Hey snowbirds! While there might not be snow or ice on the ground in Florida, slip and fall accidents can still happen and are a major cause of injury while in the deep south.
When we were younger, most slips and falls could be dismissed as relatively insignificant. Not so much as we age. To put it bluntly, we just don’t bounce the way we used to. Therefore, hitting the concrete, or even indoor flooring can cause serious injury and lasting damage. Additionally, those over 55 years of age are much more likely to break bones and experience serious slip and fall injuries.
These injuries can make it hard for a person to get around, do everyday activities, live on their own, or enjoy the same quality of life.
Slip And Fall Injuries Can Be Serious
- Falls can cause broken bones, like wrist, arm, ankle, and hip fractures.
- Falls can cause head injuries. These can be very serious, especially if the person is taking certain medicines (like blood thinners). A person who falls and hits their head should see a doctor right away, regardless of age.
- Many people who fall, even if they’re not injured, become afraid of falling. This fear may cause a person to cut down on their everyday activities. When a person is less active, they become weaker and thus increase their chances of falling.
Did you know that over 800,000 patients are hospitalized per year due to a fall injury? Most often these injuries are hip fractures or head injuries.1
The unfortunate reality is that slips and falls can cause serious injury and forever change your quality of life. To make matters worse, far too many serious slip and fall injuries are the result of the negligence of others. Poorly maintained premises can spell disaster for even the most cautious and conscientious individuals.
Premise Liability & Slip And Falls
Most states and provinces impose common law and legislative obligations upon property owners to make sure their premises are relatively safe for the activity that is being offered.
They follow a comparative negligence rule wherein you are allowed to bring an action and receive an award against the defendant for their portion of liability. A few jurisdictions have an absolute bar. If you are in any way responsible for the accident, you are not entitled to make a claim.
Some examples of typical hazards encountered in everyday settings include:
- Stairs not built to “code” or not properly maintained
- Loose or broken stair railings
- Grocery stores: usually around the produce section
- Loose or dislodged paving stones or gravel
- Broken and uneven sidewalks
- Unsecured wires or cabling in and around walking paths
- Poor lighting in and around stairwells
- Uneven flooring and lack of demarcation
Slip And Fall Liability In Bars & Pubs
Let’s not forget my favourite culprit – pubs. While serving alcohol, they have a very high standard of care to meet – making sure their patrons can walk around safely. In addition, many North American jurisdictions impose legal obligations upon pubs that have allowed their patrons to drink and drive.
Determining Fault In Slip And Fall Accidents
The court when determining fault considers all types of facts such as what happened to whom: who did what; when (misfeasance or non-feasance); and whether the accident could have been avoided and the cost of avoiding it! Furthermore “standards of care” can be higher and lower subject to what the premises are being used for. A simple illustration is commercial property owners – they have a much higher standard of care to meet as compared to private homeowners.
Hurt In A Slip And Fall In Florida? Snowbird Accidents Can Help!
For over 35 years, we have been assisting Canadians involved in slip and fall accidents and other personal injury accidents in the United States.
We are not a law firm. We work with exceptional personal injury lawyers across Canada and the United States. All of the slip and fall personal injury lawyers and attorneys are certified by their respective State or Provincial Bar Association to practice law. They are familiar with the complexities of cross-border insurance claims and work together to ensure the injured party is protected both where the accident happened and where their contractual rights exist.
As always be careful, but if you are involved in an accident call the Snowbird Helpline for a FREE consultation.
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