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Slip and fall accidents are common occurrences that take place every day in almost any location and can affect everyone. While slip and fall accidents can occur in numerous locations in Florida that can include public areas and private residential homes, some of the most common places a slip or trip and fall accident can happen includes the following ten locations:
- Grocery stores
- Office buildings and commercial businesses
- Big-box stores
- Shopping malls
- Department stores
- Restaurants and bars
- Parking lots and parking garages
- Sidewalks
- Apartment complexes
- Nursing homes
Even a simple trip to the bathroom at work or at the mall could turn into a trip to the emergency room. Whether your slip and fall accident took place at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Publix, the mall, or your office complex, it is important to remember that there is usually an individual, landlord or company responsible for the injuries you suffered in the fall. However, sometimes the property owner isn’t responsible for your slip or trip.
Determining Liability
When you need to determine if someone else could be legally liable for your slip and fall injury, it is important to establish the property owner was negligent. To do this, you or your attorney can examine the following conditions:
Indoor Conditions
- Did the business have warning signs to warn of wet floors?
- Did an employee walk by a hazard or spill and not clean it up or post a warning sign promptly?
- Did an employee use incorrect floor cleaner or an excessive amount of wax or polish?
- Did the business, landlord, or property owner fail to repair torn carpet, loose floor tiles, or uneven floors?
- Did the owner of the property fail to repair broken handrails and poor stairway conditions?
- Was there insufficient light?
Outdoor Conditions
- Was the parking lot not maintained?
- Were there hidden potholes?
- Were the sidewalks defective, cracked or uneven?
- Did the owner or management company fail to keep the parking lot in a safe condition and exercise ordinary care?
- Did the owner or management company fail to warn of dangers?
- Was there inadequate lighting?
In order to determine if the property owner, landlord, or business breached their duty of care, negligence needs to be established. For help determining if someone may be liable for your slip and fall accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who is skilled in slip and fall lawsuits and can evaluate your claim. To learn more about your slip and fall claim, download our free book or contact us at our Sarasota office at 888-409-3805 for your free copy.