Vacations should be a time when stress, worry, and hardship are forgotten. Florida welcomes millions of tourists every single year, and unfortunately, accidents can happen at any time – tourists are not immune from getting injured in Florida. If you were a tourist or visitor to Florida and experienced a personal injury during your stay, you have legal recourse – just as if you were in your home state or a resident of Florida. Today, we will talk more concretely about your legal options and what qualifies as personal injury as a visitor to Florida.

What Kind of Injuries Are Common Among Tourists in Florida?

While nearly all types of injuries covered by personal injury law can occur on vacation, some stand above the rest in prevalence and potential damages.

Common Causes of Tourist Injuries

Traffic Accidents: Florida’s roads can be particularly challenging for tourists. The blend of heavy traffic, unfamiliar routes, high-density pedestrian areas, and international visitors adhering to different rules of the road leads to a high incidence of road accidents involving tourists.
Recreational Accidents: The state’s abundance of water sports, theme parks, and outdoor adventures is a major draw for tourists. However, these activities can sometimes result in injuries instead of enjoyment.
Slip and Fall: This category of injuries is particularly prevalent in hotels, resorts, and public spaces. Wet floors, uneven pavements, and poorly maintained areas are common culprits. Even though these incidents might seem minor, they may result in significant injuries, especially in crowded areas where hazards might not be immediately noticeable.

Legal Rights and Protections for Injured Tourists

Even as a non-Florida resident, you are entitled under state law to seek compensation for injuries stemming from someone else’s negligence. We touched upon the common causes, but any injury someone else causes through negligence or a failure of their duty to the public is fair game.

Florida personal injury laws allow you to claim damages for medical expenses directly tied to the event, lost wages due to the time you spend recuperating either in Florida or back home, and emotional distress caused by the injury. As a tourist, you have all the rights as a resident to seek compensation, but you will likely need to work with a local attorney to ensure you comply with the requirements set forth by Florida courts. In general, it is wise to have local representation for a case in a different state court. Attorneys nearer to your home may be unfamiliar with the intricacies that separate your local laws from those of Florida.

Looking for the perfect local attorney for your case? Here are some questions to ask:

What is your experience with tourist injury cases in Florida? While the process does not drastically change between tourist and non-tourist cases, this question helps gauge the attorney’s expertise in handling cases similar to yours. There may be different filing requirements for your case, and some attorneys work better than others when dealing with clients remotely. Always ensure you feel properly represented and listened to before going forward with hiring an attorney.
How do you charge for injury cases? Most people want to focus on rest and recovery after an injury. If your lawyer in Florida is hundreds or thousands of miles away, it can be hard to always keep track of what they are working on. Personal injury lawyers should ideally use a contingency fee structure, aligning their interests with your own and only paying them if they win your case. This way, you can rest easy knowing a far-away attorney is not taking advantage of you.

Have you recently been injured during a trip to Florida? Contact Probinsky & Cole today to learn how we can be the perfect partners to represent your interests in our state.