Alachua County Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
Expenses can start to pile up quickly if you were hurt in a slip and fall accident in Alachua County, FL.
If a negligent property owner caused the fall, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
An experienced Alachua County slip and fall accident lawyer at Allen Law Firm, P.A. can protect your rights throughout the entire legal process.
Our legal team has been helping clients like you for nearly three decades. We’re ready to put our winning track record to work for you.
We’ve already recovered millions for our clients. To learn what we can do for you, call our law offices in Alachua County, Florida, to schedule a free consultation today.
How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help After a Slip and Fall Accident in Alachua County
Fall injuries are easy to underestimate. After all, who among us has never suffered a trip and fall? Most of the time, we shake it off and move on with our lives. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.
An unexpected injury can derail your life, even if the injury is fairly minor. Something as treatable as a broken knee, ankle, or wrist can keep you from working–and medical bills might start to add up quickly, especially if you require surgery. You deserve to be fairly compensated for those injuries if simple property maintenance could have kept you safe.
Our experienced Alachua County personal injury lawyer can help by:
- Conducting a full investigation to prove what caused your injuries
- Accurately assessing the value of your injury claim
- Hiring experts in accident reconstruction, medicine, and other relevant specialties
- Handling all negotiations with the property owners, insurance companies, and defense lawyers
Our Alachua County personal injury attorneys are known as dedicated, aggressive trial lawyers. With our team in your corner, you’ll have nearly 30 years of legal experience fighting for you. If you’re ready to learn more, call our law firm to schedule a free consultation today.
What is My Alachua County Slip and Fall Accident Case Worth?
Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury among adults aged 65 and older in Florida. In 2019 alone, more than 3,000 older Floridians were fatally injured in fall accidents.
Although slip and falls are common, every single case is different. The value of your case depends heavily upon the cost of treating your injuries over time. However, it’s also important not to underestimate how the injury has changed your life.
The value of your case might be influenced by:
- The amount of your past and future lost wages
- The cost of your medical care, including rehabilitation
- How the injury changed your daily life
- The physical and emotional pain you’ve suffered
The most severe and lasting injuries generally result in the highest settlements and verdicts.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Slip and Fall Accident Victims?
At Allen Law Firm, P.A., we’ll fight to secure meaningful compensation for both your economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include compensation for your past and future financial costs, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future lost wages and income
- Lost future earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- And more
Your non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, are harder to calculate but equally important.
The non-economic value of your settlement award or judgment includes compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety, PTSD, and depression
Are you ready to start fighting for the fair compensation you deserve? Call today to schedule your free case review with our experienced lawyers in Alachua County.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Slip and Fall Accident in Florida?
Slip and fall accident victims are often blamed for their own injuries. The at-fault party might claim you ignored a warning sign, were looking at your phone, or were wearing the wrong kind of shoes.
Florida follows a modified comparative fault rule with a 51% bar to recovery–so you can still recover compensation unless you were 51% or more responsible for your accident. However, your damages award can be reduced based on how much of the blame you are assigned; if you are assigned 25% of the blame, your compensation could be reduced by 25%.
A personal injury lawyer can help if you’re being blamed for an accident. We’ll work to minimize your role in the fall so that you can recover the most compensation available.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Slip and Fall Accident Injuries
Like car accident injuries, slip and fall injuries can cause a great deal of pain. You might be expected to make a full recovery–but medical care is expensive.
At Allen Law Firm, P.A., we’ll fight to recover full compensation for your injuries, including those involving:
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Joint injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Knee damage
- Fractures and broken bones
- Broken wrists
- Paralysis
The most serious slip and falls can lead toa loved one’s wrongful death, especially if the victim was elderly.
What Causes Most Slip and Fall Accidents in Alachua County, Florida?
Any number of factors can cause a slip and fall accident. Many slip and falls happen because the property owner didn’t fix a dangerous condition on the premises.
Slip and fall accidents and trip and fall accidents can happen because of:
- Slippery floors or accumulated puddles
- Potholes
- Broken or crumbling sidewalks, walkways, or curbs
- Missing handrails or guardrails
- Broken stairs
- Inadequate lighting
- Loose cords or wires
- Loose carpeting or floor mats
- Missing floor mats
- Debris or other obstacles in walkways
- Broken elevators or escalators
- Poorly installed scaffolding or broken ladders
Were you injured in a slip and fall accident caused by dangerous property conditions in the Gainesville area? Call Allen Law Firm, P.A. to schedule a free consultation today. Our attorneys can help you find the evidence you need to support your accident claim and fight for the maximum compensation available.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Slip and Fall Accident in Florida?
Property owners in Florida are responsible for keeping their property reasonably safe for others who are lawfully on the property. However, you still have to prove that unsafe conditions caused your fall in order to recover compensation. That means proving negligence.
You must prove four basic elements to have a successful negligence claim, including:
- The property owner owed you a duty of care
- The owner breached that duty
- The breach caused your injuries
- You experienced damages in the form of physical, emotional, or financial losses
Under Florida premises liability laws, the property owner’s duty of care depends on why you were on the property. Business owners owe customers the highest duty of care.
To keep customers, or “invitees,” safe, business owners must:
- Fix any known hazards on the property
- Regularly inspect the property to identify hidden dangers
- Provide adequate warning of any unsafe conditions that can’t be fixed immediately
Most business owners delegate those duties to employees–but that doesn’t make them any less liable if their employees are negligent.
Private property owners owe licensees, or social guests, a duty to warn about any known dangers–but aren’t required to inspect their property for hidden dangers.
Slip and Falls on Slippery Floors
Under Florida law, there’s an exception to the business owner’s general duty of care if you slipped on a slick floor.
If you slip and fall because of a “transitory foreign substance”–like spilled milk in a grocery store–you have to prove that the owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the danger.
It’s often necessary to establish constructive knowledge in these cases. You can prove that a business owner had constructive knowledge of the spill by showing:
- The substance had been there for a long time, and the owner should have known about it
- The danger was foreseeable because it happened regularly
Slip and falls involving slick floors can be complex and fact-sensitive. Video surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony, and even employee testimony can all be used to show the business establishment had constructive knowledge of the danger.
It’s important to have an experienced Alachua County slip and fall attorney in your corner. You don’t want to put the insurance company in charge of investigating your case. Our team at Allen Law Firm, P.A. will conduct a detailed investigation to find out what caused your fall.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Slip and Fall Accident in Florida?
The statute of limitations in Florida was recently changed. If your slip and fall accident happened on 3/23/2023 or earlier, you’ll have four years to file your claim. If it took place after that date, you will have two years. Missing the deadline means losing your right to compensation for your injuries. Exceptions to the statute of limitations apply in some cases, so confirming the appropriate deadline for your case with an attorney is best.
Contact an Alachua County Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one were recently injured in a slip and fall, don’t hesitate to get legal advice right away. An experienced Alachua County slip and fall accident lawyer at Allen Law Firm, P.A. can help you prove what happened and get the compensation you deserve. Call or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation if you were hurt in a slip and fall accident in Gainesville, Florida.
