Understanding the Value of a St Petersburg Slip and Fall Case
Michael Babboni
Law
In the case of a severe personal injury case, there is the potential for high compensation for damages. This is also true in the case of slip and falls in St Petersburg, Florida.When dealing with these cases, two things can ultimately determine the claim's value. These include the amount of insurance coverage the defendant holds and the degree of injury the plaintiff experiences.
Slip and Fall vs Auto Accident
Potential damages in an auto accident case are often limited and vary due to insufficient insurance coverage. Slip and falls, on the other hand, can prove to be almost limitless, especially if the plaintiff falls on a property of an already established business like a well-known grocery store, amusement park, mall, or restaurant.
Damages for these cases, however, are more limited when the fall occurs in a residential home. In that case, the damages are often capped by what the homeowner’s insurance policy states. If a smaller business does not have adequate insurance coverage or has little to no valuable assets, you may also see a cap.
Slip and Falls at Big Businesses
If you were injured on the property of one of the bigger establishments we mentioned, they will most likely have enough insurance to cover all the damages sustained. For example, a big pharmacy chain often has insurance coverage worth millions. Plus, the pharmacy has other assets that can be used. This means the plaintiff may see full compensation for their injuries.
Other businesses may have one million-dollar liability insurance policies. So, even this amount should be adequate to pay whatever damages have occurred.
The Severity of the Injuries
In addition to the amount of insurance coverage and valuable assets the company has, another component affecting the value of your slip and fall claim is the severity of the injuries sustained on the property. If you are not permanently injured, your damages will be much lower.
However, if a permanent injury does take place, even if the permanent injury is considered minor, you should be able to see enough compensation to cover your medical treatment costs, including ongoing costs related to the permanent injury.
Range of Value for Slip and Falls
You can see anything from thousands of dollars to millions depending on the many different factors of your case. However, you should keep in mind that most St Petersburg slip and fall cases never reach millions in compensation. Unless your injuries are severe and permanent, it is highly unlikely you will see such high numbers.
Additionally, if you have pre-existing conditions that already affected the hurt areas, this can also reduce the value of your slip and fall claim because only some degree of injury would have been caused by the fall, and the rest is the result of your pre-existing conditions.
Your Contribution to the Accident
We also have to look at the accident as a whole and see if you contributed in any way to your own slip and fall injuries. The personal injury attorney may inform you that you were partially responsible after looking at all the evidence.
According to Florida law, you may need to take some degree of responsibility. If you failed to watch where you were going and trip over an obstacle in your path, then a jury may decide your distraction aided in the accident to some degree. Or you may have been wearing unsafe shoes, resulting in a slip and fall accident.
Comparative negligence means that a percentage of the fault of the accident can fall on your shoulders if it can be proven that you contributed to the accident in any way.
If you are unsure how your slip and fall case may be valued, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced St Petersburg personal injury attorney who can assist you.