A slip and fall can happen at any time; if you slip and fall on a commercial property, you may be entitled to compensation. However, if your slip and fall accident happened on a commercial property in Florida, the law might make your case harder to win. A knowledgeable Florida attorney, with experience in Florida slip and fall accidents, can improve your chance of winning a difficult case.
Slip and Fall Accidents on a Commercial Property
Slip and fall accidents on a commercial property can occur due to the negligence of a property owner. You must be able to prove that their negligence caused your injury. Further, you must demonstrate that the store owner knew, or should have known, about the issue and failed to address it. Under Florida law, commercial businesses are required to keep their property safe for public use, property owners have a responsibility to fix hazardous conditions and warn the public about potential dangers, such as putting a caution sign on a wet floor.
The most common example of a slip and fall on commercial property is slipping on a liquid such as spilled milk in a grocery store or tripping over a crack in the pavement of a parking lot. If a store owner failed to clean up a spill, resulting in an injury, or otherwise has been unwilling or able to provide a reasonably safe environment for the public, they can be seen as negligent in the eyes of the law.
If such an incident happens to you, injuries can be painful, expensive, and disruptive to your personal life. Depending on the circumstances and extent of the injuries, victims can recover damages. If you are the victim of a slip and fall on a commercial property, it’s important to gather as much evidence as soon as possible after the accident for the best chance of building a strong case. In the case of slip and fall injury, eyewitness testimony is often the strongest piece of evidence.
Winning a Slip and Fall Case Against a Commercial Property Owner
At the most basic level, to have a successful outcome under Florida law in a slip and fall case, the victim must prove either that the property owner knew of the issue, this is known as “actual knowledge”. Or, the victim can prove negligence by showing that the business owner should have known about the issue, this is known as “constructive notice” and can be demonstrated by showing evidence such as a photo of a defective side-walk or witness testimonies of regular maintenance issues like a leaky roof.
If a victim can prove that a commercial property owner did not make repairs, or failed to warn the public of potential hazards, which resulted in injury, they may have a strong case and be entitled to compensation which includes present and future medical bills, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering.
Support for a Slip and Fall Case
If you have been injured in a Florida slip and fall case, on Commercial property, contact the Law Offices of Leonard Valdes to discuss your case, and explain the compensation you may be entitled to under Florida law. Schedule a consultation today by calling our office at 305-567-0910.