The term “premises liability” refers to a property owner’s obligation to provide a safe environment for visitors to their property in ways such as addressing hazards like loose carpeting, wet floors, broken handrails, faulty stair treads, and many more. When you legally visit someone’s personal property or enter a commercial property, you have every right to expect that your legal visit will be free from avoidable accidents stemming from maintenance issues, and in most instances, this is true. Unfortunately, though, there is always a risk of being hurt due to poor maintenance or lack of proper care, which can lead to a premises liability claim or lawsuit.
Typically, a victim will file a claim with the owner’s property insurance in order to recover compensation for a range of damages. When working with an insurance company, it is important to stay mindful of the fact that the agent assigned to your case is working towards settling your claim quickly and cheaply — in order to save their employer, the insurance company, as much money as possible. Regardless of the severity of your injuries, the long-term impacts of the accident, and the financial implications of this avoidable situation, the insurer is motivated to protect their bottom line, often at your own expense. This is why working with an attorney is so important.
Contact 1-800-Injured To Partner With a Premises Liability Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale Now
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. After suffering from a premises liability accident, it can feel nearly impossible to reach out to countless law firms while you try to focus on your medical care and getting your life back on track after serious injuries. When you contact 1-800-Injured, we will connect you with an attorney in Fort Lauderdale who is ready and willing to take your case. You will be able to go through a free initial consultation with this attorney in order to learn more about how they can help you, what your next steps can be, and what a legal case against the property owner or manager may look like.
Working with an insurance company on your own is overwhelming, and the claims process is designed to work in favor of the insurer. Without an experienced injury attorney handling your claim, you are at risk of settling for far less than what you rightfully deserve. Even if new information emerges after you agree to a settlement, you will be unable to reopen the claim. Before signing off on any agreements, you must be absolutely positive that you are making the right decision. A lawyer will help you navigate this entire process.
Read more about premises liability cases, and contact us now to connect with a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer today.
Steps to Take If You Are Hurt on Another’s Property
One of the most important pieces of information about premises liability for you to know beforehand is what to do in the event of an accident. These steps are meant to give you a general idea of the steps to take, but keep in mind that the most important issue is your health. You do not need to do anything other than making sure your medical needs are met — anything else is secondary.
Call 911
The first step after an accident on someone else’s property should be to call 911. Doing this before anything else avoids awkward confrontations with a property owner who may try to convince you to handle it directly with them, which can then result in confusion and misstatements that will only complicate your claims process. Contact 911, inform the operator of the accident and your location, let them know about any injuries you have suffered, and then proceed to the next step. Allow the EMTs to examine your injuries as soon as they arrive and follow their advice to get the help you need.
Alert the Owner or Management
If possible, alert the owner or management team of your accident. If you are injured on commercial property, it is likely that management has a protocol for these types of situations which may include taking an accident report. Limit your communications with an owner about the cause of the accident or the nature of your injuries until you are working with an attorney, as simple misstatements or seemingly innocuous comments may be misrepresented through the claims process — something as simple as an apology can be leveraged as an admission of partial guilt by an insurance company.
Record Your Experience
If possible, take a video of the scene and narrate the events leading up to your accident as you record the important details. Photographs are helpful, but if you are able to, a narrated video will help capture photographic evidence while also recording your firsthand account of the accident before these details start to fade from memory. Any information you are able to put into a concrete record will be extremely helpful to your attorney and will ensure that important details aren’t lost as you inevitably begin to forget or misremember specifics about the situation.
Get Follow-up Medical Care
If you take an ambulance to the emergency room, this step will already be taken for you. If, however, you are able to leave the scene of the accident on your own, it is absolutely essential that you schedule a follow-up appointment with your physician as soon as possible. This exam will ensure that any injuries are addressed and given the care they deserve, and it will also build an additional body of evidence that will be central to your claims process as you and your lawyer work to prove the impacts that this accident has had on your life.
Contact an Attorney
Before you make a statement to anyone or even initiate your claim, partnering with an experienced attorney means that you will be starting your legal journey with experienced and proven representation from day one. Your lawyer will be able to handle each administrative step of your claim and will be able to ensure that the insurance adjuster is not able to misconstrue your words, gather statements that accidentally harm your claim, and most importantly, they will be able to make sure that you are able to focus on your recovery without taking on these additional stressors.