Suffering an injury from slipping and falling is more common than you might expect. Contacting a personal injury lawyer is a crucial step in ascertaining your options.
We have all experienced the unpleasant adrenaline rush and unsteadiness that comes with slipping on a wet floor, but what do you do when you are in a place of business and your feet slide out from under you and your body smacks the floor?
The legal experts at King Law Firm in Ocala recommend you first check yourself for injuries and obtain medical assistance if necessary. Then, ask a manager to file an incident report and to give you a copy of the report. Also, take pictures of the surrounding area, and specifically of what caused your fall, as well as gather any witnesses’ contact information.
Being able to prove that an accident took place is crucial to securing compensation, but you must also prove that the business was at fault, which is why consulting a personal injury lawyer is your next step.
Managing Shareholder Greg King explains that consulting a personal injury attorney is crucial to “find out if the property owner is responsible for their injuries and, even if not, whether there is medical payments insurance from the business to pay for their medical treatment.”
All business locations such as malls, hotels, restaurants and apartments are obligated by law to ensure that their premises are safe. Florida law requires that, as the injured party, the injuries must be proven to have resulted from the negligence of the business or premise owner.
Even if you signed a waiver at a theme park or a horseback riding stable, for example, you should talk to a lawyer about finding and obtaining compensation if you were injured. Since 1995, King Law Firm has assisted many clients who have been seriously injured on the premises of venues such as amusement parks and apartment complexes, obtaining compensation for the injured persons’ lost wages and hospital bills in addition to the trauma of their injuries, as well as filing wrongful death claims on behalf of surviving family members.
Most slip and falls are caused by what the law calls a transitory foreign substance–water pooling in a grocery store or food spilled in a restaurant, for instance. Slip and fall cases are extremely prevalent–according to the National Safety Council, they are a leading cause of accidental injuries throughout the nation.
Slip and falls are the primary cause of occupational injury for people over 55 years old and represent the leading cause of workers compensation claims. The compensation and medical costs of employee slip and fall accidents total approximately $70 billion annually, whereas the disabling injury costs associated with occupational slip and falls are around $300,000.
Statistically, every year in the United States, one out of every three people over age 65 will undergo a fall, and more than 15,000 die as a result of their fall-related injuries.
If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, talk with a qualified local attorney about your legal rights to determine if you have a case.
King Law Firm
2156 E. Silver Springs Blvd.
Ocala, FL 34470
352-261-6648
www.kinglawfirm.org
