How Much Is Your Florida Slip And Fall Lawsuit Worth?
Florida enforces strict laws when it comes to premises liability actions. Individuals that suffer injuries while on other people’s property can seek compensation if a premise’s owner is liable for their injuries. One way people get injured while on other people’s property is through slip and fall accidents. Such accidents happen quite often, and, unfortunately, slip and fall accidents often cause severe injuries. In fact, research claims that slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries.
If you slipped and fell on somebody else’s property in Florida and suffered an injury, you might be asking yourself, “how much is a Florida slip and fall lawsuit worth?” The truth is, there is no definite answer to this question. Whether you get hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars from your lawsuit depends entirely on some crucial factors. For example, the compensation you receive in a Florida slip and fall claim depends on your injury’s severity and the effect an injury has had on your life.
Nonetheless, even though it is hard for you to know exactly how much you will get from your slip and fall claim from the onset of the case, the potential damages in Florida slip and fall cases are often endless. This means you can receive a substantial amount of compensation from your slip and fall case. However, to get maximum compensation, work closely with your attorney to prove your case, especially if you slipped and fell on a business premise such as a restaurant, grocery store, or mall store. Such premise owners generally have the financial ability to pay all your damages.
Even though you can’t tell exactly how much you will get from your slip and fall lawsuit, you can approximate the value of your claim. To estimate how much you might receive from your slip and fall case, assuming you have a valid claim, you need to consider some things.
Below, we discuss some of the considerations that can help you estimate the value of your Florida slip and fall claim.
Medical Expenses
When deciding on how much to award a victim, among the first things that Florida courts consider are a plaintiff’s medical expenses. As such, you can use your medical expenses to estimate the value of your claim. When looking at your medical expenses, remember to look at the amount you’ve already spent and the amount you might spend in the future.
Usually, the amount of compensation that slip and fall victims obtain is at least equal to the amount spent on medical bills. Therefore, even if you are not entitled to other damages, you can assume that you might get at least an amount that is equal to your medical expenses. Nonetheless, it is most likely that you are qualified to receive more damages because, as already mentioned, slip and fall victims are often entitled to compensation for quite a number of damages.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
Often, victims of slip and fall accidents cannot go to work after sustaining severe injuries. If you slipped and fell and are now unable to go to work for some days or weeks, the chances are, you no longer have an income. A plaintiff that misses work and loses their wages after being involved in a slip and fall accident can seek compensation for lost wages as long as they have a valid case. Generally, Florida courts allow plaintiffs to recover compensation amounting to the amount they would have earned if they had gone to work.
Additionally, suppose your slip and fall accident seems to have affected your ability to earn in the future. In such a case, you might be entitled to recover compensation for “loss of earning capacity.” Proving loss of earning capacity can be challenging. Therefore, work with an experienced personal injury attorney to prove your lost earning capacity. Usually, property owners compensate victims for lost earning capacity through lump-sum payments or paying for them to be trained in different fields.
Pain and Suffering
Calculating pain and suffering can be challenging. However, your personal injury attorney can help you calculate the compensation you might get for pain and suffering. Usually, a multiplier is used to determine the amount of money a plaintiff should receive for pain and suffering. When it comes to the multiplier method, plaintiffs’ economic damages are usually multiplied by a number, often a number between 1 to 5. The severity of your injuries is what will determine the multiplier to be used. For example, suppose you sustained a severe injury that has not fully healed and requires future medical attention. In that case, the value of your pain and suffering might be up to five times the value of your economic damages.
Contact a Florida Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you need help approximating how much your slip and fall injury might be worth or dealing with your case’s complex legal aspects, contact a Naples personal injury attorney at The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro, P.A., at 239-649-8050 today to schedule a consultation.
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