Mark Roman | May 31, 2023 | Personal Injury
If you’ve been injured due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another person or entity in Florida, you may be wondering whether you have standing to sue. In order to bring a lawsuit in Florida court, you must meet certain requirements, and one of these is having standing to sue. Here are the 3 key elements of standing to sue in Florida that you should know about:
Injury in Fact
The first element of standing to sue in Florida is injury in fact. This means that you must have suffered an actual injury or harm as a result of the defendant’s actions. The injury must be concrete and particularized, meaning that it must affect you personally rather than being a general harm that affects the public at large.
For example, if you were involved in a car accident and suffered whiplash as a result of the other driver’s negligence, you would have suffered an actual injury in fact. However, if you were merely a bystander who witnessed the accident but did not suffer any physical injury or property damage, you would not have standing to sue.
Causation
The second element of standing to sue in Florida is causation. This means that there must be a direct connection between the defendant’s actions and your injury. In other words, it must be clear that the defendant’s actions were the proximate cause of your injury.
For example, if a doctor prescribed you the wrong medication and you suffered an adverse reaction as a result, you would need to show that the doctor’s negligence directly caused your injury. If there were other factors that contributed to your injury, such as a preexisting condition, it may be more difficult to establish causation and prove standing to sue.
Redressability
The third element of standing to sue in Florida is redressability. This means that the relief you seek in your lawsuit must be able to redress or alleviate the harm you have suffered. In other words, the court must be able to provide a remedy that will make you whole again or at least compensate you for your losses.
For example, if you were wrongfully terminated from your job and suffered financial losses, you may seek damages in a lawsuit. The court could order your former employer to pay you back wages and other compensation to make you whole again. However, if your former employer has gone out of business or is unable to pay, it may be more difficult to establish redressability and prove standing to sue.
An Experienced Florida Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help With Your Claim
Standing to sue is an important concept in Florida law that requires you to meet certain criteria before you can bring a lawsuit. To have standing to sue, you must have suffered an actual injury in fact, there must be a direct connection between the defendant’s actions and your injury, and the relief you seek in your lawsuit must be able to redress or alleviate the harm you have suffered.
Contact the Clearwater Personal Injury Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Clearwater. We have four convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442