Sunrise Slip and Fall Lawyer

Property owners and businesses in Florida have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. When they don't, and someone gets hurt, the injured person may have a premises liability claim. This page explains, in general terms, how slip and fall claims work for people hurt in Sunrise. It is general information, not legal advice; every case is different.

Where Slip and Fall Injuries Happen in Sunrise

Sunrise is one of Broward County's busiest shopping and entertainment areas. Sawgrass Mills, at Sunrise Boulevard and Flamingo Road, has more than 350 stores, and the city says it welcomes more than 25 million visitors a year. Amerant Bank Arena hosts hockey games and concerts for crowds of up to 20,000 people. Add grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, gyms and large apartment communities, and there are many places where a dangerous condition can cause a fall.

• Stores and malls Spilled drinks, leaking coolers, wet entrances on rainy days, merchandise left in the aisle and loose mats.
• Restaurants and food courts Grease, spilled food and freshly mopped floors without warning signs.
• Parking lots and sidewalks Potholes, broken curbs, uneven pavement, poor lighting and wheel stops in walkways.
• Apartments and condominiums Broken stairs, missing handrails, water from leaks or AC units, and poorly lit hallways.
• Hotels, pools and gyms Wet pool decks, slick tile and equipment left in walkways.
• Arena and event venues Crowded stairs and concourses, spilled drinks and poorly marked steps.

What You Must Generally Prove in Florida

Falling on someone else's property does not by itself mean the owner is responsible. In general, the injured person must show that a dangerous condition existed, that the owner or business knew or should have known about it, and that they failed to fix it or warn about it.

For falls caused by a transitory foreign substance in a business, such as a spill on the floor, section 768.0755 of the Florida Statutes requires proof that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the condition. Constructive knowledge can be shown, for example, if the condition existed long enough that the business should have found it, or if it happened regularly and was foreseeable.

That is why evidence matters so much in these cases: how long the spill was there, whether employees walked past it, whether there were inspection logs, and what security cameras recorded.

What to Do After a Fall in Sunrise

1. Report the fall. Tell the manager or property office right away and ask for a copy of the incident report.
2. Take photos. Photograph exactly what made you fall (the liquid, the hole, the step), the area around it, any warning signs or the lack of them, and your shoes.
3. Get witness names. Customers or employees who saw the fall or the condition can be important.
4. Get medical care. Falls often cause hip, wrist, knee, back and head injuries. See a doctor quickly and follow the treatment plan.
5. Ask that video be kept. Many stores record over their security video after a short time. A lawyer can send a letter asking the business to preserve it.
6. Don't give a recorded statement to the property owner's insurer before getting advice.

Compensation and Comparative Fault

A successful premises liability claim may include medical bills, future medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering. Insurance companies often argue that the injured person should have been watching where they were going. Under Florida's modified comparative negligence rule, in general, if you are found more than 50% at fault you cannot recover, and if you are 50% or less at fault your recovery is reduced by your share.

Read more about slip and fall claims in Florida, or go back to our Sunrise car accident and personal injury page.

How We Help After a Fall in Sunrise

Tomas Robirosa serves Sunrise and the rest of Broward County. You can speak with him directly in Spanish or English. We move quickly to preserve video and incident reports, identify the property owner, the business and any maintenance or security company involved, deal with their insurers and, if needed, file suit in Broward County.

We work on a contingency basis: no fee unless we recover. Call (305) 600-0529 for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions