After you slip and fall at a restaurant, a store, a Walmart, an apartment complex, or any business in Orlando, Florida, you’re going to have a lot of questions. How long will my injuries hurt? How long before I can go back to work? How much are my medical bills going to cost? How am I going to pay my medical bills? Are my injuries permanent? Who is liable for my injuries? What if I fell on stairs or in the parking lot?
The answer to each of these questions can be hard to answer, depending on the circumstances. We don’t count on being injured. We don’t set aside time in our lives and plan for when we’re going to be hurt. We don’t know what to do when we get hurt. It just happens, and it throws our lives into chaos. When the chaos comes, there is hope. If your injuries are due to someone’s carelessness or negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. So, that leads us to the key question in this article: When should I hire an attorney after being injured in a slip and fall accident in Orlando, Florida?
Our advice is that you should contact an attorney as soon as possible after an accident. That way, the insurance companies don’t have a chance to take advantage of you, and the potential defendant doesn’t have a chance to bully you into a tiny settlement when you deserve so much more. However, we’ll dig into more detail about hiring a slip and fall attorney in this article.
Now, keep in mind, this article is written by a premises liability attorney in our Orlando, Florida office. However, the principles in this article are relevant to any victim of a slip and fall, whether you slipped and fell in Florida or some other state. We have attorneys that can take care of you in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Hiring an Attorney After a Slip and Fall in Orlando, Florida
Slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries, and it’s not uncommon for a slip and fall victim to suffer a head injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken bones, or torn ligaments. These types of accidents can put a person out of work and burden that person and his or her family with thousands of dollars in medical bills. Moreover, serious injuries can permanently alter a person’s life and keep that person from doing the things they like to do.
If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident and you don’t know what to do next, you should schedule a free consultation with one of the Florida premises liability attorneys at our firm. We can help you determine what you should do next, and we can talk to you about your options for free. All you have to do is call us at (321) 352-7588 and schedule your free consultation.
Why Should I Hire an Attorney for My Slip and Fall Accident in Orlando, Florida?
Sometimes, the best way to explain a concept is through a story. So, here’s a story for you about a potential client that called us when we were just starting out. This story taught us a lot, and we hope it helps you as well.
A Quick Story About a Person Who Tried to Negotiate Without an Attorney After a Slip and Fall at a Grocery Store in Orlando, Florida
A person called in to our office, let’s call her “Jane.” Jane had been in a grocery store picking out fruit when she stepped in a puddle of fluid that was leaking from underneath a refrigerator in the produce section. When she fell, she hit her knee in such a way that it sprained her knee, as well as her ankle. Later, she would find out that she had suffered a small fracture. As a result of her injuries, she had to go to the hospital, and she had to miss several weeks of work.
Interestingly, when Jane fell at the grocery store, there were several store clerks around, organizing fruit in the produce section. After she fell, one of them said, “Oh man. We should have cleaned that up earlier.” In response, the other store clerk said, “Yea, well, I told Jim to go clean it up, and he never did.”
Now, this lady had not only suffered injuries, but the store’s agents knew about the puddle of fluid, and they left it there anyway. This was a clear case of negligence. This is as clear as it gets! So, we told the lady it looks like a good case. Call us back when you’re ready, and we’ll help you take the next steps to getting the money you deserve for this.
Well, a few days go by, and we didn’t hear from Jane. Then, out of the blue, she calls us. She told us that the store had offered her $2,000.00, and she decided to take the money. She also told us that she had signed a document. Now, Jane was not the most sophisticated person, so she had no idea what the grocery store had pressured her to sign. However, she was proud to tell us that she had gotten two grand out of the deal and that she did not want to pursue an injury claim.
About two weeks go by, and Jane calls us back. She said she was going to need surgery on her knee, and she couldn’t go back to work for several months. When we told her that she had signed away all her rights to money from the grocery store, she was devastated. The document she signed was a full and final release. No more money. She got $2,000.00, and that was it. Now, she needed $60,000 worth of surgery. Her life was turned upside down, and it’s all because she decided to negotiate without an attorney.
Her case was worth much more than her $60,000 surgery, and it was certainly worth more than the $2,000 they gave her. However, the sly folks that work for the insurance company had gotten the best of her by pressuring her to sign a release in exchange for $2,000. This is sickening, but it happens all the time. Don’t be Jane. Call us when they’re careless, and we will help you.
Common Reasons Why You Should Consider Consulting with an Orlando Slip and Fall Attorney
Now, we told you a story about Jane, who got tricked into signing a release in exchange for a fraction of what her case was worth. The lesson is clear: An attorney can help you get the money you deserve for your injuries. However, that’s not the only reason to hire a Florida premises liability attorney after a slip and fall accident in Orlando. Below are some of the more common reasons to consult an attorney at the earliest opportunity:
- You need guidance on what steps to take next;
- You want to protect the value of your claim;
- You need someone to properly investigate your case;
- Your injuries are serious and may require surgery and rehabilitation;
- The property owner is offering you money, and you aren’t sure if it’s a fair amount;
- You need someone to negotiate a better deal for you;
- The insurance company is blaming you for your injuries (not accepting liability);
- You want help determining how much money your slip and fall claim is worth;
- You would like to pursue a premises liability lawsuit or slip and fall lawsuit against the people who are responsible for your injuries.
These are all fantastic reasons to seek the advice of a slip and fall attorney after your accident. However, this is one of the more important reasons: You need to focus on recovering and getting better while your attorney handles the insurance company, property owner, or business owner. Stress does not help recovery. Take that stress, bag it up, and hand it to us. We can handle the people who hurt you. You need to rest.
What Will an Orlando, Florida Slip and Fall Attorney Do to Help You Maximize Your Claim?
When you hire a Florida premises liability attorney from our law firm, we will get right to work on your case to make sure your rights are protected. After an accident, evidence tends to “disappear,” and that’s why you need an attorney to jump right on your case as soon as possible. Some of the steps a premises liability attorney will take after a slip and fall accident include the following:
- Sending out letters of preservation to anyone and any business with potential evidence to stop them from destroying or “losing” evidence;
- Obtaining photographs or video of the accident scene;
- Obtaining information from potential witnesses;
- Obtaining and reviewing an accident report or incident report;
- Obtaining and reviewing medical records;
- Obtaining and consulting with expert witnesses.
Every piece of evidence is like a weight on a scale. The more weight we can pile up on your side, the more likely you will win your case. This is true not only for premises liability claims and slip and fall claims, but it’s also true for any case based on negligence. Our experienced Florida premises liability attorneys have the skills, tenacity, energy, and hunger to gather the evidence to build the strongest case possible against the property owner or business owner responsible for your injuries. That way, you can get the money you deserve for what you’ve been through.