Naples Premises Liability Lawyer
Premises liability is the field of personal injury law dealing with injuries that occur on another’s property because of the way that property was negligently maintained. Premises liability injuries most often happen in a “slip and fall” or “trip and fall” because of a wet or slippery surface or an object or other tripping hazard on the floor. Premises liability can also encompass other injuries and accidents such as a dog bite on the owner’s property or a golf cart accident that occurs on negligently maintained grounds.
Premises liability injuries range from painful strains and sprains to broken bones, head injuries, back injuries, and even death. Falls are a leading reason for ER hospital admissions and the leading cause of death for certain age groups. Property owners and their insurers will try to downplay the seriousness of the injury or claim the property owner isn’t at fault, which is why you need a serious and effective Naples premises liability lawyers on your side fighting for you. At Cardinal Law in Naples, we take the time necessary and put all our efforts into making your case successful and include the maximum compensation available. You can also count on us to be with you every step of the way, making sure you get the medical treatment you need and are being properly taken care of.
If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall, dog bite, or otherwise injured because of a dangerous condition on another’s property in Naples or Southwest Florida, call Cardinal Law at 239-610-0485 for a no-cost consultation with an experienced and successful Naples premises liability attorney.
Slip & Fall Lawyer Serving Naples and Southwest Florida
Falls send a million people to the ER every year in America; they are the number one cause of accidental death for the elderly and the fourth-highest cause for all individuals in Florida. Florida premises liability law is complex, and property owners and their insurers use many different excuses to evade liability. Cardinal Law helps slip and fall victims injured at Southwest Florida hotels, resorts, nightclubs, shopping malls, nightclubs, grocery stores, restaurants and retail outlets. We can help you hold the property owner liable and recover compensation for all the damages you’ve suffered.
Florida property owners can be liable for injuries caused by any hazard they created or any dangerous condition on their premises that went for an unreasonably long period without being fixed or a warning sign being put up. The liability of the premises owner depends on the status of the victim under Florida law. A person on the premises could fall into any of the following categories:
- Public invitee – The person was invited to enter or remain as a member of the public for a purpose for which the property is open to the public.
- Business invitee – The person was on the premises for a purpose directly or indirectly connected with the owner’s business purposes, such as a customer or client.
- Invited licensee – The person was a social guest.
- Uninvited licensee – The person chose to come on the property for their own convenience, such as going to a store just to use the bathroom, get change or ask for directions.
- Trespasser – The person had no right to be on the property. This could include cutting across private property, staying in a store after closing, or going into areas marked Private, Employees Only, No Trespassing, or No Entry.
For invitees or invited licensees, the property owner has a duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition and fix or warn of dangers the owner knew or should have known about. For uninvited licensees or trespassers, the owner is only liable if they willfully harmed the person or recklessly exposed them to danger. Property owners and their insurers will spend a lot of time trying to classify someone as an uninvited licensee or trespasser to avoid liability. They might also claim they didn’t have a reasonable time to discover and fix the hazard, or they might argue the danger was so obvious that the victim should have been able to avoid it. Finally, they are likely to downplay the serious nature of the victim’s injuries.
Any of these tactics can reduce the amount of money damages the victim can recover or keep them from being successful in their lawsuit. An experienced premises liability attorney at Cardinal Law knows how to investigate the accident, determine fault, and build a strong case that proves the property owner’s liability and recovers the full amount of compensation due. Call us for help after a slip and fall or other premises liability accident in Naples or Southwest Florida.
Florida Dog Bite Law
Dog bites are a serious problem in Florida, and Florida law holds dog owners strictly liable for injuries caused by their animals. It doesn’t matter if this was the first time the dog has ever shown aggressive behavior; the victim does not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous or that the owner did anything negligent or wrong to allow the attack to occur. So long as the bite took place in a public place or while the victim was lawfully present on private property, the owner is strictly liable for injuries caused by a dog bite.
Dog owners can also be liable for non-bite injuries such as knockdowns, or if the dog chases a person who trips and falls. Here, the accident victim does have to prove the owner was negligent, such as allowing the dog to be off-leash in public or an unfenced yard and failing to adequately control the animal.
In any type of dog bite or animal attack, if the owner can prove the victim was partly to blame through their own negligence or provoking the attack, then any damages awarded to the victim will be reduced in proportion to the amount of fault they share. It’s important to have an experienced dog bite attorney on your side who can prove the facts necessary to hold the owner liable without you being blamed for negligence or fault that doesn’t belong to you.
Dog bites can cause serious injuries, including facial lacerations and disfigurement, nerve damage, infections, puncture wounds, fractures, and death. They are also often traumatizing events that leave the victim with lasting emotional or psychological damage as well. The size and viciousness of the dog, and the size and age of the victim, among other factors, can determine how serious the injury is and the extent of damages caused.
Dogs large and small can bite and hurt, from pit bulls to poodles, rottweilers to chihuahuas, and any other pure or mixed breed. Cardinal Law can help you get the care you need and hold the owner liable for the damages caused, including your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, psychological trauma, and more. If the dog’s owner was a family member, friend or neighbor, we’ll settle with the insurance company or file a friendly lawsuit that comes out of the insurer’s pocket and won’t hurt your family or friendship.
Experienced and Dedicated Legal Help With Naples Premises Liability Claims
For help with any premises liability injury or accident in Naples or Southwest Florida, call Cardinal Law at 239-610-0845. Your call is free, and we don’t charge any fee without first obtaining a financial recovery on your behalf. If we don’t recover, then you don’t pay. Call today so we can get started on your case and help you on your road to recovery.
