Fort Lauderdale Slip and Fall Lawyer

If you were injured after slipping and falling on someone else’s property, our Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyer is here to help. Our top-rated firm has decades of experience helping injured Floridians, and we’re ready to help you. We can help you determine if you have a viable claim, and if so, we’ll work to obtain full compensation on your behalf.

The experienced Fort Lauderdale personal injury team at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath is ready to advocate on your behalf. Call (561) 655-1990 or contact us online to schedule your free case consultation.

What steps should you take after a slip and fall?

The actions you take following a slip and fall accident will have a significant impact on your health and your case — remain calm, don’t yell or place blame at the scene, and follow these important steps.

1. Seek medical care

Even if you don’t think you were seriously hurt, you should seek medical care right away. Shock and adrenaline can mask many symptoms, some of which point to serious injuries with irreversible long-term effects if not treated promptly.

In addition to protecting your short and long-term health, prompt medical care will help provide documentation of your injuries that will be useful in your case.

2. Report the incident

Notify the property owner or manager of the incident right away. Doing so will help secure the scene and prevent others from being injured the same way.

You might be asked to complete an incident report detailing the accident, such as what happened and how it occurred. Try to include details that are supported by evidence, such as the time of the incident, which you can back up by taking photos at the scene.

3. Gather evidence

The more evidence you can gather at the scene, the better. This includes taking pictures and videos of the scene and the surroundings.

For example, if you slipped on a wet floor, take photos of the liquid, the surrounding area to show a lack of signage or warning, and the surrounding area, such as businesses or notable cameras, which may have video of what happened. This evidence could be invaluable to your case.

You should also get the name, email address, and phone number of any witnesses who were present when you fell or who could attest to the danger that caused your injury and the property’s lack of warning or signage. Don’t worry about obtaining their statement; your Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyer will do that for you.

4. Connect with a Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyer

The sooner you hire an experienced attorney from Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, the faster they can begin their investigation of the accident to obtain additional supporting evidence.

Your attorney will contact witnesses to the accidents and will obtain footage from any witnesses or surveillance cameras that may have captured the incident. Your attorney will also be able to determine who is liable for your injuries, as it could be one person, multiple people, or an entity–this can be difficult information to learn on your own.

Your Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer can also help you find medical providers who work on an attorney lien. This means you can receive treatment and push back out-of-pocket payments until you receive your settlement.

Make sure you file your claim on time.

In Florida, you have two years from the date of your slip and fall accident to take legal action against the responsible parties — this is known as the statute of limitations. If the statute of limitations expires, you won’t be able to file a lawsuit to seek the compensation you deserve.

Although you have two years to file, you shouldn’t wait to take action. The longer you wait, the harder it might be to obtain necessary evidence because it could be lost or destroyed, and witnesses might not accurately remember what happened. It could also be more difficult to prove your injuries and the damages you’re seeking.

There’s no reason for you to delay getting legal assistance because the longer you wait to hire a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer, the longer it will take to get the compensation you’re entitled to.

What compensation can you be entitled to?

The compensation victims of personal injury cases are able to recover under Florida law for the financial losses they’ve suffered as a result of the accident, which is called damages. Damages come in two main forms: economic and non-economic.

If an attorney promises or guarantees that you’ll receive a certain amount of money in your slip-and-fall case, especially in a consultation, find another attorney. There’s simply no way that a lawyer can accurately predict what kind of compensation you’ll receive in your settlement without knowing all the facts and seeing the evidence.

Although we can’t promise you a specific amount, the Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyers with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath will not rest until we make those responsible for your suffering pay for their negligence and obtain the damages you deserve.

Economic damages

These are losses that are easy to prove and are often said to be “tangible.” They include current medical expenses, wages you’ve lost because your injury caused you to miss work, expected future medical expenses, and more. Here’s a closer look at some of the economic damages you’ve likely suffered.

• Lost wages – These include the money you’ve lost immediately following your injury and the earnings, bonuses, benefits, and commissions you might lose in the future if your injury prevents you from returning to your job or from working at all. Your attorney will hire the necessary expert witnesses to prove that your injuries are so severe that you can no longer work in the same capacity, if you can work at all.
• Medical bills – These are fairly straightforward when it comes to the medical costs you’ve already incurred, such as the care you received immediately following the accident, prescriptions, follow-up care, rehabilitation, and more. Your attorney will also fight for you to receive damages for the cost of the medical care you’ll need in the future to treat your injuries, which will require a medical expert to testify to that care.

Non-economic damages

Obtaining non-economic damages requires the help of a skilled attorney. This is because non-economic damages are subjective and more difficult to calculate. Our experienced slip and fall lawyers can help you obtain damages for:

Pain and suffering

Emotional and mental trauma

Loss of enjoyment of life

And more

How to deal with insurance after a slip and fall

The negligent party’s insurance company will likely send an adjuster to speak with you after you’ve filed a claim. They’ll probably appear friendly, concerned about your health, and very apologetic for your injury. Unfortunately, this is nothing more than an act.

Insurance company adjusters have one job – to save their employer as much money as possible. This means that they’ll do whatever they can to deny you the compensation you’re entitled to. When the adjuster contacts you, don’t sign anything they give you and don’t give a statement of what happened.

Instead, only tell them the date, time, and location of the accident, then provide them with your attorney’s contact information and refer all other questions to your attorney.

What is the cost of hiring a Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyer?

The Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyers at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath work on a contingency basis. This means that we don’t get paid unless we win your case. You have enough to focus on with your recovery; let us handle the rest.

Our Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyers can help you

It would help if you spoke with a Fort Lauderdale slip and fall lawyer right away. They can protect your rights and help recover the damages you deserve. Call us at (561) 655-1990 or use our online contact form to schedule your free consultation today.