Requirement
For slips on transitory substances in a business, § 768.0755 requires proof the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard. Constructive knowledge can be shown by how long the condition existed or how regularly it occurred — which is why video and inspection logs decide these cases.
Your Status Matters
Invitees (customers, guests) are owed the highest duty: reasonable inspection and maintenance plus warnings. Licensees and trespassers are owed less — though children are specially protected under the attractive nuisance doctrine.
Deadlines & Fault-Shifting
Two years to file (HB 837) — and expect the defense to argue you should have seen the hazard. Under the 50% bar, pushing blame onto the victim is the whole defense playbook. Evidence beats argument.
Where Stuart Falls Happen
Stuart’s retail corridors, waterfront restaurants and marinas, condos and seasonal rentals generate constant premises cases. The common thread: hazards that inspection and maintenance would have caught.
We investigate the property's history — prior falls, code violations, maintenance records — because a pattern of neglect transforms a case.
Grocery & Big-Box Stores
Spills, leaking coolers, and just-mopped floors without signage — the classic § 768.0755 case, won or lost on video and inspection logs
Restaurants & Fast Food
Grease and drink spills at entrances and restrooms, plus parking-lot potholes and curb defects
Apartment Complexes
Broken stairs, missing handrails, and unlit walkways — landlords ignoring known defects for months
Shopping Centers on US 1 & Kanner Hwy
Wet floors, cracked sidewalks, unmarked curbs and poor lighting across Stuart’s retail corridors
Condos, Marinas & Waterfront Dining
Wet docks, pool decks, and stairway defects affecting residents and visitors on the Treasure Coast
Workplaces & Construction Zones
Third-party premises claims that can proceed alongside workers' compensation
Falls in Florida
Falls are a leading cause of injury in Florida, and property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe.
Sources: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief No. 532 (2025), 2023 data; CDC, Facts About Older Adult Falls.
Fall Injuries We Represent
- Hip fractures and pelvic injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Broken wrists, arms, and ankles
- Herniated discs and spinal injuries
- Knee and ligament injuries
- Shoulder and rotator cuff tears
- Facial injuries and dental damage
- Wrongful death from fall complications
What Can You Recover?
Medical Expenses
Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medication, and future medical needs
Lost Wages
Income lost during recovery plus reduced future earning capacity
Pain & Suffering
Physical pain and emotional distress — the human cost of the injury
Property Damage
Repair costs or total-loss value of your vehicle or property
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
The activities, hobbies, and independence your injuries take away
Punitive Damages
Available for gross negligence such as DUI crashes — and easier to plead after Florida's 2026 Perlmutter decision
How Insurance Companies Handle Injury Claims — and How We Respond
Insurance companies are businesses, and adjusters are trained to limit what they pay. These are the tactics we see most often in Martin County claims — and each one has an answer.
Recorded Statements
Adjusters often ask for a recorded statement early, before your injuries are fully known. What you say can be used to dispute fault or the severity of your injuries.
Quick, Low Offers
An early offer may arrive before you know the full cost of treatment, lost income and future care. Once you accept and sign a release, the claim is closed.
Shifting Blame
Under Florida’s 50% rule, every percentage point of fault matters. Insurers may argue you were careless, distracted or partly responsible.
Disputing Treatment
Gaps in care, missed appointments or delayed treatment are often used to argue your injuries are minor or unrelated to the accident.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Prior injuries or degenerative changes may be blamed for your pain. Florida law allows recovery when an accident makes an existing condition worse.
Delay
Slow responses and repeated document requests can pressure injured people into settling. Florida law sets claim-handling duties that insurers must meet.
Social Media Review
Photos and posts may be reviewed and taken out of context. Keep your accounts private and avoid posting about the accident.
Policy Limits
The at-fault driver’s coverage may not be enough. We look for every available policy, including umbrella coverage and, in vehicle cases, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
The most important thing to know: when you file a claim, the insurer opens a file and starts building its position right away. Shiner Law Group levels this from day one. Call (772) 777-7700 before giving any insurer a statement.
Shiner Law Group — $500M+ Recovered for Injured Floridians
That figure is the aggregate of recoveries across our Florida practice since 2002. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes — what matters is how your case is investigated, valued, and pressed.
across Florida
since our founding
4.9-star average
Why Stuart Injury Victims Choose Shiner Law Group
Real Case Valuation
We calculate all damages — current and future, economic and non-economic — not just the obvious bills. No element of your claim is left on the table.
Insurance Leverage
We counter delay tactics and lowball offers with evidence, expert analysis, and the credible threat of trial.
We Come to You
No long drive needed. Our Port St. Lucie office is about 20 minutes from downtown Stuart, and we also meet Martin County clients by phone, by video, at home, or in the hospital.
No Win, No Fee
Zero upfront cost, no retainer, no consultation fee. Our fee comes from the recovery, so our incentive matches yours.
David Shiner has represented injury victims throughout Florida since 2002, and his firm has recovered more than $500 million for injured clients and their families. Every case is handled on a strict No Win, No Fee basis. Call (772) 777-7700 for a free, confidential consultation.
Serving Stuart & All of Martin County
Shiner Law Group does not have an office in Stuart. We represent Stuart and Martin County clients from our Port St. Lucie office, with free consultations by phone or video and home or hospital visits on request. Call (772) 777-7700, 24/7.
Stuart Slip and Fall Questions Answered
The store says the spill “just happened” before I fell. Do I still have a case?+
How common are serious falls in Florida?+
I didn't report my fall when it happened. Is my case dead?+
How long do stores keep surveillance video?+
What if the property owner says I wasn't paying attention?+
How much is my Stuart slip and fall case worth?+
How long do I have to file a premises liability claim in Florida?+
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Hurt in a Fall in Stuart or Martin County?
Maximum Compensation. Zero Upfront Cost. 24/7 Availability.
Shiner Law Group has recovered more than $500 million for injured Floridians. No Win, No Fee. Free consultation available right now, 24/7.