Johnny Devine PA | Attorney | Personal Injury | Criminal Defense | Landlord-Tenant Law

“I’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, what should I do?”

When you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s time to call your attorney . . . Johnny Devine.

A “slip and fall” is a term used to refer to a variety of accidents. Generally, such an accident occurs when a person is injured by losing their footing, tripping, or slipping and falling as a result of a hazardous or dangerous condition on someone’s property.

Slip and fall cases can occur in many situations, both inside and outside. For example, dangerous inside conditions such as a wet floor, torn carpeting, broken tiles, uneven flooring, dim lighting, steep or uneven stairs, or inadequate signs can cause you to fall and injure yourself. Dangerous outside conditions such as a cracked sidewalk, pothole, missing or unsecure hand railing, wet surface, unsecured mat, uneven steps, and even weather conditions like rain can cause you to fall and injure yourself. Slip and fall accidents can occur on residential, business, commercial, or public property.

It’s important to know that the owner of the premises may be liable for the accident and injuries that you suffer. Under Florida law, landowners or businesses have a responsibility (a duty of care) to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition for guests and customers.

In order for an injured person to have a successful slip and fall case, the injured person must prove either the owner created the hazard which caused the accident or that the owner knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to repair or remove the hazard. Since proving when a particular hazard first appeared can be challenging, it’s important to have an attorney experienced in slip and fall cases.

For example, if you slipped on some water on the floor in a store, without evidence showing when the water first appeared on the floor, it could be challenging to prove the store “knew or should have known” about the hazardous condition. If the water spilled onto the floor moments before you entered the store, then the store more than likely would not have known about the water. However, if the water had been on the floor for awhile, then the store more than likely would have known or should have known about the hazard. In slip and fall cases, the injured person has the burden of proof.

In slip and fall cases, often times there are multiple parties responsible for your injuries. For instance, while some stores may be owned and operated by the same person, a shopping mall may have multiple owners and businesses under one roof. Several parties may share some responsibility for the injured shopper. Since under Florida law each defendant is only required to pay for its share of the injury, it is important to include every owner or business in the case. If each responsible party is not named in the case, you may not be able to get full payment.

For all these reasons, it is important to have an experienced attorney on your side, protecting your rights, and fighting for every dollar of monetary compensation to which you are entitled! Johnny Devine has extensive experience in slip and fall cases in Florida.

Here is some important information and helpful suggestions in case you are injured in a slip and fall accident:

• If you have been injured, call 911 or immediately seek medical treatment
• If paramedics arrive at the scene, point out to them the cause of the accident and ask them to state in their records the cause of the accident
• Report the incident to the owner or management on site
• Get owner or management information: name, address, phone numbers
• Get employee information: names, addresses, phone numbers
• Get witness information: names, addresses, phone numbers
• Use your camera phone to take pictures of the scene of the incident
• If you complete any type of incident report for the owner or business, make certain you receive a copy or use your camera phone to take a picture of the completed form
• If receiving medical treatment, give your treating physician a detailed description of the incident, the injuries sustained, and any and all current pain complaints
• IMPORTANT: Consult with Johnny Devine, P.A. before discussing your case with the owner or an insurance company.

Remember: whether it’s the owner of the premises or an insurance company, you can tell them to call your attorney . . . Johnny Devine!