Falls are the leading cause of death and injuries in Florida, especially for seniors. However, they aren’t the only ones susceptible to such accidents.
With a population surpassing 150,000 and a bustling economy, slip-and-fall incidents are not uncommon in Hollywood, Florida. The city’s growth and thriving public transit system heighten the risk of injuries.
Yet, not all slip-and-fall accidents are your responsibility. If you suffer an injury on someone else’s property, whether public or private, they are liable for your well-being. The good news is you can pursue justice and receive rightful compensation. A Hollywood slip-and-fall lawyer can hold businesses and organizations accountable with compelling evidence.
You and your family should not suffer because of someone else’s negligence. You deserve compensation for your losses. From injuries to emotional distress, financial setbacks, and pain and suffering, there are damages you can rightfully pursue. A Hollywood slip-and-fall attorney can guide you through your legal options for maximum compensation.
At Madalon Law, our Hollywood slip-and-fall lawyers have extensive experience fighting for the rights of victims. Our dedicated team is committed to getting you the compensation you deserve.
Contact us for a detailed consultation after your Hollywood slip and fall accident.
Hollywood, in Broward County, is the 12th largest city in Florida, with a population of nearly 150,000. With over 5 miles of beach, nearness to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and public transit access on both Tri-Rail and Broward County Transit buses, Hollywood businesses are thriving. This is good for the local economy, but can also lead to a growing number of slip and fall accidents at businesses in the area. Slip and fall accidents can cause injury or death. When these accidents occur on a property owned by an individual person, an organization, or a business where the public is invited, accident victims may have legal recourse to collect damages for their injuries, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
High-traffic areas in Hollywood include:
Business and property owners have a legal responsibility to keep their premises free of hazards that could cause injury to visitors. When an owner fails to maintain a property and a slip and fall accident occurs, the injured party has the option of taking legal action against the individual or business. Some of the hazardous conditions that may be responsible for slip and fall accidents include unsafe construction, poorly designed or damaged stairwells, poor lighting, obstructed aisles, liquid spills, malfunctioning equipment, inadequate security, or uneven surfaces on indoor floors or in parking lots.
Legally, a slip and fall incident constitutes a personal injury incident. It happens when hazardous conditions on someone else’s property cause an individual to slip, trip, and fall, potentially resulting in injuries or worse.
Common causes of slip and fall accidents include:
These claims fall under premise liability law, which holds negligent property owners—public or private—responsible.
Florida property owners have a duty of care to guests and lawful visitors on their premises. If they are aware of a hazardous condition on their property and fail to address it, they must fix it or warn visitors. Shoppers, visitors, patrons, clients, employees, and anyone legally invited or expected to be on the property must be safe on-site.
Common types of visitors Florida premise liability law recognizes and who can sue for damages after a slip and fall accident include:
Invitees
Invitees are individuals who enter a property at the invitation of the owner. This category includes customers, clients, and service providers such as handymen, gardeners, and contractors. As such, property owners and occupants owe the highest duty of care to invitees. This means they are legally required to:
Ensuring invitee safety on a property is crucial. Signs must be easy to spot, placed prominently, and strategically positioned. This ensures invitees have enough time to notice hazards and avoid accidents.
However, property owners must keep these signs updated and well-maintained for continued safety.
This means that if you pass a worn-out wet floor sign and slip on the puddle it was allegedly warning you about, you may have a valid claim.
Licensees
If you’re legally invited onto someone’s property, whether for a party or just a casual visit, you’re considered a ‘licensee.’ This covers family, friends, and even unexpected drop-ins, like a friend who pops by unannounced. Regardless of how they arrive, property owners are responsible for ensuring these licensees are safe while on their property.
To ensure this, they must:
While the duty of care owed to licensees may be more relaxed than that owed to invitees, property owners must still take reasonable safety precautions. This includes both maintaining the property and providing adequate warnings about potential dangers.
Trespassers
Injured trespassers aren’t as well protected as injured licensees and invitees. However, property owners are still legally obligated to ensure they aren’t exposed to hazards. This means they should:
But what about curious children who trespass on a property? This is where the “attractive nuisance” doctrine comes in—property owners may be liable for a trespassing child’s injuries.
