Fort Walton Beach Slip and Fall Lawyer

According to the Florida Department of Health, fall-related hospitalizations in Okaloosa County increased every year from 2016 to 2019.

In 2019, the most recent year for which data are available, there were 653 people hospitalized from falls in Okaloosa County that year. That’s almost two a day.

The lifetime odds of dying from a fall are 1 in 106. That’s about the same odds as dying in a car crash.

One in every five falls in older adults results in serious injury. A fall may not sound like a catastrophic accident, but for some, it leads to life-altering injuries or death.

This is, understandably, probably the most common question we get. The truth is, every case is unique. You might be wondering this because you’re concerned whether what you get will cover all of your damages.

We can assure you that our goal is to get every dollar you deserve.

Some things that can affect the value of your case are:

• The total of your medical bills
• Whether there were warnings about the dangerous condition
• Whether you’re expected to make a full recovery
• Amount of insurance coverage available
• Whether the injury affected your ability to work (and if so, for how long)

Accidents resulting in severe injury or death tend to be worth more. The best way to get a better idea of what your case could be worth is to set up an appointment to talk with our Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorneys at your earliest convenience.

We don’t charge for consultations, and there’s no obligation to you.

You can seek compensatory damages to cover your monetary losses (economic damages) and your pain and suffering (non-economic damages).

Damages can cover things like:

• Medical bills for past and future treatment
• Past and future lost wages
• Cost of medical equipment
• Travel associated with medical treatment
• Rehabilitation costs
• Nursing care
• Emotional trauma
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium

In some cases, punitive damages could be available. These are extremely rare. They’re only awarded in cases where the defendant harmed you intentionally or through extremely reckless conduct. We’ll advise you as to whether seeking punitive damages could make sense in your case.

Most likely, yes. Florida has a modified comparative fault statute that governs what happens in cases where there is more than one person responsible for an accident. Each party bears responsibility for the percentage of fault attributed to them. A party that is mostly at fault (including a victim) cannot recover damages.

For example, if you were 30% responsible in a case where you would have received $100,000, your compensation would be reduced by 30%. Your total award would be $70,000 in that case.

It’s important to have an experienced Fort Walton Beach slip and fall accident attorney to push back against any unfair blame. Blaming the victim is a very common strategy at-fault parties use to try to get out of paying you what you’re owed.

When you hurt yourself in a fall, the consequences can be tragic, particularly for older adults.

Falls are the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). We work to calculate past and future costs associated with all of your injuries.

We represent victims with slip and fall injuries of all kinds, including:

• Head injuries, including concussions and TBIs
• Broken bones
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Wrist and hand injuries
• Contusions
• Wrongful death of a loved one
• And more

It’s crucial to seek medical attention as soon as possible after your fall, even if you don’t think you’ve been hurt. Many injuries require a doctor’s expertise to diagnose.

Sometimes, accidents do just happen, and no one is really at fault. When that’s the case, you won’t likely be able to seek compensation for your injuries.

However, these accidents usually happen when a property owner is negligent.

This could occur by creating or leaving a dangerous condition in a place where people are walking. Or, it could occur by failing to warn people about potential dangers they might encounter.



Some things that cause slip and fall accidents are:

• Slick floors in grocery or retail store
• Neglecting to post “wet surface” signs after a spill until it can be cleaned up
• Negligent security
• Uneven or torn carpeting
• Broken or crumbling sidewalks
• Poorly lit stairwells
• Obstacles in aisles or walkways

It’s not uncommon for multiple parties to be potentially liable for your injuries. That’s why it’s so important to have an experienced slip and fall lawyer conduct a comprehensive investigation before proceeding with your case.

Slip and fall accidents are a type of premises liability case. The law has some specific requirements depending on why you were on the property.

But, in general, unless you were trespassing, the property owner has a duty to:

• Maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition; and
• Protect against reasonably foreseeable third-party crimes



If you slipped and fell, it’s not likely that you were the victim of any crimes on the property.

Therefore, you’ll probably need to prove negligence based on the defendant’s failure to maintain the premises in a way to keep you safe.

You must prove all four elements of negligence: (1) duty, (2) breach, (3) causation, and (4) damages.

Under Florida premises liability law, if your injury was caused by a substance spilled on the floor of a business property, you must prove that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition.

This can be tricky. If the spill was not in an area that the store’s staff could have reasonably been expected to discover it, you could be facing an uphill battle. Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers has years of experience (and success) with proving difficult cases. We focus exclusively on personal injury law because we know we can help victims just like you. Let us put our proven track record to work for you

In the state of Florida, two years is the statute of limitations for personal injury cases, including those sustained in a slip and fall accident. That’s how much time you’ll have after your injury to file a lawsuit.

If you lost a loved one, you’ll have two years to file a wrongful death claim.

Your case could have circumstances affecting the deadline in your specific case. If a government entity is involved, you may have less time. Or, if you were involved in a workplace accident, you may have different requirements for filing a workers’ compensation claim.

Don’t risk missing a deadline. It could mean forfeiting your right to any compensation for your injuries.

Contact a reputable Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident for a full case assessment.