Many customers in Florida visit Dollar General to purchase the goods they need at discount prices. These stores can provide many useful items, but close-set aisles and potential spills can prove dangerous to customers as they may represent slipping hazards.
You could secure compensation for your medical expenses and other losses if you were involved in a slip and fall accident. Speak with a Florida Dollar General slip and fall accident and injury lawyer if you are facing this situation. The professionals at the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik can start providing you with legal advice.
Causes for Slip and Fall Accidents in Florida Dollar General Stores
The owners of Dollar General stores have a responsibility to promptly remove hazards in their stores. However, property owners sometimes shirk this responsibility, allowing dangerous situations to lie in wait for unsuspecting customers. A slip and fall accident could be caused by:
- A spill left behind by a leaking product
- Puddles from rain
- A recently mopped floor that is not dry
- Cracked or damaged floors
- Poorly lit areas or debris in the aisle
- Potholes in parking lots
Any of these situations could cause you to slip and fall, leaving you with serious injuries and rising medical expenses. Our personal injury professionals at the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik are ready to address these problems head-on.
Our Team Will Establish Negligence and Liability
Per Florida Statutes § 429.29(2), establishing a viable negligence case requires that the claimant prove the following four elements:
Duty of Care
In Florida, store owners and managers are expected to take preemptive measures to ensure their patrons’ safety on their premises. That is, they must remedy unsafe conditions that lead to a person’s injury—or at least publicly post relevant warnings. This is also known as a duty of “reasonable care.” This is legally described as a “degree of care which a reasonably careful licensee, person, or entity would use under like circumstances.”
Breach of Duty of Care
Victims of slip and fall accidents in stores, such as Dollar General, must also prove that the owner or manager knew or should have known there was a dangerous condition on the property that they did not repair or caution others about. This would be considered a violation or breach of duty of care.
Causation
Next, the claimant must show that the defendant’s duty of care violation was the actual and proximate cause of their injury. To establish causation, the claimant must demonstrate that, but for the defendant’s breach of reasonable duty of care, they would not have fallen and sustained injuries. Proof of proximate cause requires the claimant to show that their injuries were a foreseeable consequence of the defendant’s negligent conduct.
Damages
Finally, the claimant must prove that they incurred damages due to their injury, including financial, physical, emotional, or personal losses, which the defendant should be responsible for compensating.
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Evidence to Gather After a Florida Dollar General Slip and Fall Accident
You can gather some evidence to help your lawyer if you slip and fall in a Dollar General store in Florida. Start building your case right away by:
- Taking pictures of the hazard that caused you to slip
- Recording your injuries
- Reporting your accident to store management
- Getting a copy of the incident report
- Speaking with witnesses to get their contact information
This information can serve as the initial basis for developing a premises liability claim after a slip and fall accident. Your lawyer can further research your accident by:
- Requesting video surveillance records.
- Interviewing all witnesses who saw the accident.
- Working with expert witnesses and forensic experts.
Let us get to work on your claim right now before witnesses can forget what they saw and video evidence can be deleted.
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Injuries Associated With Florida Slip and Fall Accidents in Dollar General
Many individuals in Florida do not realize how dangerous a slip and fall accident can be. Even though you are unlikely to fall a great distance in a slip and fall accident, the impact with the ground can lead to many severe injuries, including:
- Sprains, fractures, and broken bones
- Cuts, abrasions, and bruises
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions
- Injuries to your back, neck, and spine
Get medical treatment right away after a slip and fall accident. You can only get compensation for injuries caused by your slip and fall accident. Your lawyer can demonstrate that the accident resulted in your injuries if you have medical records showing that you received immediate treatment. These precautions protect against the insurance company claiming your injuries are unrelated to your fall.
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Compensation Possibly Available to Florida Slip and Fall Accident Victims
We mentioned that you could secure compensation for your medical expenses following a Dollar General slip and fall accident. Depending upon your exact situation, your slip and fall lawyer could work to get you damages for your:
- Emergency medical care and medical transport expenses
- Surgeries and other medical procedures
- Over-the-counter and prescription medications
- Ongoing medical care and rehabilitation expenses
Here at the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik, we can also help you get compensation for lost wages at work and lost earning potential. Jason and Debi Chalik can even fight to ensure your pain and suffering and mental anguish are appropriately compensated following a slip and fall accident.
Additionally, we will not accept any payment for legal fees unless we bring you the damages you need to move forward with your life. Start getting the dedicated support you need after slipping and falling in Dollar General by contacting us now.
For a free legal consultation with a Chalik & Chalik lawyer serving Florida, call (855) 529-0269
How Long Do You Have to File a Florida Slip and Fall Lawsuit?
Under Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), slip and fall injury claimants have up to four years after their accident occurred to file a lawsuit. However, filings for wrongful death lawsuits are limited to just two years. This law imposes the statute of limitations that specifies the maximum time you have to pursue compensation after sustaining accident-related injuries. If you do not file your case before this deadline expires, the court will permanently dismiss your case unless you qualify for an exception.
The statute of limitations exists, in part, to ensure potential defendants need not worry about being taken to court for an event that occurred decades ago. A time limit also helps to guarantee that vital evidence supporting either side isn’t lost over time. Our slip and fall attorneys will ensure all legal deadlines are met.
Our Team Can Handle Florida Wrongful Death Claims
When a person is fatally injured in an accident, the decedent’s loved ones may be entitled to compensation secured in a wrongful death lawsuit. Florida Statutes § 768.19 states that when a person’s death “is caused by the wrongful act, negligence, default, or breach of contract or warranty of any person,” the decedent’s estate has a “right of action”, meaning they can bring their case before a court against the liable party.
According to Florida Statutes § 733.302, any person who is sui juris or “having full legal capacity to act on one’s own behalf” and is a Florida resident at the time of the decedent’s passing is qualified to act as a personal estate representative. The decedent’s estate can pursue damages for the decedent’s loss of earnings. These are the income the decedent probably would have earned during the remainder of their working life.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After a Florida Accident?
Surviving relatives can receive certain damages for a loved one’s wrongful death depending on the relationship between the decedent and that family member. Florida Statutes § 768.21 states that the possible beneficiaries of a lawsuit include the:
- Surviving spouse
- Minor surviving children
- Adult surviving children (if there is no spouse)
- Parents of a deceased minor child
- Parents of a deceased adult child (if they do not have a surviving spouse or children themselves)
All of the above may be eligible for compensation for past, present, and future loss of the decedent’s support and services. Also, the individual who paid the decedent’s final medical, funeral, or burial expenses can get reimbursement for those costs.
Call the Professionals After a Dollar General Slip and Fall Accident
You can get beneficial legal advice after a slip and fall accident by contacting the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik. Complete our online contact form or call to speak with our injury lawyers for slip and fall accidents at Dollar General in Florida today. Review all your legal options with a free consultation
Call or text Chalik & Chalik (855) 529-0269