New Port Richey Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Slip and fall accidents are often caused by conditions that the property owner could have fixed. Reach out to a skilled New Port Richey, Florida slip and fall accident lawyer at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers to learn more about your right to financial compensation at (727) 815-8442. Your consultation is 100% free, so there’s no risk in reaching out to our law offices in Florida.

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer if I Was Hurt in a Slip and Fall Accident?

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer if I Was Hurt in a Slip and Fall Accident?

A serious injury can turn your life upside down in an instant. Medical treatment can be expensive–and if you can’t work, your bills might quickly start to pile up. Fighting to get fair compensation after a slip and fall accident is one of the most important things you can do to get your life back on track.

Both public and private property owners can be held responsible when someone is hurt because of a hazard on their property.

However, it isn’t always easy to establish liability. You need evidence to back up your claim. Even once you have that evidence, you might not know how much you deserve–and insurance companies often try to blame the victim for their own injuries.

An experienced New Port Richey personal injury attorney can help. When you hire Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our attorneys will:

  • Quickly begin investigating to locate all relevant evidence, including video surveillance footage and photos of the accident scene
  • Look into whether the property owner has had any prior complaints about property conditions
  • Interview witnesses
  • Work with experts who can help assign a fair value to your injury claim
  • Fight back when the insurance company tries to blame you for being clumsy or careless
  • Negotiate with the insurance company to make sure you’re getting the full amount you deserve

Our slip and fall attorneys in New Port Richey have been handling these types of injury cases for decades. We’ve proven time and time again that we have the skills needed to succeed at the negotiating table and the courtroom. That reputation can help you get a higher settlement award when we sit down with the insurance adjusters.

If you’re ready to learn more about how we can put our experience to work for you, just give us a call to get the legal advice you need.

Overview of Florida Slip and Fall Accident Laws

Overview of Florida Slip and Fall Accident Laws

Like anyone else, property owners can be held financially liable if someone is hurt because of their negligence.

In Florida, premises liability laws require property owners to keep their property reasonably safe for guests.

If the property owner can’t fix a dangerous condition, the law requires the owner to provide adequate warning to help invited guests avoid injury.

The property owner’s duty of care depends upon why the visitor was on the property, as follows:

Business Invitees

An invitee is someone invited onto the property for a business reason. You are classified as an invitee if you are:

  • Shopping at a grocery store
  • Dining in a restaurant
  • Staying in a hotel
  • Visiting an office building for a meeting
  • Parking in a public parking garage

Property owners owe business invitees the highest duty of care. They’re required to maintain their property in reasonably safe condition–but they also have to inspect the premises to find and fix any hidden dangers.

Licensees

A licensee is a social guest. If you’re invited to a party or visiting a family member’s home, you’re classified as a licensee. Property owners are not required to conduct regular inspections to keep licensees safe. They only have to keep the property safe and warn about any known dangers.

Trespassers

A trespasser is someone who’s on someone else’s property illegally. In most cases, property owners don’t owe trespassers any duty of care.

Exceptions exist for young children who are trespassing because of something attractive on the property. For example, if a child wanders onto someone’s property to explore a pond or swimming pool – things considered to be attractive nuisances – the property owner can be held responsible for failing to install a fence to keep the child away from the danger.

Slip and Falls Caused by Temporary Spills in Business Establishments 

Property owners can also be held liable if you were hurt because of a temporary hazard on the property. Florida premises liability law lays out the rules for recovering compensation if you fell because of a transitory foreign substance. 

These rules would apply if you slipped over a recently waxed floor at the grocery store where no warning signs are present.

You can still recover compensation for these types of falls. The law requires evidence showing that the owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard. Constructive knowledge means:

  • The danger was present for such a long period of time that the property owner reasonably should have known about it, or
  • The hazard is one that happens often, so that it was foreseeable to the property owner 

These cases can be complex because, by definition, the dangerous condition was temporary. Call an experienced slip and fall lawyer at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers right away if you think these rules might apply in your case.

Who Can Be Held Responsible For My Slip and Fall Accident Injuries?

All property owners can be held responsible for injuries sustained on their property. Florida premises liability law applies if you were hurt in a:

  • Grocery store
  • Restaurant
  • Bar
  • Nightclub
  • Shopping mall
  • Public park
  • Amusement park
  • Big box store
  • Parking lot or parking garage
  • Hospital
  • Nursing home
  • Apartment complex
  • Friend or family member’s home

Property owners are required to carry certain types of insurance. These insurance policies cover situations where someone is hurt because of something on the property. 

In other words, even if you’re hurt at a friend’s home, it’s the insurance company that will actually be responsible for paying your compensation award.

What Are Some Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?

A slip and fall accident can be caused by a number of different things. Some of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents include:

  • Missing or damaged staircase railings
  • Broken or crumbling stairs
  • Potholes
  • Puddles and slick floors
  • Uneven concrete
  • Loose carpets or floor mats
  • Loose wires and cables
  • Debris in walkways
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Missing guardrails

It’s the property owner’s job to make sure these types of dangers don’t harm invited visitors.

Slip and Fall Accident Victims Often Suffer Serious Injuries

Although Floridians aged 65 and older are most likely to suffer a serious injury in a slip and fall, all accident victims are at risk. Some of the serious injuries slip and fall accident victims suffer include:

Slip and Fall Accident Victims Often Suffer Serious Injuries

Our personal injury attorneys at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers will fight to get the fair compensation you need to recover from serious slip and fall injuries. Call today to discuss your slip and fall case and learn more about how an attorney-client relationship can work to your advantage.

You Only Have a Limited Amount of Time to Act

Focusing on legal action can be difficult when you’re seriously hurt. It’s important to get a lawyer involved right away to preserve your right to compensation.

Florida law gives you two years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit for damages. The Florida statute of limitations used to provide four years to take legal action. However, it was updated on March 24, 2023, giving you less time to take legal action. If your New Port Richey slip and fall happened after that date, you have two years to file a lawsuit.

An action for wrongful death based on a fatal slip and fall must be filed within two years of your loved one’s death.

If a government agency was responsible, you have six months to provide notice of your intent to sue for compensation.

Slip and Fall Accident Victims May Be Entitled to Significant Compensation 

Slip and Fall Accident Victims May Be Entitled to Significant Compensation

Injuries can be painful and frustrating. They can also be extremely expensive to treat. If you can’t work during your recovery, you can easily find yourself in significant financial trouble. When you’re hurt due to someone else’s negligence, you’re entitled to hold that party accountable for all costs related to the injury.

You’re entitled to the same types of compensation you’d get if you were hurt in a motorcycle accident or car accident.

Our experienced New Port Richey slip and fall attorneys at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers will fight to win fair compensation for your: 

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Future medical bills
  • Lost future earning capacity
  • Physical therapy
  • Rehabilitative care
  • Long-term care
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • PTSD
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of your independence
  • Damages for wrongful death

You never know how a fall might impact your health. Some slip and fall accident victims face a lifetime of pain after an accident. Others might have pre-existing conditions that are made worse by a fall.

Property owners are liable for these consequences even if they weren’t entirely foreseeable. 

Contact an Experienced New Port Richey Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Review

An experienced New Port Richey slip and fall accident lawyer can greatly increase your odds of getting all the compensation you deserve. If you’re ready to learn more, call our law firm to schedule a free consultation today. We serve clients in New Port Richey, Florida, and across Pasco County.

Other Practice Areas In New Port Richey, FL

Here are some of the additional case types that our personal injury law firm in New Port Richey, FL can help with: