Clearwater Premises Liability Lawyer

Property owners have a duty to keep their property safe. If you were injured on someone else’s property in Clearwater, Florida, you might be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. A Clearwater premises liability lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can fight to protect your legal rights. 

Since 1955, our legal team has worked tirelessly to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for our injured clients involved in cases like slip and falls, catastrophic injuries, Clearwater product liability, Clearwater child injuries, and any personal injury matter. We’d be proud to fight for you.

Would you like to learn more about our experience and proven results? Contact our law offices in Clearwater, Florida, to schedule a free consultation today at (727) 796-8282.

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Clearwater Premises Liability Injury Claim

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Can Help With a Clearwater Premises Liability Injury Claim

All property owners have a duty to keep their property safe for invited visitors and guests. If you were hurt on someone else’s unsafe property, you can sue for damages under Florida premises liability laws. 

However, a legal right doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to get the full compensation you deserve. Insurance companies and property owners will fight you every step of the way. They might challenge your medical bills or claim you actually caused the accident.

A Clearwater personal injury attorney at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help. We are Tampa Bay’s oldest personal injury firm; our reputation precedes us in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Insurance companies and defense attorneys know that we have over six decades of experience in premises liability cases. Likewise, they know they won’t get away with a low settlement offer or baseless blame-shifting strategies. 

Hiring us means you’ll have an experienced advocate to:

  • Gather all relevant evidence
  • Hire experts and specialists as needed
  • Assess the fair value of your injury claim
  • Negotiate to recover the maximum compensation you deserve

We have over 60 years of experience standing up for accident victims. If you’d like an experienced Clearwater personal injury lawyer to review your case, call our law firm and schedule a free consultation today.

What is My Clearwater Premises Liability Case Worth?

This is always a difficult question. The answer is based on a number of variables that can change from case to case. Serious injuries tend to be more expensive to treat. Victims with the most serious injuries usually recover the highest settlements.

However, your past expenses aren’t the only consideration. You’re also entitled to damages for anticipated future expenses related to your injuries.

Some important factors that influence how much your injury claim is worth include:

  • Your prognosis and whether you’ll recover fully
  • The impact of the injury on your lifestyle and ability to work
  • Your emotional trauma, including depression
  • Any anticipated ongoing physical or emotional problems you’ll experience

Insurance companies often use scare tactics to bully victims into accepting lowball settlements. You don’t have to fall for that trick. Call our lawyers today to learn more about how we can help.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims in Premises Liability Cases?

An unexpected accident can cause significant damages. Victims are entitled to recover compensation to account for all the damage they’ve suffered. Plaintiffs in a premises liability case are generally entitled to recover economic damages and non-economic damages. 

Economic damages represent your financial losses after the accident. They include your out-of-pocket cost for:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Past and future lost wages
  • Diminished earning potential
  • Rehabilitation
  • Property damage

Injuries are also psychologically and emotionally damaging. Non-economic damages compensate the victims for these subjective losses. 

Examples of non-economic damages include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Disfigurement, scarring, and physical impairments
  • Loss of consortium

If you were injured, our attorneys in Clearwater would be happy to review your case and discuss the types of damages that may be available.

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for Getting Hurt on Someone Else’s Property in Florida?

Insurance companies and property owners often blame accident victims for causing their own injuries. Some of those allegations might even seem convincing–even if they’re entirely illegitimate. It’s important to understand your rights before you back down.

If you share partial blame for an accident, you may still be able to recover damages. Florida’s modified comparative fault law apportions liability between all parties who share responsibility for an accident. If someone else was mostly responsible, you could sue for damages. However, your own compensation award will be reduced in proportion to your share of fault. And because of Florida’s “51% rule,” you cannot recover damages if you share the majority of the blame.

Is the insurance company trying to scare you into accepting a lowball settlement? Call Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for a free case evaluation today. We’d be happy to stand up for your rights.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries

Whether you slip and fall at a baseball game or are bitten by a friend’s dog, your injuries can impact your life in more ways than you might think.

At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent clients in premises liability cases involving:

Some injuries are so catastrophic that they can cause the wrongful death of a loved one. Our lawyers can also help you fight to recover damages for wrongful death if your loved one was killed on someone else’s property.

We Handle All Types of Premises Liability Claims in Clearwater, Florida

Florida laws on premises liability cover a broad range of accidents that happen on another person’s property. You might have a valid premises liability lawsuit if you were hurt at the grocery store, at a restaurant, or even while visiting a friend’s home.

At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of premises liability claims, including those involving:

  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Negligent security
  • Assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Broken elevators and escalators
  • Negligently maintained sidewalks and parking lots
  • Playground accidents
  • Amusement park accidents
  • Hotel accidents
  • Bed bugs
  • Electrocution 
  • Cruise ship accidents
  • Building code violations
  • Dog bites and animal attacks

If the property owner failed to take reasonable steps to keep you safe, you could have a claim for damages. To learn more about your legal options, call our Clearwater premises liability attorneys for legal advice today.

How Do I Prove Negligence in a Florida Premises Liability Case? 

All negligence claims involve four basic elements, including:

In other words, to hold another party responsible for damages, victims are required to provide evidence about the property owner’s duty of care and how the breach caused their injuries.

Under Florida premises liability laws, the duty of care varies depending on why the victim was present on the other person’s property. For legal purposes, victims are classified as business invitees, licensees or trespassers.

Business Invitees

Business invitees are “invited” onto another person’s property for some type of business purpose. 

You’ll be classified as a business invitee if you are:

  • Shopping in a grocery store or shopping mall
  • Staying in a hotel
  • Dining in a restaurant
  • Enjoying a bar or nightclub
  • Attending a sporting event or concert 
  • Participating in a business meeting 

Property owners owe a heightened duty of care to business invitees and must:

  • Maintain the premises in safe condition
  • Provide adequate warning about any hazardous conditions
  • Conduct regular inspections to identify and fix unsafe conditions

Business owners can be held liable if they:

  • Knew about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it or provide adequate warning
  • Reasonably should have known about the danger and failed to remedy it

The property owner’s duty extends to both the interior and exterior of the property. You may have the right to compensation even if you’re hurt in the parking lot before you even enter the business.

Licensees

Licensees are social guests. Property owners have a duty to warn guests about any known dangers. However, their responsibility is limited because they have no duty to inspect the property to find hidden hazards.

Trespassers and the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine

Property owners generally aren’t responsible for injuries sustained by trespassers. If you’re on another person’s property illegally, the owner’s only duty is to avoid harming you intentionally.

The law creates an exception for children. Under the “attractive nuisance doctrine,” property owners may owe a duty to provide safeguards for children who trespass. That’s because kids aren’t always able to evaluate risks in the same way as adults.

An attractive nuisance is something on the property that’s dangerous and likely to appeal to children. For example, property owners in Clearwater are required to take steps to keep children away from swimming pools and ponds. That might mean installing fences or locked gates, depending on the circumstances.

How Long Do I Have to File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in Florida?

The Florida statute of limitations for most personal injury cases has been adjusted. The deadline is two years if your incident happened on or after 3/24/2023, and it is four years if your incident took place before that date. If you don’t file a lawsuit within four years of your accident, you’ll forfeit your right to compensation. Since there are exceptions to these deadlines in some instances, it is recommended that you contact a lawyer to determine the correct time limit for your specific case.

Contact a Clearwater Premises Liability Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Were you injured on someone else’s property? Don’t hesitate to call a Clearwater premises liability lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for help today. Your initial consultation is always free.

Our Clearwater, FL personal injury law firm in Pinellas County also provides: