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If you or a loved one has suffered a fall and sustained injuries on someone else’s property, you may be entitled to compensation. ‘Slip and fall’ accidents generally involve a person who losses their footing and falls. It is crucial that if you have suffered an injury as the result of an accident that you act as soon as possible as time is not on your side. This is because of the Statute of Limitations in Florida.
If you have any questions concerning how long you have to make a claim after suffering a slip and fall accident, contact us today at The Law Place for a free consultation. A personal injury lawyer will happily advise you and give you all the information you may be seeking. Call us at (941) 444-4444.
Florida’s Statute of Limitations
Florida’s Statute of Limitations is outlined in the Florida Statues 95.11. It essentially states that if you have suffered a fall injury, or any injury of that matter, as the result of an accident, you have four years to file a personal injury claim. Although, it is important to note that you only have two years after an accident has occurred to file a claim for wrongful death.
Regardless of the Statute of Limitations in Florida, at The Law Place, we would advise that you file your personal injury claim way in advance of those four or two years. Our legal team has a combined experience of over 75 years in dealing with a variety of accident cases, including slip and fall accidents. Therefore, we understand how critical time is if you decide to file a personal injury claim. We recommend that you act quickly after suffering an accident to ensure that you get the best settlement possible and don’t allow time to devalue your case.
We advise that you act quickly because as time goes on, the vital evidence you need to support your claim becomes less and less credible. This is because some evidence may only be available for a short time, such as surveillance footage. As time progresses, that critical footage caught by the surveillance camera could be erased, which could be hugely detrimental to your personal injury claim. Additionally, witnesses’ memories will fade as time goes on, which again, can massively damage your claim. Don’t wait until the deadlines outlined in the Statute of Limitations to make a claim.
How Do I Make a Claim After a Fall?
If you have suffered a slip and fall, the first thing to do is to try and establish who the party at fault was. Discovering who is to blame for causing you your fall injury is not always eas,y, and that is why we recommend you seek the guidance of a personal injury lawyer at The Law Place. With their legal experience, they will be able to investigate your case for you and establish who the negligent party is, following the guidance in Florida Statute 768.8,1 which outlines what is meant by negligence under Florida law.
When creating your claim, you must include every possible party who could have played a role in your slip and fall accident as the law in Florida states that each defendant only has to pay for their share of your injury. If you fail to name all the responsible parties, you risk not receiving the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to. A personal injury lawyer can help with this.
If you decide to file a claim, you must act as quickly as possible because you don’t have long to do so. The Statute of Limitations in Florida requires you to file your accident claim within four years of the accident happening. The Law Place advises that you file way in advance of this deadline; however, as time can hinder your case.
You also need to gather all the evidence necessary to prove the negligence of the party at fault. Take photographs and videos of the scene where the incident occurred, clearly showing the hazardous condition that caused your slip and fall accident. We recommend that you gather the contact information of any witnesses as their accounts can massively help your claim. As stated previously, however, this evidence will become less and less credible if you wait until the deadlines outlined in Florida’s Statute of Limitations to file a claim for your injury.
Making a claim for your injuries after suffering a slip and fall may seem daunting, but the injury lawyers at The Law Place are here to help you. If you have any further queries concerning how you can make a claim for your injury, contact our legal team today. One of our injury lawyers will be able to outline your best legal options.
What Is the Average Slip and Fall Settlement?
All accident cases vary greatly, and therefore it is difficult to work out the average settlement achieved for an accident of this type. Some of the factors which can determine how much your settlement could be worth are:
- The severity of the injuries you have suffered.
- How great of an impact the injuries have had on your life.
- Who the negligent party is.
If you or someone you know has suffered injuries as the result of suffering an accident of this type, you may be facing stacks of medical bills and multiple other financial losses. In a settlement, you could be able to recover compensation for your pain and suffering, lost wages, future medical bills, permanent damage, disability, wrongful death, and much more.
Contact The Law Place today if you any further questions or queries. During a free consultation, one of our injury lawyers will be able to use their wealth of knowledge and experience to give you a rough estimate of how much your case could achieve in a settlement if you decide to file a claim.
Is It Difficult to Win a Slip and Fall Case?
Slip and fall cases can be difficult to win as you will often be required to prove three things if you are to successfully win your case. These three factors are:
- That your accident was the result of someone else’s negligence.
- That your fall incident directly caused the injury that you are claiming for.
- That the injuries you have suffered have directly led to financial losses.
Slip and fall cases are very common in Florida. The National Safety Council (NSC) has highlighted that over 800,000 people are hospitalized every year in the United States after suffering a fall. Regardless of whether you have been hospitalized or not, if you have suffered an injury caused by a fall, you may be entitled to compensation.
We recommend that you seek legal representation for the best chance of winning your case. Contact us today at The Law Place for a free consultation and a chance to talk to one of our lawyers. Call us at (941) 444-4444.
