Hollywood Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents may happen anywhere, even in a beautiful city like Hollywood, Florida. With many opportunities for shopping, dining out, and other types of entertainment, it is not unusual for a resident or visitor to fall on another party’s property, such as in a retail store, hotel, restaurant, or parking lot, and sustain serious injuries. Fractures, strains, sprains, disc herniations, lacerations, or contusions frequently result from slip and fall accidents. If you have been hurt because of a business owner’s negligence, the Hollywood slip and fall accident attorneys at Cohn & Smith can navigate the process of seeking fair compensation for what you have been through. Our experience as premises liability lawyers allows us to develop strategies to maximize a client’s award and defeat counterarguments made by the defense.

A slip and fall may happen in many ways, including uneven surfaces, debris, or a spilled liquid in a customer’s path. Under Florida law, the owner or operator of a business may be held legally liable for damages resulting from a customer’s slip and fall in many cases. This is because the law imposes certain duties, including the duty to keep business property in a reasonably safe condition, upon parties that own shops, stores, nightclubs, motels, bars, and eating establishments.

Seeking compensation for injuries sustained in a slip and fall accident requires an injured person to establish a case of negligence against the defendant from which they are seeking compensation. Negligence cases involve four elements: duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. The plaintiff has the burden of proving that the property owner failed to keep the property in a reasonably safe condition and address any hazards that arose. Proving a breach of duty is a very case-specific endeavor that requires a detailed investigation into the cause of the fall, how long the situation existed, whether any employees were aware of the situation, and other factors. Our slip and fall accident lawyers can assist Hollywood residents in gathering the evidence that they need to establish liability.

A plaintiff must also prove that they were actually injured in the fall and that the defendant’s breach of the duty of care was the proximate cause of their injuries. Importantly, Florida follows the doctrine of pure comparative fault, which means that a defendant still will need to partly compensate the plaintiff for damages like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering even if it is shown that the plaintiff’s own negligence factored into the accident. In these cases, the defendant is liable for the percentage of the plaintiff’s damages that is directly attributable to the defendant’s negligence. For example, if the plaintiff suffers $120,000 in damages but is found to be 25% at fault, the defendant likely will owe the plaintiff $90,000.

To schedule an appointment to discuss your case with a knowledgeable Hollywood slip and fall accident lawyer, call Cohn & Smith, P.A., today at (954) 431-8100 or contact us online for a free consultation. Most of our cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that you pay us a percentage of your settlement or judgment when the case is over, rather than an upfront attorney fee. The Florida statute of limitations limits a plaintiff’s time for making a claim, so you should not delay in seeking legal advice about your case from our injury.