This means that if something dangerous on a property could attract kids, like a swimming pool or trampoline, the owner needs to take safety measures to keep trespassing children safe. One such measure is putting up signs.
Important note: Natural features like creeks are not considered attractive nuisances unless altered.
To establish liability, the child or their parents must prove that the property owner:
They must also demonstrate that children could not understand the risks, that removing the hazard was simple enough, and that the property owner failed to do so.
Falls account for over 8 million ER visits, making them the leading cause of injuries in Hollywood. Common injuries that require emergency treatment include:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
No one is prepared for a slip-and-fall accident. Most are unable to break their fall and suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBIs range from mild concussions to severe brain damage, with life-altering consequences. Symptoms of a TBI may include persistent headaches, confusion, memory loss, and cognitive impairment.
In severe cases, TBIs can lead to long-term disabilities, coma, or even death. The recovery process can be lengthy and expensive, often requiring extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The impact of this accident can fracture vertebrae or damage spinal cord nerves. Mostly catastrophic, these may cause partial or total paralysis below the injury site. Depending on the severity and location of the injury, individuals may experience paraplegia (lower body paralysis) or quadriplegia (all limbs are paralyzed).
Spinal cord injuries require emergency medical attention and lifelong care. Even with proper treatment, healing is harsh and may require adaptive devices. Patients may end up paying nearly $1 million in medical care without compensation.
Back and Neck Injuries
Most people fall on their back and neck in a slip-and-fall accident. Common injuries include herniated discs (the cushioning discs between the vertebrae rupture or bulge) and neck sprains (strained or torn ligaments).
Chronic pain, reduced mobility, and long-term discomfort are common from such injuries. Treatment often includes physical therapy, pain management, and, in some cases, surgical intervention. The prolonged recovery period can prevent patients from performing simple, daily activities.
Hip and Shoulder Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls cause 95% of hip fractures. They are also the leading cause of disabilities in older adults. Tragically, in elderly victims, a fall can prove deadly. Recovery often requires surgery and extensive rehabilitation, leading to long-term mobility problems.
Shoulder injuries, like brachial plexus or dislocations, are common in such accidents. These injuries cause severe pain and reduce mobility, requiring surgery and physical therapy.
Fractured or Dislocated Bones
The impact of a slip-and-fall accident can dislocate, fracture, or even shatter bones in the wrists, arms, ankles, and hips. Extremely painful fractures often require surgical intervention and a long rehabilitation period to heal.
Similarly, dislocated bones can cause intense pain and swelling. Re-positioning requires emergency treatment to prevent long-term damage.
Besides physical injuries, slip-and-fall accidents can cause emotional and psychological distress. At Madalon Law, our Hollywood slip-and-fall attorneys have helped victims battling depression, anxiety, and PTSD with their claims. As rehab costs, medical expenditures, and lost wages add to their stress, the pressure can take a serious toll.
Get compensation for these extensive damages with help from a Hollywood slip and fall accident attorney. Get the maximum amount you deserve!
At some point, everyone slips and sustains injuries. However, you may deserve compensation if you sustained injuries because of the property owner’s negligence. This is part of the state’s personal injury law. At Madalon Law, our Hollywood slip and fall attorneys establish the following for a strong claim:
Breach of Duty
A property owner breaches their duty to maintain a safe premise by failing to do so. This can include ignoring broken stairs, spills, dim lighting, old carpets, cracked floors, cluttered pathways, and other hazards. For example, if a café owner fails to mop up a spill and a diner slips on it, the owner may be liable for their injuries as they breached their duty of care.
Causation
Breach of duty comes into play here. To determine causation, your Hollywood slip and fall attorney will prove the property owner’s negligence caused the accident. For example, if you slipped on a wet patch in front of a bathroom in a restaurant, and there was no sign warning you, it shows the property owner’s breach of duty. You would be injury-free if the sign was there or the spill was cleaned up.
Eye witness statements and surveillance camera footage can establish a link.
Proof of Damages
Slip and accident victims and their personal injury attorneys must prove the accident caused damages. Detailed medical records, medical treatment bills, physiotherapy bills, witness statements, pictures of the accident scene, and anything else they can use to show suffering can support their claim. For example, if you incurred medical bills for a broken ankle, you can use the evidence to prove damages.
