Slip and Fall Attorney in The Villages

The most common slip and fall cases our attorneys handle involve hazards such as:

• Inadequate signage warning of a hazardous area on the property;
• Unmarked wet or slippery floors;
• Icy or snowy surfaces;
• Crumbling or improperly maintained sidewalks;
• A sudden dip or rise in floor level;
• Torn or raised carpeting;
• Defective or unsafe balconies or terraces;
• Items left on the ground level;
• Potholes;
• Unsafe staircases; and
• Insufficiently lit walkways and staircases.

Property owners in The Villages — and in the state of Florida — have a duty to those who visit their property. However, their responsibilities and liability depend greatly on the relationship between the premises owner and the visitor.

Invitees — The majority of slip and fall cases involve invitees. An invitee is a person freely invited onto the premises by the occupier, either for the occupier’s own purposes or as part of a general invitation to the public at large. A good example is a customer visiting a grocery store. In this case, the occupier has a responsibility not only to remedy or warn of known hazards on the property, but also to inspect at reasonable intervals to uncover hazards that may have developed.

Licensees and trespassers — A licensee is someone who is not invited on to the occupier’s property and is there solely for their own purposes, such as a delivery person or Girl Scout. A trespasser is someone who unlawfully enters another’s property. In either case, the occupier has only a very limited duty to refrain from recklessly exposing these visitors to danger.

Our slip and fall attorneys at Morgan & Morgan have decades of experience handling premises liability cases. Although past success cannot guarantee future outcomes, our attorneys have previously recovered noticeable damages like an $870,000 verdict for a man who severely injured his back after slipping in a convenience store. As your attorney works to bolster your slip and fall cases, he or she may take the following steps:

• Determine how, when, and why you were on the premises in question;
• Collect photographs, police reports, and other evidence from the scene of the accident;
• Determine whether any former similar complaints have been filed against the owner of the premises;
• Consult with medical experts about the nature and extent of your injuries;
• Interview eye-witnesses, if available; and
• Determine what steps, if any, were taken by the owner to decrease the likelihood of an accident happening.

If you or a loved one were hurt on another’s property due to the owner’s negligence, we may be able to help. Please fill out our free case evaluation form to learn more.