Previous Complaints About an Existing Hazard

One of the most frustrating things about slip and fall accidents is that they are so often preventable. In fact, property owners or other potential liable parties in Hollywood and other communities often not only know about an existing hazard but have had previous complaints about an existing issue and have failed to take steps to prevent a trip and fall accident or other injury.

If you have suffered any slip and fall injury in Hollywood or South Florida, one of the things you will want to ask is whether a property owner did know or should have known about any danger (such as spilled water) that led to your injury. If you have these or other questions, do not hesitate to contact Flaxman Law Group to find out more about your injuries and to launch an investigation into the property owner and other potential liable parties in your case. Your initial consultation with our law firm comes with no obligation and no cost.

There are many instances where a property owner ignores previous complaints. For example, a municipality may get multiple complaints about uneven sidewalks but fail to contact contractors in order to fix the issue. Someone who slips and falls on the sidewalk in question and injures themselves may not realize that there have been multiple complaints about the issue and may not realize that the municipality had plenty of time and warning to fix the problem.

Of course, liable parties will not generally announce that they have been negligent, and the plaintiff who has been injured may not realize that there have been previous complaints. This is one reason why it is so important to consult with a personal injury attorney. An attorney can investigate the property owner and other potential liable parties to determine whether the property owner should have known or did in fact know about an existing issue but failed to act.

If a property owner failed to respond adequately to previous complaints about hazardous conditions and you slipped and fell on the property, you may have a strong claim – provided that you can show that the property owner knew or should have known about a hazard. A personal injury attorney can launch an investigation into the accident and can use a number of techniques to find instances of previous complaints. For example, an attorney can:

• Hire an investigator to run a background check on the property owner
• Subpoena any records that may show previous complaints
• Interview witnesses, past visitors, and employees to determine whether any of them made complaints

Even if there were no previous complaints, a property owner may still be held liable for your injuries if he or she should have known about a danger. For example, if a sink was leaking and could have caused a spill in a restaurant, the property owner should have known that it might be a hazard and was obligated to post a sign or fix the issue.

Most property owners in Hollywood and surrounding areas are responsible and take good care of their properties. However, if you have been injured in a slip and fall accident on the property of someone who was negligent, you do have the right to seek damages for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more. To get more details, contact Flaxman Law Group. Our full service law firm is staffed by attorneys who have more than six decades of experience helping plaintiffs in Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, South Miami Heights, and surrounding communities. Contact our staff today to set up a free, no obligation case review so that you can discuss your injuries and situation with our legal team.