Boca Raton Slip and Fall Lawyer

A spilled drink in a grocery aisle, a wet lobby floor after a summer storm, a broken step in a condominium stairwell: falls like these send people to the emergency room every day. Whether the property owner has to pay depends on what it knew and what it did about the danger. This page explains how slip and fall claims work in Boca Raton. It is general information, not legal advice.

Slip and Fall Lawyer Serving Boca Raton

Falls are often dismissed as "just an accident," but they can cause broken hips and wrists, knee and shoulder tears, back injuries and head injuries, especially for older adults. Boca Raton has a large population of retirees and seniors, and for them a fall can mean surgery and a long recovery.

Attorney Tomas Robirosa represents people hurt in falls in Boca Raton and throughout Palm Beach County. We serve Boca Raton from our Miami Beach office, with meetings by phone, video, WhatsApp or by appointment in Miami Beach. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover. Hablamos español.

Where Falls Happen in Boca Raton

We see slip, trip and fall claims from many kinds of property:

• Shopping centers and malls, including busy places like the Town Center at Boca Raton and the shops and restaurants around Mizner Park
• Grocery stores and big-box stores, with spills, produce on the floor and leaking coolers
• Restaurants and bars, with wet floors near kitchens, restrooms and drink stations
• Hotels, resorts and gyms, including pool decks and wet entrances
• Condominiums and apartment buildings, with broken stairs, poor lighting, loose handrails and uneven walkways
• Parking lots and sidewalks, with potholes, wheel stops and uneven pavement

Sudden afternoon storms are part of life in South Florida, and rainwater tracked into lobbies and store entrances is one of the most common causes of falls.

What Florida Law Requires You to Prove

Under section 768.0755 of the Florida Statutes, if you slip and fall on a "transitory foreign substance" (a spill, water, food or other material on the floor) in a business, you must prove that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition and should have taken action to fix it.

• Actual knowledge means the business knew: an employee saw the spill, caused it or was told about it.
• Constructive knowledge can be shown with circumstantial evidence that the condition existed long enough that the business should have known, or that it happened regularly and was therefore foreseeable.

Falls caused by other hazards, like broken steps, torn carpet, poor lighting or missing handrails, are judged under general premises liability rules: whether the owner kept the property reasonably safe and warned of dangers it knew or should have known about.

Evidence That Makes the Difference

1. Report the fall to the manager or front desk and ask for a copy of the incident report.
2. Photograph the exact spot, the substance or defect, the lighting, any warning signs (or the lack of them) and your shoes.
3. Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses and employees.
4. Ask the business to keep its security video. Many systems record over footage within days or weeks.
5. Get medical care right away and follow the treatment plan.
6. Do not give a recorded statement to the property's insurer or sign anything before getting advice.

Florida Rules That Affect a Fall Claim

Shared fault. Insurers often argue the injured person wasn't watching where they were going. Since March 24, 2023, Florida reduces your compensation by your share of fault, and a person found more than 50% at fault generally recovers nothing.

Deadlines. For most injuries after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows 2 years to file a negligence lawsuit. Falls on government property, such as a public building or a city sidewalk, have extra written notice rules. Every case is different, so speak with an attorney to confirm the deadline that applies to you.

Condominium falls. When the fall happens in a common area, the condominium association and its management or maintenance companies may be responsible. We also handle condominium disputes.

Medical Care and Where a Case Is Heard

People hurt in Boca Raton are often treated at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of the Baptist Health South Florida network, and the most serious injuries may go to Delray Medical Center, a Level I trauma center. Follow every treatment recommendation: gaps in care are one of the first things insurers use to argue an injury isn't serious.

Most fall claims settle without a trial. If a lawsuit is needed, Palm Beach County cases are handled by the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, with its main courthouse in West Palm Beach and a South County Courthouse in Delray Beach.

How We Help

• Request and preserve video, incident reports and cleaning or inspection logs
• Identify the owner, the tenant, the management company and every insurer
• Document your injuries, medical bills and lost income
• Negotiate with the insurer, and file a lawsuit if needed
• Explain every step in English or Spanish

Learn more on our slip and fall lawyer and premises liability pages, or return to our Boca Raton personal injury page.

Frequently Asked Questions