A slip-and-fall accident can have serious, long-lasting repercussions. But the good news is that a Hollywood slip and fall injury lawyer can help you recover damages, aka compensation. Some of the damages Madalon Law attorneys can help you recover include:
Medical Expenditures
Future Medical Costs
Lost Wages
Q. What is “constructive knowledge” in Hollywood slip and fall cases?
A. Proving constructive knowledge falls under Florida Statute 768.0755 and addresses what the property owner “should have known” about a hazard. Unlike actual knowledge, which can be challenging to prove, circumstantial evidence can establish constructive knowledge.
Constructive knowledge suggests that the property owner should have been aware of a hazardous condition with ordinary care. So, if the hazardous condition was unaddressed for a while or occurred regularly, the property owner may be liable.
Q. Older people and children are susceptible to slip and fall accidents. Will they have a harder time getting compensation?
A. Florida law doesn’t discriminate based on age or pre-existing conditions for fall-related injuries. Victims may get compensation for worsening or existing injuries that worsened with the fall, regardless of age.
Q. What does “comparative negligence” mean?
A. In Florida, you can still pursue a claim even if you’re partially to blame for a slip and fall. This is called comparative negligence. However, your fault level will determine compensation. For instance, if you’re awarded $200,000 but found 45% at fault, you may get a maximum of $110,000.
Q. When do I get medical treatment after a slip and fall accident?
A. Immediately. Otherwise, insurance companies may say you faked the accident for damages. They will use the delay against you in any way they can.
So, even if you think you have minor injuries, get medical aid ASAP. Your injuries may worsen with time, or you may be unaware of internal injuries. A doctor can determine those and add them to your medical report.
Q. Is a business liable for my injuries if I slip on a puddle with a warning sign and get injured?
A. It depends on several factors. Your Hollywood slip and fall injury lawyer will evaluate the conditions, accident location, the owner’s actions and knowledge, and your details beforehand. The owner may be liable if they fail to address the hazard that caused your accident quickly enough. For example, if the Wet Floor sign was placed 24 hours ago, and you slipped on the puddle, you can sue for damages.
You deserve maximum compensation after your Hollywood slip and fall accident. Here are some ways an injury lawyer can ensure maximum compensation:
Skillful Negotiation with Insurance Companies
Insurance adjusters can be daunting. They are paid to minimize payouts and may do or say anything to do that. This includes questioning liability, downplaying your injuries, or even blaming you!
Madalon Law Hollywood slip and fall injury lawyers level the playing field. We know their strategies and effectively counter them. Your lawyer will advocate for your rights, pushing for a settlement that reflects the true extent of your damages.
Thorough Investigation
Establishing the cause of the accident can strengthen your case. Determining negligence is complex, even if it seems clear. Numerous hazards—such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, or poor lighting—can contribute to accidents.
Your lawyer will gather evidence to establish liability. This includes investigating the scene, reviewing maintenance records, and interviewing witnesses.
Guidance and Support
Slip and fall injuries can be emotionally and physically draining. Pursuing a lawsuit is the last thing on your mind. Our compassionate Hollywood slip-and-fall lawyers can help you with your legal options.
This includes your rights and providing regular case updates for informed legal decisions. Focus on your recovery in peace, knowing we are on the job.
Protect your Rights – Contact Madalon Law’s Hollywood Slip and Fall Attorneys Today!
At Madalon Law, we understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll of such accidents. You’re not alone, and we’re here to offer you compassionate support and expert legal guidance every step of the way.
We specialize in helping individuals like you through simple and complex personal injury claims. Our Hollywood slip and fall lawyers fight tirelessly, ensuring that your voice is heard. Your well-being is our top priority. We’re committed to helping you recover the compensation you deserve for your pain, suffering, and any resulting medical expenses.
We understand how overwhelmed you feel right now. Take advantage of our free case evaluation and let us know how we can help you. Our legal team has helped hundreds of victims like you get the maximum compensation you deserve.
Most people are not aware of how the law works, the rights they have and the amount of compensation they can be entitled to after they have been injured in an accident that was the result of another party’s negligence. The obstacles and confusion that follow an accident and an injury can seem overwhelming.
