Tampa Premises Liability Lawyers - Paul Knopf Bigger
Have you gotten hurt due to a dangerous condition on another’s property? If you’ve incurred financial and personal losses due to injuries that occurred because of someone else’s wrongdoing, you deserve to seek compensation and accountability. A Tampa premises liability attorney from Paul Knopf Bigger can guide you through the claims process and advocate for your rights and interests.
Our attorneys and staff have dedicated their careers to helping injured people and fighting injustice where we see it. Each member of our legal team works tirelessly to fulfill our firm’s core principles of commitment, excellence, and personal service. At our firm, you will never feel like just another case number. Instead, you can expect that every decision we make in your case focuses on pursuing the best possible results for you.
When you’ve suffered injuries in an accident on someone else’s property, you may have a legal claim against the property owner to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Contact Paul Knopf Bigger for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options.
What Are Common Types of Premises Liability?
Premises liability refers to personal injury claims arising from accidents caused by dangerous conditions on another party’s property. A premises liability claim may arise from various kinds of accidents, such as:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Trip and fall accidents
- Staircase accidents
- Elevator/escalator accidents
- Dog bites or other domestic animal attacks
- Falling objects
- Swimming pool accidents
- Amusement park ride accidents
- Playground accidents
- Fires and explosions
- Toxic exposure
- Negligent security leading to assaults or other injuries from violent crime
- Parking lot accidents
- Construction site accidents
- Building collapse
Premises liability accidents occur due to hazardous property conditions. Some of the most common causes of accidents include:
- Recently mopped or waxed floors
- Spilled food or liquids
- Water or other liquid leaks
- Torn or loose rugs or carpeting
- Broken or loose flooring
- Uneven floors
- Broken staircases or handrails
- Cords or wires strewn across the ground
- Trash or debris
- Exposed holes or divots
- Tracked-in water, mud, or plant debris
- Broken pavement or sidewalks
- Algae- or moss-covered walkways
- Inadequate drainage
- Inadequate maintenance
- Poor lighting
- Lack of security measures, such as functioning locks or surveillance cameras
What Are Common Places Where Premises Liability Accidents Occur?
Although a premises liability accident can occur anywhere, places open to the public or with a lot of foot traffic more commonly experience accidents. Examples of places where premises liability accidents tend to occur include:
- Grocery stores and supermarkets
- Bars, clubs, and restaurants
- Amusement/theme parks
- Hotels
- Swimming pools
- Department stores
- Hardware stores
- Garden centers
- Apartment buildings and townhouse complexes
- Office buildings
- Malls and shopping centers
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Theaters
- Gyms/fitness centers
- Recreational parks
- Construction sites
What Are Common Injuries Someone Can Sustain in a Premises Liability Accident?
An accident victim can suffer various injuries, depending on the circumstances of a premises liability accident. Some of the most common examples of injuries that occur due to hazardous property conditions include:
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
- Degloving injuries
- Burns
- Disease from toxic, viral, or bacterial exposure
- Dislocated joints
- Ligament sprains or tears
- Muscle/tendon strains or tears
- Broken bones
- Herniated disc injuries
- Nerve damage
- Soft-tissue injuries, such as bursitis
- Internal organ injuries and bleeding
- Vision or hearing loss
- Facial injuries and scarring
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Limb loss or traumatic amputation
Who Is Responsible for an Injury in a Premises Liability Case?
A party may be responsible for injuries that occur in an accident on their property when they had a duty to maintain the premises where the accident occurred (this is called a duty of care). A party’s legal duty will depend on the status of the injured visitor.
Property owners owe the highest duty to invitees, or people invited by the property or business owner to enter the premises. The duty owed to invitees includes keeping the premises safe by regularly inspecting the property and remedying any hazards or warning invitees of their presence.
Owners owe a lesser duty to licensees, or people not invited by the owner but who otherwise lawfully enter the property (such as a utility worker or delivery person). Owners only need to warn licensees of hazardous conditions the owner knows about. Owners owe trespassers, or people who unlawfully enter the property, no duty except to refrain from willfully injuring them. However, this rule may not apply to young children trespassing on property.
