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Slip and Fall Accidents

Millions Recovered

Since 1990

Slip and Fall Lawyer in Boca Raton, FL

Slip, trip, and fall accidents are among the most common personal injury accidents in the U.S. They can happen anywhere, at any time, and to any person. The results of a personal injury accident may be mild to severe, and you might suffer various injuries like broken bones or concussions. Depending on the injury severity from a slip or fall, a person’s quality of life may be impacted by pain, disability, depression, or even death.

Regardless of the severity of your injuries after a slip and fall accident, victims of such injuries are often met with skepticism and could be considered responsible due to Florida’s “pure comparative negligence” law. Under the pure comparative negligence law, if a plaintiff is partially at fault for their injuries, the percentage of what they can recover reduces in proportion to how much they were responsible.

Are you suffering from a slip, trip, or fall accident in Boca Raton? It’s crucial for you to partner with competent legal counsel. At Baker Law, we have handled dozens of slip, trip, and fall incidents and held negligent property owners accountable for the damage they inflicted. Find out how we can help you too.

Slip and Fall Injury Statistics

Nationwide Statistics on slip and fall cases are grim. These are not just minor accidents involving scrapes and bruises. Some slip and fall accidents can result in severe injuries requiring hospital stays and costly medical procedures. Falls are also a leading cause of death for senior adults.

  • Over 8 million hospital emergency room visits are due to falls. Falls represent the leading cause of visits (21.3%). Over 1 million visits, or 12%, are due to slips and falls.
  • Falls are the # 2 cause of injury-related deaths for people between the ages of 65-84, and the #1 cause for those over 85 years. 
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nearly 700 workplace fatalities and hundreds of injuries annually are caused by slips, trips, and falls.
  • The NSFI, or National Floor Safety Institute reports that 55% of all slip and fall accidents are caused by hazardous walking surfaces.

Additionally, the Florida Department of Health reports these slip and fall incident statistics:

  • Accidental falls are the top cause of injury-related death for senior citizens in Florida.
  • The 4th leading cause of injury-related deaths in Florida residents is accidental falls.
  • 2,475 Floridians died because of an unintentional fall, while 62,541 wound up in a hospital.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that approximately 22% of fatal occupational falls, slips, and trip occupational injuries sustained in Florida in 2019 were slip and fall accidents.

In addition to being observant of their surroundings people need to be ready to hold businesses, stores, and public places accountable for keeping floors and walkways free of obstacles. You can depend on the Baker Legal Team to pursue your claim against a negligent party.

The Differences Between Falls, Slips, and Trips

A fall occurs when a person loses their balance because of an unexpected change in the physical premises.  A broken railing, handrail, stairway, cracked sidewalks, faulty elevators, broken escalators, broken or insufficient lighting, potholes, or other hazards that property owners did not remedy can create conditions ripe for a fall.

A slip is a loss of balance caused by too little friction between your feet and the surface where you walk. Weather hazards like ice and snow, wet surfaces, or liquids spilled on the floor can create conditions where slips are more likely to occur.

A Trip can happen when your foot hits an object or debris, and you are thrown off balance. Abrupt edges on driveways or sidewalks, machine cords stretched across a path, store aisle obstructions, unsecured carpeting, or uneven flooring surfaces present a hazard that could trip a person.

What Are Some Causes of Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents?

Slips, trips, and falls that result in serious injury often happen because of dangerous conditions resulting from the negligence or carelessness of an individual, employee, or commercial property owner. While they may occur anywhere at any time, the conditions that often lead to such accidents occur most frequently in:

 

  • Apartment complexes
  • Condominium complexes
  • Hotels
  • Individual residences
  • Motels
  • Nursing homes
  • Office Buildings
  • Parking lots
  • Public pavements
  • Rental Homes
  • Restaurants
  • Retail stores
  • Sidewalks
  • Shopping center

 

If you believe you may have a slip and fall case, trust the Baker Legal Team to evaluate the value of your claim and protect your rights while pursuing fair compensation for your injuries.

Identifying Liable Parties in a Boca Raton Slip and Fall Case

Because of the pure comparative negligence rule, both parties involved in a slip and fall case may be held liable. Florida courts must decide what percentage of liability belongs to the plaintiff. Then, they must determine the portion of liability belonging to the defendant. There may be several ways the defendant, or at-fault party, may attempt to reduce the value of the claim, including:

  • The victim was not permitted in the area where they fell
  • The victim should have used more caution
  • The owner took reasonable measures to protect victims from the fall hazard, including putting up warning signs.
  • The victim was wearing inappropriate footwear

If the court finds that you’re responsible for a percentage of negligence in the incident, it will reduce the value of your settlement by that percentage.

Florida Statute 768.0755 regarding premises liability must also be taken into consideration in these types of cases. Premises liability revolves around the legal duty of a property owner to maintain their property in a safe condition. The law states that if a person slips on a “foreign substance” at a business, the victim must prove that the business knew about the hazard before the accident took place and failed to take steps to make the area safe or warn customers or residents of the danger.

Speak With a Boca Raton Slip and Fall Attorney at Baker Legal Team

When it comes to slip and fall cases, they can become complex simply because you might be dealing with private business owners, the City of Boca Raton, and other entities looking to reduce the value of your claim. This is just one reason why working with a Boca Raton slip and fall lawyer is in your best interest.

Robert B. Baker is a Florida Board-Certified civil trial lawyer who has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients in and near Boca Raton. If you’re one of the hundreds of Floridians who suffer from a slip and fall accident each year, you deserve personal attention and quality representation to protect your rights. We have been serving people in the south Florida area for 30 years and can help in your slip and fall case.

After a slip and fall accident, it may be possible to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, reduced or lost earning capacity, pain, suffering, or other losses. Talk to a Boca Raton premises liability attorney about your unique case for an accurate evaluation of your claim’s value. At Baker Law, we provide free consultations, so there is no risk! Call (561) 320-0000 or complete our contact form.

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