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Losing your footing unexpectedly can be dangerous, especially if you end up falling onto a hard surface or sustaining trauma to your head, neck, or back. There are numerous examples every year of Florida residents sustaining severe and even life-changing harm from slipping or tripping accidents, many of which could have been prevented altogether if the owner of the property had taken better care of their land.
Holding a landowner liable for this kind of accident can require extensive evidence as well as the legal expertise to make effective use of it, as any seasoned personal injury attorney could affirm. If you need help recovering compensation after a bad fall, talking to a Largo slip and fall lawyer sooner rather than later should be a priority.
Proving Liability for a Slip and Fall Injury
It is crucial to understand that landowners in Florida are not automatically liable for every accident that happens on their property. Instead, property owners owe different “duties of care” to different people based on why those people are visiting their property, as a Largo slip and fall attorney could explain in greater detail.
A property owner may be legally liable for a slip or trip and fall if the incident would not have occurred but for an unreasonably dangerous hazard that the landowner did not address sufficiently. Depending on the circumstances, this might entail a failure to warn a visitor about the hazard in advance, or a failure to regularly inspect their property for hazards and address them promptly once discovered.
Another complicating factor is a legal concept known as comparative fault. This is the degree to which you are to blame for causing or worsening your own injuries through your own negligent behavior. Florida is a “pure comparative fault” state that does not prohibit you from filing suit even if you are mostly to blame for your own damages. However, the percentage of total blame assigned to you by the court ruling on your case will still generally lead to a proportional reduction in the value of your final damage award.
Relevant Evidence for Trip and Fall Cases
Proving that a property owner was negligent and that a slip and fall victim was not to blame for their injury can require evidence from numerous sources. In addition to photos of the area where the accident occurred and video surveillance footage of the accident, it can also be helpful to solicit testimony from eyewitnesses, present physical items like the shoes you were wearing at the time, and note what effects the injuries have on your life in the days and weeks after being hurt.
Anyone pursuing compensation for a trip and fall accident in Largo must have thorough documentation of their injuries from every medical professional they seek treatment from. A qualified slip and fall lawyer could provide vital help collecting and organizing key information to build a strong and comprehensive claim.
Get in Touch with a Largo Slip and Fall Attorney
Holding someone else financially accountable for slip and fall injuries can be challenging even under the best circumstances. In most situations, an unrepresented plaintiff is likely to have trouble even establishing that a landowner bears fault for their accident in the first place, let alone getting fair compensation for all their ensuing damages.
Consulting with a Largo slip and fall lawyer could be a key first step toward securing the restitution you deserve. Call today for a confidential meeting.