In most cases, a property owner will bear liability for injuries caused by a dangerous condition on their property. However, depending on certain circumstances, other parties may also bear responsibility for injuries and losses in a premises liability claim.
Examples of parties you might hold liable in your premises liability case include:
- A business owner that rents commercial property and has exclusive responsibility under a lease to maintain the premises
- A residential tenant, if a premises liability accident occurs within the tenant’s leased premises
- A property management company responsible for maintaining the premises
- A third-party maintenance or landscaping company hired to clean or maintain the premises
Proving responsibility in a premises liability case requires evidence showing that a property owner or other party created the dangerous condition that caused the accident or failed to fulfill their duty to fix or clean up the hazard. Examples of evidence you might use to prove fault in a premises liability claim include:
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Surveillance footage
- Accident/incident reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Photos of your clothing/footwear in the accident
- Medical records of your injury treatment and rehabilitation
- Accident reconstruction or engineering expert reports and testimony
How Long Do I Have to File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in Florida?
Florida’s statute of limitations on negligence claims gives you two years to file a premises liability lawsuit after suffering injuries on someone’s property. But two years can go by quickly. If you wait too long to file a lawsuit and the limitations period ends, the court can dismiss your case — meaning you could lose your opportunity to recover compensation for your injuries.
Because time really is of the essence, it’s crucial that you contact a premises liability lawyer in Tampa as soon as possible after an accident. At Paul Knopf Bigger, we provide a free, no-obligation consultation so you may discuss your accident with us and learn about your legal options.
What Kinds of Damages Can I Pursue in a Premises Liability Case?
In a premises liability case, you may have the right to recover compensation for financial and personal losses you incur due to the injuries you suffered on someone else’s property. This economic recovery can compensate for your:
- Injury treatment and rehabilitation, including hospitalization, surgeries, prescriptions, pain management care, or physical/occupational therapy
- Care and support services for long-term or permanent disabilities, including home health care, personal assistance, or disability accommodations
- Lost wages/income from missed time from work or reduced earnings after transferring to a part-time or light-duty position
- Lost future earning capacity due to permanent disability from your job or other kinds of work
- Physical pain and anguish
- Emotional trauma or distress from the accident or your injuries and disabilities
- Lost enjoyment and quality of life caused by disabilities or permanent scarring and disfigurement
Why You Should Hire a Tampa Premises Liability Attorney
You may need extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation when you’ve suffered severe injuries in a premises liability accident. However, paying for medical care may become challenging if you cannot work due to injuries. Property owners and insurance companies can be prone to minimize or deny your premises liability claims.
But a Tampa premises liability attorney from Paul Knopf Bigger can help level the playing field so you can stand up for your rights and interests. You’ll be able to focus on your physical and emotional recovery as we handle the details of your legal claims, including:
- Recovering evidence for your case by thoroughly investigating the accident
- Reviewing the facts and evidence to identify potentially liable parties and evaluate your legal options for financial recovery, including potential options for insurance coverage
- Documenting your injuries and losses, including future anticipated needs and expenses, to ensure you demand the financial resources you need for your recovery now and in the future
- Explaining your rights and options to you and preparing you for what to expect at each stage of the claims process
- Keeping you updated on the progress of your case so you never feel anxious or in the dark about your financial recovery
- Filing insurance and legal claims and communicating with insurance adjusters, company representatives, or defense lawyers on your behalf
- Aggressively pursuing maximum compensation for you, whether through a fair and full settlement of your claims or by taking your case to court and trial when litigation becomes necessary to demand accountability for your injuries
Contact a Premises Liability Attorney in Tampa Today
Were you hurt by a dangerous condition on somebody else’s property? Learn how a premises liability attorney in Tampa will fight to secure the financial recovery you deserve from a negligent business or property owner. Contact Paul Knopf Bigger today for a free, no-obligation consultation.