St. Petersburg Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer

Slip and fall accidents happen to millions of people every year, and they are a leading cause of injury or even death among older adults. If you or your loved one has fallen as a result of someone else’s negligence, you have the right to hold them accountable for their actions.

Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers today at (855) 529-0269 for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our compassionate team is here to help review your case and help you identify what options you have available for recovering damages.

Injuries Commonly Obtained in St. Petersburg Slip and Fall Accidents

Every year, millions of adults are treated for injuries related to slip and fall accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three million adults over 65 are treated in emergency rooms, with 800,000 being hospitalized. Though the injuries vary in type and severity, here are a few of the most common.

Broken Bones

During a fall, an enormous amount of force is placed on the bones. As a result, bones in the ankle, wrist, and hip are highly susceptible to breaking. This is especially common in older adults whose bones are more fragile. In fact, over 95% of hip fractures in older adults are the result of falling.

Knee Injuries

Fractures of the kneecap, femur, tibia, or fibula can be caused by falling on the knee or twisting it during a fall. Pain and swelling can develop within minutes of the injury and, depending on the extent of the injury, can require surgery.

Sprained Ankles or Wrists

Sprained ankles and wrists are common during a falling accident, as you could have twisted your ankle on an uneven surface and fallen as a result. Catching yourself during the fall can also cause strain or sprains in wrists. Both of these injuries are painful, can limit movement and activity, and take months to heal fully.

Shoulder Dislocation

During a fall, many victims reach to catch themselves or fall directly on the shoulder. Either action can cause the shoulder to become dislocated and require immediate surgery.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)

Falls are the leading cause of TBIs, accounting for almost half of the TBI-related emergency room visits. The CDC found that while half of the ER visits among children between the ages of 0 and 17 were caused by falls, approximately 80% of the ER visits by older adults–those over the age of 65–were the result of injuries associated with falling.

Spine or Nerve Damage

Nerve damage can happen as a result of stretching that occurs during a fall or from cuts. The body could heal itself over time, or the nerve damage may be permanent.

Cuts and Bruises

Though cuts and bruises may seem less serious, they could still have a major impact on your life, especially if they are in a highly visible location on the body, like the face.

While some falls are unavoidable, many are preventable and the result of someone else’s actions. If you have sustained a fall injury because of someone else’s negligence, call us today at (855) 529-0269 for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

Types of Damages You Might Recover After a Slip and Fall Accident

While the damages that you can recover after a slip and fall accident will depend on the details of your case, some of the types of damages you can recover include:

• Lost wages
• Future wages if you are unable to return to work
• Medical expenses, including hospitalizations, doctors’ examinations, medication, and medical equipment
• Disfigurement
• Loss of quality of life
• Pain and suffering

In some cases, the injuries are severe enough that the victim passes away. Unfortunately, this is especially common among older adults, as one in five adults who break a hip after the age of 50 dies within a year. Falls are also one of the top causes of worker deaths, second only to transportation fatalities.

If you have lost a loved one because of a falling accident, there are many damages you can collect specifically related to wrongful death. They include:

• Loss of support and services from the date of injury to present as well as the future loss of support and services
• Companionship and protection
• Loss of guidance
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Medical costs, including doctors’ examinations, hospitalizations, and medications
• Funeral expenses

We understand how painful it is to lose a family member. We also understand how much harder it can be if that loss is the result of someone else’s negligent actions. If you have lost a family member because of wrongful death, you have the right to fight for damages related to the accident. Contact a St. Petersburg slip and fall injury lawyer today at (855) 529-0269 for a free, no-obligation review of your case.

Proving Liability in Your St. Petersburg Slip and Fall Case

To prove that someone was responsible for causing a slip and fall accident, you—or a St. Petersburg slip and fall injury lawyer—have to prove that the party was negligent, either causing or failing to prevent the accident.

The evidence in the case typically must prove one of the following to be true:

• The owner of the property should have recognized that a surface was dangerous and corrected the problem and that a reasonable person would have done so, or
• The owner of the property caused the surface to be dangerous and did nothing to correct it–and that a reasonable person would have anticipated that an accident could happen

Laws that May Impact Your Case

One law that will impact whether you can pursue damages in a St. Petersburg slip and fall injury accident is the requirement that the injured party gets medical care within 14 days of the accident. If you do not seek care within 14 days, you will have difficulty getting the insurance company to compensate you for your injuries.

The statute of limitations is also important in a personal injury or wrongful death case. In Florida, you generally have only two years from the date of the accident to file your claim for personal injury under FL § 95.11. If your family member passed away as a result of the accident, you generally have two years from the date of his or her death two file your lawsuit.

Contact Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers for Help from a St. Petersburg Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer

At Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers, we have worked on cases similar to yours and are proud of the results we have achieved for our clients. We pride ourselves on providing each client with personal attention as we fight for their rights to pursue damages. If you are ready for us to get started on your case or if you would like a free, no-obligation consultation, call us today at (855) 529-0269.