Have you just slipped and fallen in Port St. Lucie, FL? If you have, then your best chance of recovering compensation is with a Port St. Lucie slip and fall lawyer.
Slips and falls are some of the most common causes of personal injury in the country. In fact, according to data from the National Floor Safety Institute, slips and falls cause 87% of fracture and brain injury cases among victims. Slips and falls are also one of the leading causes of workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims.
In short, slipping and falling is a near-certainty. If you’ve been the victim of an uneven or slippery surface, you will certainly agree. With the right Port St. Lucie slip and fall lawyer in your corner, you will be a step closer to a successful personal injury claim. However, before hiring a slip and fall lawyer in Port St. Lucie, there are some things you need to be aware of.
Your Right to Compensation and Florida’s Comparative Fault Law
According to Florida’s statutes on slips and falls, victims have the right to seek compensation. The amount of compensation a plaintiff can receive depends on the degree of fault both parties have in an incident, which is influenced by Florida’s comparative negligence or fault law.
Comparative negligence allows victims to recover certain amounts of compensation based on their involvement in an accident. The calculation is based on percentage points, with the percentages indicating a proportion of negligence or fault on the part of the victim or plaintiff.
For example, if you slipped and fell on the slippery walkway of a store, the court may deem the store liable pending proof of negligence. However, if the investigation determines that you were slightly intoxicated at the time of your accident, the store’s liability drops. The court may then say that the accident was 20% your fault. This means that the maximum compensation you can recover is 80% of the original compensation amount.
The comparative negligence law gives plaintiffs more reason to prove that liable parties are 100% at fault. This way, victims will be able to recover higher amounts of personal injury compensation.
What to Expect When Proving Negligence
To maximize the chances of recovering 100% of the predetermined settlement amount, the plaintiff needs to prove that the other party has 100% liability over the incident.
To prove negligence, you must show evidence that the premise owner was aware of the premise’s perils and hazards, that the owner willfully avoided addressing these perils, and that you would not have suffered from a slip and fall had the premise’s owner eliminated these safety hazards.
These three things are pivotal to a slip and fall personal injury claim. However, liability can be difficult to prove, both in court and out of it. After all, establishment owners will do their utmost to avoid liability. They can claim that they did not know the dangers, and worse yet, premise owners might even hold you liable for your accident and the resulting injuries.
This is where your Port St. Lucie slip and fall lawyer comes in.
How Your Port St. Lucie Slip and Fall Lawyer Can Help
A slip and fall lawyer in Port St. Lucie can maximize your chances of recovering compensation in the following ways:
Calculating and Determining the Right Settlement Amount
Often, the defendant’s attorney will not allow matters to escalate to trial. This is because trials can be drawn-out and expensive. For this reason, the opposing party will offer you a settlement. While this sounds great on paper, be aware that the opposite side may be lowballing you.
A lawyer can help determine the right amounts and put the opposing party on notice. As a result, you will be more likely to receive a higher amount of compensation for your injuries.
Proving the Premise Owner’s Negligence
Negligence, as mentioned earlier, is tough to prove. However, a Port St. Lucie slip and fall lawyer has the expertise and experience needed to establish the premise owner’s fault.
Leveraging experience, evidence, and knowledge of Florida’s slip and fall statutes, an effective lawyer can convince adjudicating parties of the defendant’s fault in your injuries.
Making Progress Within Florida’s Statute of Limitation
Florida’s statute of limitation is four years from the date of an incident. This might seem like a long time to file a claim, but with opposition from the other side, time moves quickly. For this reason, you need to move fast to pursue your claim within this time period.
Your Port St. Lucie slip and fall lawyer can streamline the claims process for you, ensuring that your claim gets a result within the four-year window.
What to Look for in a Slip and Fall Lawyer in Port St. Lucie
There are many personal injury lawyers in this part of Florida. However, not all of them will be the right fit. To find the best lawyer for you, you need to keep an eye out for these qualities:
Experience Handling Similar Cases
Always ask a lawyer if they have handled similar slip and fall cases to yours. This can help you gauge whether they are the right fit for your circumstances.
A Track Record of Successful Settlements
An effective slip and fall lawyer with a proven track record will not hide successful settlements from you. Your slip and fall lawyer needs to have a high success rate that is proven by client reviews and testimonials. These should be visible on the lawyer’s website or within their office.
Availability and Communication
Your lawyer should be just a call or message away if you need anything. Your lawyer should also be keeping you abreast with the latest developments in your slip and fall claim, whether or not you reach out to ask for a status update.
Hire a Lawyer in Port St. Lucie That Won’t Slip Up
A slip and fall claim can be deceptively challenging to pursue on your own. Get help from the best slip and fall lawyer in Port St. Lucie by reaching out to our legal team.
We’re here if you need proven legal representation and counsel for your slip and fall claim. Call us now to receive legal advice that puts you first in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Contact us today and schedule a consultation.
