SLIP AND FALL LAWYERS IN RIVERVIEW & TAMPA, FL

RIVERVIEW SLIP AND FALL LAWYERS

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Slip and fall accidents are quite common in Riverview and one of our areas of expertise as a personal injury law firm. It’s a common cause of injury for men and women of all ages. While we may not need to worry about ice here in Florida, a slippery floor isn’t the only risk factor you should be aware of.

Our slip and fall lawyers at Calandro Law often work with clients injured due to defective stairs or poor floor maintenance in professional environments. The property owner would likely be liable following a serious fall resulting in injury. This is when you should contact our slip and fall accident lawyers.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a serious fall due to property owner negligence, here are the steps you need to take.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AN OVERVIEW OF SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS

According to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), over a million Americans are seriously injured in a slip or fall every year. Of these, nearly 17,000 people end up dying from these injuries. When floors are not properly maintained by property owners, the results can quickly turn deadly.

Our slip and fall lawyers will tell you that injury severity depends on several factors. These include the composition of the floor, the presence of unsafe equipment, and the number of people in the area.

Slip and fall injuries account for nearly 15% of all job-related injuries in Florida. That means that about 12% to 15% of workers’ compensation expenses are related to these injuries. Our slip and fall lawyers have two different categories for slip and fall accident cases in Riverview:

  • ISame-level falls
  • IElevated falls

SAME-LEVEL FALLS

As the name implies, cases where the fall impacts an object or the floor on the same level as the individual was standing is categorized as a same level fall. Most of these falls happen because someone tripped on an object lying on the floor, or the floor was slippery and missing some form of safety sign.

CAUSES OF SAME LEVEL FALLS

  • IOily or slippery floors
  • IUneven terrain
  • IObjects lying on the floor
  • IUneven elevation
  • ICords
  • IRugs
  • ICracked terrain
  • IDamaged or improper footwear
Same-level falls often happen to employees in the workplace and are one of the most costly and hazardous forms of workplace injury in Riverview. Sadly, they are also the second most preventable type of workplace injury.

CAUSES OF SAME LEVEL FALLS

Same-level falls can be serious, but are preventable when the right precautions are taken.
  1. Same-level falls are often linked to poor property management in workplaces and residential homes. They can be prevented with better housekeeping and organization in the workplace.
  2. Employees, when working in a congested workplace, should avoid distractions, such as using a cellphone.
  3. Managers should arrange proper lighting for workplaces to reduce the chances of tripping on random objects on the floor.
  4. Employees should wear suitable footwear, which does not impede movement.

ELEVATED FALLS

Elevated falls are defined as someone who falls from an elevated position. Our slip and fall accident lawyers have seen cases where clients fell off the top of a fixed or portable ladder, bigger vehicles like tractor trailers, construction equipment, and stairs. Compared to same-level falls, elevated falls are far less common but often result in much more severe injuries or death in Riverview, FL.
COMMON CAUSES OF ELEVATED FALLS IN RIVERVIEW
The most common causes of these serious accidents include:
  • ILoss of equilibrium while working on a ladder.
  • INegligent behavior while standing on top of a construction apparatus.
  • IPoor equipment maintenance that causes malfunctions and leads to elevated falls.
HOW TO AVOID ELEVATED FALLS?
Elevated falls tend to be more serious than same-level falls, but they can be avoided by:
  • IEnsuring proper maintenance of construction equipment.
  • IMaintaining a professional demeanor when standing on elevated construction equipment.
  • ICritical equipment should be regularly tested and maintained.

WHAT COMPLICATIONS CAN SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS LEAD TO?

These accidents can have devastating consequences depending on the severity of the fall and resulting injuries. According to the CDC, medical costs average $30,000 for slip and fall injuries in Florida. These types of fees can be disastrous for the average middle-class family in Riverview (not to mention the resulting increase in insurance costs following an accident like this).

Along with the aforementioned consequences, slip and fall accidents can lead to other long-term complications for victims and their families.

LONG-TERM MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS

If the fall is severe, the victim can develop long-term complexities in their body. The condition can then be exacerbated by another injury.

FRACTURES AND BONE DAMAGE

For 20-30% of cases, the victims experience some form of fracture or a broken bone. Broken bone and fracture can easily put the victim on the bed for weeks or a month, depending on the fall’s impact.

LEGAL PROCESS FOR SLIP AND FALL CASES IN RIVERVIEW

WHO’S AT FAULT IN A SLIP AND FALL CASE?

Our slip and fall lawyers will review each case based on its own merits. Legally proving fault requires careful evaluation of the property owner’s actions (or lack thereof) that can be used to prove their negligence.

This will be the first line of inquiry from our personal injury attorneys, because slip and fall accidents can easily occur as a result of carelessness on the injured individual’s part. To legally prove a property owner’s negligence in this case, the victim needs to prove that dangerous conditions were still present, and the owner was aware of them.

Your attorney will need to be able to prove that conditions were dangerous, but it wouldn’t have been something you could have anticipated entering the environment. Once that has been established, they’ll need to provide evidence that the property owner was aware of the dangerous conditions.

One of the following conditions must be true to hold someone accountable for a slip and fall accident in Florida:

  • IThe property owner must have either deliberately or unintentionally caused the dangerous conditions (cracks, loose debris, or slippery floors) and decided to hide it.
  • IThe property owner knew about the dangerous conditions but took no action to fix them.
  • IThe dangerous condition persisted on the property for a long enough time for a reasonable person to discover and rectify it.

If one of the above conditions are met, the property owner can be legally held accountable. You should not hesitate to contact slip and fall lawyers if that’s the case.

HOW CAN OUR SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENT LAWYERS HELP YOU?

Hiring slip and fall lawyers can help you manage the situation efficiently. Our legal team has significant experience handling injury cases like these, and we can help you get the compensation you need to cover your medical bills.

Our slip and fall lawyers will help you claim compensatory damages, whether monetary or punitive. We offer free legal consultations for slip and fall accident cases in Riverview.

We’ll examine the conditions involved in your case and determine if we can help you claim damages.

INJURED FROM A FALL? WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT?
If you’ve been in a slip and fall accident somewhere in Hillsborough, then you should follow these recommendations in order to protect your health and your legal rights.

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION

Do not wait! Seek immediate medical attention following a slip and fall accident. These type of falls can cause serious injuries which aren’t immediately apparent; your health should be your immediate concern.

OBTAIN SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
After regaining your health, the first thing you need to do is collect as much evidence as you can to determine the parties’ liability. The protection of your legal rights should be your main concern.
CALL OUR SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENT LAWYERS

The next thing you need to do is contact our slip and fall accident lawyers so we can evaluate the situation and determine the parties’ liability on your behalf. This is not the type of case you want to pursue on your own. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Calandro Law. We are located in Riverview and offer free legal consultations. Call us today at (813) 563-6463.

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