Question:
I live in an apartment complex on a 2nd story in south Florida. I went to walk my dog at night and 3 of the lights directly in the back of the apartment building where I live were out making it pitch black and extremely hard to see. Due to the lights being out I didnt see the last two steps and missed them falling to the ground. Its been been about two months and after an xray I have been refered to a surgen for a possible tear. If I do need surgery or even if I do not should I contact a lawyer and sue?
Answer:
Hi Toni, I think you should probably speak to a trip and fall lawyer at this point. Whether you pursue a claim or not, there are many things you should do now to at least preserve your right to make a claim.
For starters, you're going to need pictures of the area where you fell and the lights in question. Are the lights still out? Who is responsible for maintaining the lights? Did anybody complain about the lights being out prior to your fall?
You need to collect as much information about what happened, and why it happened, now so that important information, documents, and witnesses don't get lost later on when it comes time to make a claim.
Keep in mind that, in Florida, just because the lights were out doesn't mean the apartment complex or land owner, or even a company that maintains the lights, is responsible for the claim. You need to be able to show that the party that is responsible for maintaining the lights either knew about them being out and did nothing for fix them, or should have known they were out, i.e. the lights were out for a sufficient period of time that they should have known about it.
You should definitely speak to a Florida trip and fall lawyer now whether you are going to make a claim or not. There are alot of facts about when, where and how your accident happened that will affect when or if you should pursue a claim.
I handle trip and fall accidents such as yours and would be interested in speaking to you further about whether you have a claim, and whether it is a claim you want to pursue. I have been licensed in Florida since 1993 and my entire practice is devoted to Florida accident injury claims.
I handle the claims in a contingent basis. This means that you are not responsible for attorney's fees or costs if there is no recovery. I also offer a free initial consultation to talk about your case, so you have nothing to lose by at least talking about the case to find out more about your rights, and whether you should pursue a claim.
If you have a question or need information on Slip and Fall Accidents , contactFlorida Slip and Fall Accident AttorneyJoseph M. Maus at 1-866-556-5529 or email him today for a free consultation.. The Law Office of Joseph M. Maus and Associates has handled some of the largest Florida overtime wage claims. Attorneys in their offices were recently appointed in Federal Court as lead counsel in an Overtime Class Action against a large Fortune 500 Company.
