Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time. One of the major causes of these accidents – ice and snow – does not occur here in the Sarasota area. But there are still many circumstances where a slip and fall can happen, and they can cause a range of injuries, from mild to severe. These injuries could include broken or shattered arms, legs, wrists, ankles, or hips. Not only is an injury painful, but the victim could incur significant medical expenses, lost wages from forced time off, or face long-term care or rehabilitation. Commercial property owners have a legal obligation to ensure the parking lot and sidewalks at their property are hazard-free in order to prevent these accidents whenever possible.

If you have experienced a slip and fall accident in a commercial parking lot – such as at a supermarket, shopping mall, or public park – you may wonder if there is a responsible party. Is the lot owned by the county or city? Is there a private owner? Who was responsible for the maintenance and management of the place where you were injured? Typically, parking lots are privately owned, and the party liable for any injury due to a slip and fall is the one responsible for maintaining the parking lot. Here is the information you need to know.

Parking lot Liability

To hold the parking lot owner liable for your accident and resulting injuries, you must be able to prove that there was some form of negligence on their part. This means that there had to be an unsafe condition present and that the owner was both aware of the problem and had failed to take measures to fix it. For instance, suppose there was a broken sidewalk in front of a supermarket for months. People had complained that the surface was dangerous, but the store management never fixed it. When a shopper trips on their way out of the store and injures themselves, the store owner would likely be found negligent and responsible for their injuries. Some examples of dangerous conditions that a property owner would be liable to fix include:

Potholes or large cracks in the pavement
Broken, loose or missing paving stones
Spilled liquids in the lot, such as oil or gasoline
Debris such as trash
Tools or equipment in the parking lot from maintenance work
Irregular or slippery surfaces such as gravel, mulch, or sand instead of pavement or concrete
Inadequate illumination, which can make sidewalks, curbs, ramps, and other surfaces difficult to navigate

What to Do If You Have Been Injured

If you have been injured in a parking lot or in a public building, there are a few steps you should follow:

Be sure to get the medical attention you need promptly.
If possible, take photos of the site where you were injured
Keep records of all your visits, treatments, and diagnoses, as well as the prognosis for your ongoing treatment.
Record any lost wages, or any other adverse effect of your injury – especially as it pertains to your employment.
Keep any appointments with your doctor and follow all recommended treatments.
contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible for advice as to how to proceed.

Probinsky & Cole are personal injury attorneys based in Sarasota, Brandon, and Orlando. We help accident and injury victims gain the compensation they deserve from car accidents, slip and falls, or medical malpractice cases.