West Palm Beach Slip-and-Fall Lawyer

Everyone slips and falls at some point, but what happens when you’re hurt in a slip-and-fall accident because of someone else’s negligence? You deserve compensation, and a slip-and-fall attorney can help you get it.

When property or business owners do not maintain safety on their grounds, visitors are put at risk. Many West Palm Beach personal injury cases are filed because of slip-and-fall injuries. 

While these cases may initially seem minor, they can result in serious injury, especially for older Americans.

Slip-and-fall cases can lead to broken bones, head injuries, spine injuries, and more. If you’ve been injured because of a negligent property or business owner who was not maintaining safe premises, it is possible to recoup any financial losses you’ve suffered.

A West Palm Beach slip-and-fall lawyer with the Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo will work hard to hold negligent property owners accountable and get you full and fair compensation.

Proving Slip-and-Fall Fault

You have a much better chance of winning a slip-and-fall case if you know what substance made the floor slippery or otherwise caused you to fall.

Common causes of slippery floors include the following:

  • Water
  • Ice
  • A slippery foreign object like food debris
  • Grease, oil, or another lubricant
  • Floor wax or polish

To prove the property or business owner negligent, your personal injury attorney must prove he or she knew about the unsafe floor conditions and failed to act appropriately to prevent injuries.

For example, if a store employee had been cleaning a floor but failed to put out a wet floor sign, the store could be found negligent because the employee had due time to warn customers but failed to do so.

The same goes for trip-and-fall cases. In a trip-and-fall case, conditions that might have led to your injury include torn carpeting, uneven spots in the flooring, hidden extension cords, and unsafe stairs, sidewalks, and floors. You must prove that the property owner knew of the unsafe conditions and you did not and that the unsafe condition led to your injury.

Facts About Slip-and-Fall Cases

A slip-and-fall accident may seem like a minor event, but it can lead to serious injury. Slip-and-fall accidents account for over 1 million hospital visits each year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that floors and flooring materials contribute to 2 million slip-and-fall injuries yearly. Hip fractures are the most common injury following a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall case.

Older Americans are at greatest risk. For people older than sixty-five, falls are a leading cause of injury-related death. Falls are also a major cause of spine and brain injury for older people.

Pursuing Slip-and-Fall Compensation

The amount of compensation you’re eligible to receive in a slip-and-fall case depends in part on your relationship with the property owner. Relationships are categorized in one of three ways:

  • Invitee – An invitee is invited into someone’s home or business. All visitors to a business like a shop or restaurant would be considered invitees. Invitees must prove that the property owner should have known about the hazard.
  • Licensee – A licensee has a license to enter a business but is not considered a guest. A postal worker or salesman may be considered a licensee. Business owners owe licensees a lesser duty of care than invitees are owed. They are obligated to warn licensees of potential hazards; to prove fault, the licensee must prove that the business owner knew of the hazard and that the licensee was unlikely to discover it.
  • Trespasser – Trespassers are those who visit a property without being invited. If a trespasser is injured in a slip-and-fall accident, he or she will most likely not have a case against the property owner.

As with all personal injury cases in Florida, the statute of limitations is four years. You’ll want to seek legal help well before this time period is up—while the events are still fresh in your mind and evidence is more readily available.

Valuing Your Slip-and-Fall Claim

Your lawyer will know a fall can present serious financial stress in your life. Your attorney will seek full compensation that accounts for all the damages related to your injury, which may include the following:

  • Earnings lost because of time away from work
  • Medical treatment, medications, surgeries, and similar health needs
  • Motorized wheelchairs, stair lifts, and other adaptive technology your injuries make necessary
  • Pain and suffering

Contact a Trusted Attorney

After a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident, an attorney with the Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo will work hard to hold the negligent property owner accountable. Call us today at 561-659-6366 or fill out the online contact form below to arrange your free consultation with a West Palm Beach slip-and-fall lawyer.