Were you or a family member injured while visiting someone else’s property in Lakeland, FL? If the property owner was negligent about property maintenance, you may deserve compensation. An experienced Lakeland premises liability lawyer at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover money for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Our lawyers have represented clients across the Tampa Bay area for decades. Between us, we have over 119 years of experience fighting to recover fair compensation for clients like you.
Understanding your legal rights is the first step to recovering fair compensation. Contact our law offices in Lakeland, Florida, to schedule a free consultation at (863) 251-6196 to learn more today.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You Were Injured on Someone Else’s Property in Lakeland, FL
Dangerous property conditions can cause serious injuries. As the victim, you have the right to seek compensation. That’s why most insurance policies cover injuries that occur on the property.
Unfortunately, the insurance claims process can be confusing. The insurance company understands the rules and the law. They might try to twist the facts, blame the victim, and engage in other strategies to minimize your settlement or verdict.
You deserve an experienced Lakeland personal injury attorney who can level the playing field. Our legal team at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help.
When you choose us for legal representation, you’ll get a lawyer who can:
- Locate the evidence to support your claim
- Help you understand your case value
- Document your damages and file a claim with insurance
- Defend you from accusations that you caused your own injury
- Hire experts who can offer insight into technical or complex elements of your case
- Negotiate with the insurance company for a fair settlement agreement
To learn more about our law firm and how a Lakeland personal injury lawyer can help prove your case, call or use our contact form today.
What Is My Lakeland Premises Liability Case Worth?
When you hire us, our lawyers will evaluate many different factors when calculating the value of your personal injury claim, including:
- The cost of your medical care, rehabilitation, and other costs incurred to date
- Your need for ongoing medical treatment and assistance
- Your physical pain and emotional suffering
- Whether you have lost income due to the injury
- Whether you’re expected to make a full recovery
- Whether a permanent disability will impact your future earnings
- The circumstances of the premises liability accident
- Whether you share any blame
The insurance company will probably try to downplay your losses. Our lawyers are here to protect you from these attempts. Call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers today to learn more about how much your personal injury case is worth.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover By Filing a Premises Liability Claim in Lakeland?
Several different types of compensation are available to accident victims. If your case is successful, you should recover full compensation for your economic losses. You should also be compensated for less tangible “non-economic damages,” which are losses without a clear financial value.
Examples of the types of compensation that are often awarded in personal injury cases include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and employment benefits
- Lost future earning potential and job prospects
- Physical therapy
- Nursing care
- In-home assistance
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety
- Diminished quality of life
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Loss of consortium
Other types of damages may be available, depending on the circumstances and the specific losses you have suffered.
What Happens to My Compensation If I’m Being Blamed for Causing My Own Injuries in Florida?
Under prior law, accident victims in Florida could recover compensation even if they were 99% responsible for their injuries. Their settlement or verdict was simply reduced according to their percentage of fault.
State law has now changed. Under the new modified comparative negligence law, victims cannot recover compensation if they’re more than 50% responsible for their own injuries. If you were less than 51% responsible, your damages will be reduced according to your share of fault.
The change makes it much more likely that defendants will try to blame the victim for their own actions. It’s also much more likely that the insurance company will try to use these accusations to reduce your settlement award–or eliminate your right to compensation entirely. That makes it even more important to have an experienced accident attorney by your side.
Our Lakeland Premises Liability Attorneys Will Fight To Recover Full Compensation for Your Injuries
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we often represent clients who have sustained:
- Broken bones
- Puncture wounds
- Knee injuries
- Broken hips
- Shoulder injuries
- Facial and dental injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Burns
- Organ damage
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
We can also help you fight for fair compensation in cases involving the wrongful death of your loved one.
We Handle All Types of Premises Liability Claims in Lakeland, Florida
Many premises liability claims involve slips, trips, and falls. Wet floors, loose or missing floor mats, and obstacles in walkways can cause significant injuries. However, they’re far from the only way to get hurt on someone else’s property.
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we often handle premises liability cases involving:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Falling objects
- Negligent security
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Falls from heights
- Exposed electrical wires and electrocutions
- Elevator accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Playground accidents
- Assault
- Sexual assault
- Poisonings, including food poisoning
- Exposure to toxic chemicals and harmful substances
- Bed bugs and other hotel accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Parking lot accidents
It’s important to document the unsafe property conditions that caused your injury as soon as possible. Property owners tend to fix dangers quickly after someone gets hurt. While you rest and recover, our lawyers in Lakeland can visit the property and gather evidence to prove your case.
Overview of Florida Premises Liability Laws
All property owners have a legal duty to maintain their property. Florida premises liability laws hold negligent property owners financially responsible when others are injured due to negligence and dangerous property conditions.
You may have a valid premises liability claim against the owner of a:
- Hotel or resort
- Hospital
- Bar, restaurant, or nightclub
- Sports venue
- Grocery store
- Shopping mall
- School or daycare
- College or university
- Apartment building complex
- Office building
- Government building
- Public park
- Entertainment complex
Premises liability laws apply to all property owners. As long as you were not trespassing at the time of your injury, you may have a valid case.
If your child was injured due to an “attractive nuisance” on the property, you may also have a valid claim for compensation. Owners have a limited duty to protect young children who are trespassing. That’s the case if the child is lured onto the property by something dangerous that tends to attract children–such as an unenclosed swimming pool.
How Do I Prove the Property Owner Was Negligent?
Property owners aren’t automatically liable for any injuries that happen on their property. The injured party must prove that the owner failed to exercise reasonable care. In other words, property owners are only liable for their own negligence.
Property owners are considered “negligent” when they:
- Owe you a legal duty of care (meaning that you were not trespassing when the injury occurred)
- Breached the duty of care by failing to exercise reasonable care
- Caused an accident and injury
What constitutes “reasonable care” can vary from case to case.
Business owners have a heightened duty when it comes to maintaining their premises.
Businesses are responsible for:
- Fixing any dangerous property conditions that they know about
- Inspecting the property regularly to identify unsafe conditions that aren’t obvious
- Giving business invitees adequate warning about any non-obvious dangers that cannot be fixed immediately
Private property owners also have responsibilities. They must warn social guests, who are called “licensees,” about any non-obvious dangers on the premises.
What Is the Deadline for Filing a Lawsuit If I Was Injured Visiting Someone Else’s Property in Florida?
The deadline for filing a lawsuit in Florida has recently changed. Under prior law, the victim had four years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Under the new Florida law, the statute of limitations has been reduced to two years.
The new statute of limitations applies if your injury occurred on March 24, 2023, or after. The old four-year limitations period will apply if you were injured before March 24, 2023.
Call a Lakeland Premises Liability Lawyer for a Free Initial Consultation
The reduced statute of limitations makes it even more important to take legal action quickly after an accident. If you were injured, call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for legal assistance today. A skilled Lakeland premises liability attorney can help you fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
