Fort Myers Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys

At some point in our lives, every one of us will end up on our rears. Maybe we tripped on our own stairs or were knocked down in a sporting event. What makes this situation even worse is when our fall isn’t our own fault.

When you walk into a restaurant, a store, or down the street, you expect to find safe conditions. You don’t expect to find slippery floors, water on the sidewalk, or spilled food. All of these scenarios create unsafe conditions that can lead to serious injury.

If you encounter these or similar situations, you need to know what to do next. The thing to remember is that you did not cause your injuries and that you should not have to pay for them.

For assistance making sure your bills are covered, you need an aggressive and compassionate slip and fall attorney in Fort Myers to take your case.

Slip and Fall Causes

According to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, slip and fall accidents are common. Causes may include:

Recently waxed floors
Uneven surfaces
Potholes
Loose rugs
Uneven stairs
Spilled food or liquids

While everyone should look where they’re walking, certain dangers are hidden, so even if you are diligent, you may not see the issue ahead. Besides, it’s never your fault that you slipped on something that should have been cleaned up by the property owner.

Even if you weren’t paying attention to where you were walking, that doesn’t remove liability from the property owner. In Florida, property owners, whether the property is commercial or residential, owe you a duty of care to keep their property safe. If you’re injured on their property, they’ve probably failed in that duty and owe you compensation for your injuries.

Slip and Fall Injuries

Slipping and falling may not seem like it could cause serious injury. Most often, the most injured part of your body is your ego. After a fall, you may feel embarrassed and just want out of the situation. But according to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and falls account for more than one million emergency room visits each year.

In reality, slipping and falling can cause life long negative consequences for your health. Common injuries include:

Chronic back pain
Broken bones
Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
Bruises
Swollen joints
Spinal cord injuries
Paralysis
Death

Slipping and falling is no joke. According to the National Safety Council, five percent of all people who slip and fall break a bone. Even if you don’t feel any pain right after your fall, that doesn’t mean you’re clear from any injuries. Seeking prompt medical attention is the only way to make sure that you are all right.

Steps to Take After a Slip and Fall

There are several steps you need to take immediately following a slip and fall. These steps are important to not only ensure your safety but also ensure that you are financially compensated.

Seek medical attention right away. Even if you don’t feel pain, get a medical professional to evaluate you. In addition to getting medical attention, this will create documentation about your accident and the injuries that you suffered. This will come in handy for your claim.
Get a police report. This may sound like an extreme step, but getting a police report will help document the accident scene and what happened. Besides that, the police will interview any witnesses to your slip and fall. While the police may not cite anyone at fault, this information will help your slip and fall lawyer fight to protect your rights.
Take pictures of the area. If you’re able, take pictures of your injuries and the area where you fell. Pay close attention to any slippery, wet, or uneven areas, and get detailed pictures.
Don’t speak to the insurance company. The insurance company is not looking out for your best interest. The insurance company will want to speak with you as soon as possible, take your recorded statement, and then use that statement to get you to settle for less than your claim is worth. Speaking with a skilled personal injury lawyer first can help you avoid costly mistakes when you do speak with the insurance company.
Call Viles & Beckman. Since 1995, we have been helping Floridians just like you who have been injured in slip and fall accidents. Our job is to make your recovery as smooth as possible while ensuring that the negligent party pays your bills.
Continue to document everything. Even after your accident, document everything. Keep your medical bills. Keep copies of your medical records. Keep a journal of your pain and discomfort. No bruise or pain is too small or insignificant to ignore. These documents can help your case.

You should also give notice to the property owner. You do not, however, need to provide them with a lengthy and detailed description or account of what happened. Under no circumstances should you mention the fall was in any way your fault. Fault is determined by an investigation by your lawyer and the insurance company. Saying the slip and fall was even partially your fault may seriously harm your ability to recover the compensation that you need to make a full and complete recovery.

Holding the Negligent Party Liable

Slip and fall cases may seem simple. In reality, they are complex personal injury cases that require the keen eye of an experienced and skilled personal injury lawyer. Under Florida law, property owners must keep their property reasonably safe for all who enter.

To hold property owners liable for your injuries, they must not have acted as a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances would have acted. This is why you see wet floor signs as you enter a store or mall during the rainy season. The owner of the property must take steps to dry the floor as people enter and provide a warning that the floor is wet.

