Florida Slip and Fall on Property Attorneys
Slip and Fall on Property
Fall-related injuries on someone else’s property are an ongoing and important source of litigation here in Florida. The sad fact is that too many property owners allow their premises to fall into disarray, eschewing reasonable care in favor of a cheaper path, and endangering visitors in the process. If you have been injured on someone else’s property, it is important to understand the different rights and responsibilities associated with your relationship to that property. Here in Florida, the law divides up visitors into three categories, as follows.
- Business invitees. These are customers, essentially, or anyone who has been invited onto the property of another party in a commercial relationship. Common examples include shoppers in a supermarket, patrons in a restaurant, customers in a mall, or visitors to an open house.
- Licensees. These are people who have been invited onto the premises for a non-commercial relationship. Examples include social guests and party guests whose presence was welcome and expected, but who aren’t there to conduct business of any sort.
- Trespassers. This is the category where many premises liability cases fall apart, as it can be difficult to prove an owner had prior knowledge of the visit. Things get a little more complex when children enter the picture, however, as there is such a thing as reasonable care if the property owner should have known that younger people might enter the premises uninvited.
One of the difficult things about Florida slip and fall accidents on the property is that there is also a reasonable expectation of caution on the part of the visitor. This is especially true in icy conditions, for instance, or in an area of a restaurant where soft drinks are served. In cases where the liability for an accident may be shared, Florida law designates what is called a comparative fault. Essentially this is a practice whereby the responsibility of the plaintiff and owner are assessed as percentages of the whole. For instance, if a slip and fall resulted in $10,000 in damages and the plaintiff’s liability was 10%, he or she may only collect $9,000, or 90% of the total.
No matter what the circumstances surrounding your slip and fall on Florida property, it is essential to work with experienced attorneys who can guide you through the legal process. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Jacksonville slip and fall property attorneys of Farah & Farah today for a free consultation. We can help you recover the full and fair settlement you deserve in the wake of that accident.
