Sarasota Slip and Fall Lawyers
About one million people seek treatment in emergency rooms across the country each year because they slipped and fell. While you might think of a slip and fall as a minor accident, too many people know firsthand that these incidents can result in serious injuries. Such injuries can lead to medical bills, lost income, and other losses, as well as potential long-term effects on your life.
If you slipped and fell due to a hazard at a store, another business, or someone else’s property, you might have the right to obtain compensation for all your losses. Do not wait to discuss your options with the Sarasota slip and fall lawyers from Matthews Injury Law.
Why Choose Matthews Injury Law?
When you search online for a slip and fall attorney, it will return many results. You want to make sure that you seek help from a law firm that will never minimize your accident or injuries and that will fight for the full financial recovery that you need.
Our team has handled tough slip and fall cases involving severe injuries and extensive losses, recovering the following for some of our clients:
- $825,000 for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a slip and fall
- $800,000 for another client with serious slip and fall injuries
While past results are never a guarantee of what will happen in future cases, they demonstrate that we take slip and fall claims seriously, and we know how to convince insurance companies to pay injury victims what they deserve. We will assess the value of your slip and fall claim and pursue a settlement that is right based on your unique circumstances.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
Accidents involving slips, trips, and falls can happen anywhere that people regularly walk. When these incidents happen because of the negligence of the person or party that is responsible for maintaining the premises where the accident took place, victims are usually entitled to compensation under Florida law. Some of the more common places where slip and fall accidents happen include:
- Schools, colleges, and universities
- Offices and other workplaces
- Shopping malls
- Grocery stores like Publix and Winn Dixie
- Large retail stores like Target and Walmart
- Hospitals
- Parking lots
- Bars and restaurants
These are just some examples of where injury-causing slips, trips, and falls can occur. Regardless of where yours happened, it’s in your best interest to contact an experienced attorney as soon as you can after an accident.
Serious Slip and Fall Injuries and Losses
Some people fall and suffer only a bruised ego, while others are not nearly as fortunate. When you fall, you might - unsuccessfully - try to catch yourself, which can cause damage to your hands, arms, and wrists. Fall victims might land hard, hitting various parts of their bodies on the ground or even nearby objects.
Some common injuries we see to slip and fall victims include:
- Fractures, especially hip fractures
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Tailbone injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
These injuries all require medical care, which means the medical bills can start piling up quickly. If your injury keeps you away from work - whether for a few days or indefinitely - you can lose income that you need to support your household. Many injuries also lead to pain and suffering, lasting impairments, and other non-economic losses.
The value of slip and fall-related losses can be surprisingly extensive, which is why you need to make sure your claim for compensation is handled by a dedicated and capable injury law firm.
How to Protect Your Rights after a Slip and Fall Accident
There are certain steps that you should take after a slip and fall accident in order to protect your legal rights.
File an Incident Report
You should file an incident report with the owner or management of the premises after a slip and fall. Importantly, if you left the scene without filing one, you should still file one as soon as you can.
Get the Names of Witnesses
You should also get names and contact information from people who witnessed your accident. In many instances, witnesses can provide information that is vital to establishing liability.
Seek Medical Attention
You should always seek medical attention after a slip and fall accident, even if you think your injuries will get better on their own. It’s important to have a medical professional evaluate and document your injuries so that you have evidence of their severity.
Call a Lawyer as Soon as You Can
You should contact an attorney as soon as possible after a slip, trip, or fall that results in injury. Waiting to start your claim could result in the loss of evidence important to your claim.
Premises Liability Claims for Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall claims fall into the category of “premises liability,” which is an area of injury law that holds negligent property owners accountable for the harm they cause. When the owner or management of a business or property fails to abide by their duty of care to keep visitors safe, they should be liable for injuries and losses of accident victims. This includes slip and fall accidents.
Many negligent parties try to blame the victim of a slip and fall, at least partially, to try to limit liability. Their insurance companies are ready to challenge claims whenever possible or try to get victims to accept much less than they deserve.
With our team on your side, insurance companies cannot get away with the usual tactics they use to minimize claims. We handle all communications and negotiations on your behalf, presenting the evidence necessary to support your claim and the damages you deserve.
Learn More from Our Sarasota Slip and Fall Lawyers Today
If you have suffered injuries in a slip, trip, or fall caused by the negligence of others, you should contact Matthews Injury Law as soon as you can. We will review the facts of your slip and fall case at no cost to you and let you know whether we believe you have a legal claim. To schedule your free case evaluation, contact us or call our office today.