Other examples include:

A restaurant employee failing to clean up a spilled drink in a reasonable amount of time
A mall owner failing to repair parking lot potholes
A city failing to repair uneven sidewalk pavement

Your claim will be against the property owner on whose property you were injured. Most likely, this will involve their insurance company. Have a trusted personal injury attorney by your side to help you navigate the complexities of your personal injury claim and to help deal with the insurance company.

Damages for Your Injuries

Your injuries impact your ability to enjoy your life. Because you played no part in causing your slip and fall, you should bear no responsibility for the bills associated with your recovery.

At Viles & Beckman, we will fight to get you compensation for:

Pain and suffering
Lost wages
Loss of companionship
Medical bills
Rehabilitation costs
Emotional distress

Even the most minor injuries may come with major medical costs. What many clients don’t anticipate is future costs. You may have medical bills sitting on your kitchen table, but those aren’t the only bills you’ll need to pay. Our compassionate and aggressive personal injury team will help you recover damages to help you cover all of your medical costs.

We Know What Evidence to Look For

Immediately after your slip and fall, your biggest priority should be making sure that you get better. You’re not an expert in slip and fall cases, and you may not even know what to look for to support your claim.

But we do. Since 1995, we’ve been collecting evidence for victims of slip and fall accidents in Florida. We interview witnesses before they forget details about your accident. We make sure your injuries are documented. And we’ll get copies of any accident reports.

This isn’t all we do. We also make sure your case is provable:

Was there a dangerous condition?
Did the property owner fail to act reasonably?
Did the property owner violate the law?

Answering yes to the above questions helps to build your case. Our job is to make sure you get the compensation that you deserve to get better. We focus on the legal work while you focus on your recovery.

Settlements Aren’t Always in Your Best Interest

The insurance company of the property owner will likely contact you with a settlement offer. Until you speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer who reviews the offer, don’t accept it.

Most likely, this is a low ball offer that won’t cover all of your medical costs. Besides that, you may have to waive your right to bring a future claim against the insurance company. This means you could find yourself in extreme financial hardship if you take the first low ball offer from the insurance company.

They know you have medical bills piling up, and they know you need fast cash. They want you to take the low ball offer. Insurance companies make money by not paying out claims. Don’t let this happen to you. Speak with us today to make sure that your rights are protected and that you get the compensation you deserve to get back on your feet.

How Much Is a Slip and Fall Case Worth

It all depends on the circumstances of your accident. But rest assured, insurance companies won’t want to settle for the full value of your claim. They may get away with it too if you decide not to use an experienced personal injury attorney. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. If they pay out your claim, that hurts their bottom line. Their insurance adjusters are trained to pay out as little as possible for every claim that comes across their desk.

Having the right slip and fall lawyer on your side is one of the most important factors in making sure you get the full value of your claim. Insurance companies know that Viles & Beckman is aggressive and won’t settle unless it’s right for you. We can help you get the compensation you need to pay your bills and get back on your feet.

What We Do for You

At Viles & Beckman, it’s our job to reduce your stress and handle the legal work, so you can focus on your recovery. We do that by taking care of the paperwork. Personal injury claims are complex and there is a great deal of paperwork that you must file and review. We’ll handle this so that you don’t have to worry about it.

While it’s true that most cases settle out of court, we won’t settle your case unless it benefits you. Ultimately, we want you to get better, and that means you need a certain amount of money. We will aggressively fight with the insurance company to get you what you need.

If we can’t get there in a settlement, we are fully prepared to take your case all the way to trial, if necessary, to get you compensation for the full cost of your injuries.

Without a trusted personal injury lawyer fighting for you, you risk getting nothing for your personal injury claim and having to pay your medical expenses out of pocket. Avoiding this scenario is one of the best ways for you to make sure your focus is on your recovery.

Contact Viles & Beckman if a Fort Myers Slip and Fall Accident Injured You

When you’re injured in a slip and fall accident, the last thing you need to worry about is your legal claim and how you’re going to pay your bills. That’s where we come in. Since 1995, we’ve been helping clients just like you handle their slip and fall claims so that they can focus on what matters most: getting better. That’s all injured individuals should worry about.

When you meet with us, we’ll evaluate your claim, conduct an investigation, speak with witnesses, deal with the insurance company, and fight for your rights in court. We do all of this at no cost to you. We only get paid if you win, and we only take cases we feel we can win.

Contact Viles & Beckman online or by calling (239) 208-5223 today. We look forward to helping you get back on your feet.