When you slip and fall due to the negligence of another party, you need to know your legal options and how to secure compensation for your medical bills. This guide will break down what a Tampa Bay slip and fall attorney is, how they can help with your claim and the difference between a slip and fall and a trip and fall lawsuit.
What Is a Slip and Fall Attorney?
A slip and fall lawyer is a personal injury attorney who specializes in slip and fall cases. A “slip and fall” accident occurs when a person slips and falls due to a hazard on the floor, potentially sustaining injuries as a result. These accidents occur to millions of Americans each year.
Slip and fall lawyers may also, depending on the size of their firm and staffing availability, work on other personal injury cases, like auto accident lawsuits, product liability cases, and so on.
Regardless, all slip and fall lawyers are well-educated in the legal circumstances and specifics surrounding these unique cases.
Slip and Fall vs. Trip and Fall
Although slip and fall and trip and fall cases sound similar, they are legally distinct.
- A person “slips and falls” backward, either because the floor was unbalanced or because there was a hazard on the floor, like water
- A person “trips and falls” forward, either because they stepped on something slippery, their foot/feet were caught on an object, or there was a hazard in their path
For example, if you lose your balance on a wet restaurant floor, fall backward and land on your hands, you slip and fall. Alternatively, if you trip over a box in a grocery store aisle and fall forward, you tripped and fell.
Injuries from Slip and Fall/Trip and Fall Cases
Both slip and fall and trip and fall cases can result in numerous potential injuries, such as:
- Bruising
- Cuts or lacerations
- Spinal Disc Herniations
- TBIs or traumatic head injuries like concussions
- Broken bones
- And more
In many cases, these injuries can incur high medical bills. You or a loved one may have no choice but to file a slip and fall lawsuit claim against a negligent party, like a business owner, negligent employee, or landlord.
Do You Need a Slip and Fall Lawyer?
A slip and fall lawyer can be a valuable assistant throughout the legal process. Tampa slip and fall lawyers are experienced and knowledgeable regarding Florida and local Tampa laws regarding negligence or slip liability. They can do a lot of the paperwork involved with filing a successful claim in the first place.
Indeed, it’s rarely a good idea to pursue a case by yourself, especially if you have to recover from injuries or take time off work. Why make the burden of filing a claim even harder?
Read more in our blog: The Personal Injury Law Changes in Florida 2023
Benefits of Hiring an Experienced Tampa Bay Slip and Fall Attorney
When you hire the right Tampa Bay slip and fall attorney, you’ll see several major benefits come to your case right away.
Evidence Gathering
Any victim of a slip or trip and fall incident must report the fall to the appropriate person immediately, if possible. This may be a manager at a business establishment or an employee at a theme park. Reporting the fall is the key and can be pivotal in your case. If you are able to do so, you or someone with you should take photos of the area, especially focusing on the condition that caused you to fall.
From there, a knowledgeable slip and fall attorney can assist with gathering the evidence needed to strengthen your case. This evidence can include:
- Video camera footage, such as footage from a restaurant, business, or on the street
- Eyewitness accounts from people who may have seen the incident
- Documentation, such as accident reports at a business or a doctor’s note
More importantly, your attorneys can gather the evidence on your behalf while you recover so you don’t strain yourself unnecessarily.
Slip & Fall Accidents in Tampa | What You Need to Know
Legal Counsel
In addition, slip and fall lawyers can provide sound legal counsel from the moment you contact them until a successful verdict. They can tell you:
- Whether you have grounds for a successful lawsuit
- Who is likely liable for your injuries
- Whether you may be found partially at fault due to rules of comparative negligence
They may also advise you regarding your official legal actions. Some cases, for example, might be better served by pursuing a pre-suit settlement rather than a lawsuit.
Court Assistance
Should your case go to court, your lawyer can help you to make sure your appearance goes smoothly. They can also present evidence convincingly to the judge or jury, plus guide you in your responses during cross-examination if necessary.
Potential Damages from a Successful Slip and Fall Claim
In addition to the above benefits, a Tampa Bay slip and fall attorney could help you see much higher potential damages or compensation from a successful claim.
Generally, a successful claim will result in compensatory damages: monetary awards intended to compensate you for financial losses incurred from your accident. However, punitive damages may also be awarded if the court deems it necessary, although punitive damages are very rare in the case of a slip or trip and fall.
How much could you secure from your slip and fall lawsuit? That depends on the circumstances of your case, the level of negligence assigned to the accused party, and other factors. You could see damages to compensate you for:
- Both your past and future medical bills, like physical therapy costs
- Pain and suffering if your injuries were sufficiently severe, debilitating, or painful
- Loss of income if you had/have to take time off work to recover from your injuries
- Loss of ability if your injuries resulted in a permanent disability or loss of physical ability
- Lost property, if property on your person was damaged due to your fall
- And more
Some slip and fall accident plaintiffs recover thousands of dollars. Others recover millions. In any case, a slip and fall accident law firm can massively improve your chances of seeing a successful case verdict and significant payout.
Contact a Tampa Bay Slip and Fall Attorney Today
At the end of the day, the right Tampa Bay slip and fall attorney can make it so that your case is a much smoother process. They may even be able to help you secure more damages to pay for medical bills than you would see otherwise.
Why wait when a qualified, experienced slip and fall accident law firm is ready and waiting for your call? Hunter Law offers free case evaluations to all of our new clients, so contact us today and let us start working on your case!