Slip and Fall Attorney

Property owners have a responsibility to keep their property safe. If the property’s conditions are unsafe, then the owners are responsible for letting the general public know of potential dangers. The laws differ based on whether your property is a commercial or residential estate. For a commercial property owner, a large amount of foot traffic is expected, so if certain injuries occur on their property, the laws are much stricter. Homeowners and residential properties don’t expect the same number of visitors, so the laws are less severe if an injury happens on a residential property. Slip and fall cases are some of the most common premises liability cases. Read more about what a slip and fall case might entail below.

Types of Slip and Fall Accident Cases

People are sometimes injured while legally on property owned by another person. A “slip and fall” case occurs when a person is on the property of another person or entity and trips, falls, or is otherwise injured by a dangerous condition while on the property. Conditions that may give rise to a slip and fall case include torn carpeting, uneven flooring, or a wet or otherwise improperly maintained floor.

Generally, property owners have a duty to make sure that their property is safe for the people who are legally allowed to come onto the property. The state of Florida makes a distinction between several different classes of people, including those listed below, that visit property owned by another person or by a business.

Licensee: A licensee is a guest on the property for social purposes. The property owner has a duty to inform the licensee of known dangerous conditions on the property but does not have to inspect the property for unknown dangers.

Invitees: An invitee is a guest on the property for business purposes. A customer who comes into a store to shop would be classified as an invitee. Property owners owe a higher duty to invitees than they do to licensees. A property owner is required to repair known dangers and to inspect the property regularly for undisclosed dangers.

Trespassers: Usually a trespasser has no rights while on the property of another. However, a property owner is not permitted to intentionally injure a trespasser.

Trespassing Children: Property owners have a duty to keep children who might wander onto their property safe from “attractive nuisances” such as a swimming pool or machinery.

Slip and fall cases are often more complex than they might seem on the surface because of the complexity of insurance coverage. As with all personal injury cases in Florida, it is important that your slip and fall claim be brought within the time allowed by the statute of limitations.

However, the issue is even more complex with slip and fall cases. Often, businesses are covered by more than one insurance policy. A slip and fall attorney can assist you in understanding the effects and limitations of insurance policies that have a slip and fall accident in place.