Slip & Fall

Minor accidents happen all the time: you nick yourself shaving, or stub your toe on the coffee table, or get a paper cut opening an envelope. It stings for a minute, then you forget all about it; no harm was done. Unfortunately, not all accidents are minor. Injuries can happen on someone else’s property and you may have to pay significant medical expenses to recover from your injuries, even though the cause of your accident was the negligence of another. “Accidents” like these may entitle you to compensations for what is known as premises liability. Getting help from an experienced lawyer can make a huge difference when it comes to identifying negligence and requesting the deserved compensation. We represent injured victims in the Sunrise, West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale areas.

Examples Of Premises Liability

Slip & Fall: If you are injured because someone overlooks basic safety measures, such as posting a warning about wet floors, cleaning up a spill that exists on the floor, repairing a hole in the floor, or adequately covering a drain, the owner of the property is liable for damages. These damages could include recovery of medical expenses, lost wages, and money for emotional distress. Consult with our dedicated, Sunrise slip & fall attorney, David M. Benenfeld, and find out how we can help you.

Toxic Chemicals: A property or business owner who exposes tenants and/or customers to dangerous materials like lead paint, mold or asbestos, can be held liable for any medical expenses or other related damages. This is true, even if the owner claims to have been unaware that there was a problem. A claim of ignorance is no excuse. It just means the owner did not conduct enough inspections to ensure the property’s safety. Another example of toxic chemical liability is when everyday chemicals are used incorrectly, such as chlorine in swimming pools. Improper regulation of the amount of chlorine used to treat the water can severely damage eyes and skin, and a spill can prove disastrous. Our premises liability law firm in Sunrise can help identify the causes of your injury and get the compensation you deserve.

Construction: Property owners have a responsibility to ensure the safety of customers or passersby when the property is undergoing maintenance or construction. For example, window washers, painters, electricians, plumbers and other laborers must make sure that their tools and other equipment are secure. Even a small bolt can severely injure a person if it falls from a great height. In addition, property owners have a responsibility to properly mark and seal off construction sites.

Lack of Security: If you have been assaulted, robbed, raped or otherwise injured while residing in an apartment or staying at a hotel, you should ask yourself how the crime was committed and the level of security provided by the property’s owner. The owner and manager of the property have the legal responsibility to ensure tenants and guests are adequately protected from criminals and intruders. Lack of control over who can gain access to the property, bad lighting, weak locks, an insufficient number of security personnel, or poorly trained security personnel, can all be considered negligent and grounds for a lawsuit for lack of security. Our Sunrise FL premises liability law firm can help bring you justice.

Negligent Security: Property owners have a duty to keep others safe from harm, including criminal assault and battery. If they fail to take adequate safety measures or to warn visitors of dangerous conditions, they can be held liable for negligent security. Negligent security claims involve issues such as forced entry, inadequate parking lot surveillance, poor lighting, improperly trained or inadequate security personnel, and more. Places, where negligent security is commonly cited as the cause of an injury, include hotels, apartments, theme parks, shopping malls, sports stadiums, hospitals, nursing homes, banks and ATM machines, stairwells, and elevators.

Children falling into swimming pools: Young children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. In Florida, drowning is the leading cause of death among children between the ages of 1 and 4, and the drowning death rate among children who are 5 years old is the highest in the nation. Of course, many more children are severely injured from falling into a swimming pool or accidents in the immediate area. Many of these deaths and injuries are the result of lack of adequate fencing, insufficient or negligent supervision, inadequate warning signs, and improper maintenance. All of these situations are examples of premises liability. The owner or manager of the property can be held liable for medical expenses and distress resulting from the injury, or wrongful death if the child drowns.

Alcohol Liability: In Florida, bar owners can be held liable if an obviously intoxicated customer injures another person. The laws that govern this situation are known as Dram Shop Laws. Essentially, if a bartender continues to serve a customer who is already drunk and does not make an attempt to keep him or her from driving, the bartender and the bar’s owner have directly contributed to consequences of the drunken patron’s actions.

Experienced Premises Liability Lawyer For Injured Floridians

The average citizen of Florida is usually unaware of his or her rights as a guest, tenant or customer. Because of this, they rarely consider issues of liability after an injury or assault. David Benenfeld has been advising and working for the injured of Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach County for over a decade, and has helped many victims of premises liability secure the compensation they deserve.

By working closely with his clients and presenting cases firmly grounded in legal precedent, David Benenfeld has earned a reputation as a skilled and formidable attorney. This allows him to bring cases to a favorable close at a faster rate than most other personal injury lawyers.

Sources Of Compensation

Most premises liability claims arise from accidents that occur at commercial establishments, such as stores, restaurants and grocery stores. Under Florida law, an employer is liable for the negligence of his employee, even if the employer itself is not at fault. For this reason, you can file a claim against a business over an accident caused by one of their employees.

Most businesses carry insurance that will pay out on premises liability claims. Even if the establishment’s insurance won’t cover your accident, the establishment itself is likely to be able to afford to pay. If you are injured in a private home, however, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance normally covers liability. In other words, you are probably going to have to negotiate compensation from an insurance company. To make the process more effective, quicker, and easier, hire an experienced Sunrise slip & fall lawyer that will fight for your rights.

Arbitration Clauses

If you were injured at a commercial establishment with which you have a contractual relationship (a fitness gym, for example), your contract may require arbitration. You can still reach a settlement if the defendant is willing; however, you probably can’t take your claim to court. Arbitrating your claim probably won’t result in any disadvantage, except that you probably can’t appeal an adverse decision.

But I Can’t Afford To Hire An Attorney For My Premises Liability Claim!

Yes, you can. The way that I have set up payment, it is ultimately the defendant who pays your legal bills. It works like this:

• I don’t charge any upfront fees for representation.
• Your legal bills will come due at the time the defendant actually transfers the money. At that point, your bill will be calculated as a percentage of your compensation, so you are guaranteed to come out ahead.
• In the unlikely event that you do not receive any compensation, I will not charge you any legal fees at all for my representation.

Seek Legal Help Immediately

Personal injury claims tend to grow cold over time, as evidence deteriorates (witnesses move out of town, for example). Meanwhile, the statute of limitations sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit. If you miss it, the defendant will have no incentive to settle with you – after all, if you can no longer force the money out of them, then why should they compromise and settle with you?

If you have suffered a slip and fall accident or were injured in some other way on someone else’s property, you may be entitled to compensation. Your chances increase if the accident resulted from an unreasonably dangerous condition on the property. Call David M. Benenfeld at 954-466-3642, or complete the online contact form, so that we can schedule a free consultation. Your Sunrise slip & fall attorney is here to help!

Florida Slip & Fall Faqs