Decorating Dangers: Common Injuries Floridians Should Know About Black Friday Disaster: What Floridians Can Do If They Get Hurt
Black Friday. Those two words are meant to conjure up thoughts of amazing deals and great savings on holiday purchases. However, while there certainly are fantastic sales on Black Friday (and, in more recent years, the weeks before and after Black Friday), it is also a big day for shopping injuries.
It makes sense. With so many more people packing into stores and driving around parking lots, your risk of getting hurt is significantly increased.
If you got hurt on Black Friday due to another’s negligence, it’s important that you learn what steps you need to take to get the compensation you deserve – starting with reaching out to a knowledgeable Florida injury lawyer.
Below, we’re going to lay out your next steps and how this type of case works. Not sure if your injury really qualifies? First, we’re going to detail common types of injuries.
The Kinds of Injuries That Occur on Black Friday in Florida
You can sustain a shopping injury on Black Friday from a small retail business, large store, or shopping mall. Likewise, injuries can range from minor cuts and scrapes to serious injuries that require medication, treatment, and even surgery. These are the most common types of injuries people endure:
Parking Lot Injuries
A crack in the pavement or a pothole may have caused you to fall and twist an ankle – or even break a bone.
Cart Injuries
A loose or broken cart could race in from seemingly out of nowhere and slam into you.
Overcrowding Injuries
A store must take precautions to prevent trampling, or they can be held liable for your injuries.
Injuries from Fallen Objects
Retailers want to make big sales as visible as possible, but they also have to securely store items on end caps, displays, and shelves to keep them from falling on you.
Slip and Fall Injuries
If the retailer does not fix problems like carpet tears, broken tiles, poor lighting, unmarked wet areas, or malfunctioning escalators, they can be held responsible for your resulting injuries.
Filing a Shopping Injury Claim in Florida
When you are injured on a retailer’s property, you may be able to file a premises liability lawsuit. A skilled attorney will look at the following conditions to determine if the retailer can be held liable:
- You were present on the retailer’s property with the intent to shop during normal business hours.
- The retailer knew or should have known about a potential hazard, yet did not warn you or fix the problem in a reasonable amount of time.
- You experienced an injury due to the retailer’s negligence.
- You experienced financial losses, called damages, in connection with your injury.
Bottom line? Retailers are required to provide adequate security and appropriate crowd control on busy shopping days like Black Friday. If the retailer did not take reasonable steps to prevent your injury, you may be able to file a lawsuit.
The most important piece of information is your medical record. Be sure to visit a doctor or emergency room after your injury – no matter how seemingly minor.
Some injuries, such as those to your neck, can take days to show up – but could require extensive treatment. Your medical report will be the best way to link your injury to the responsible retailer.
Once you have received medical treatment, consult with an experienced attorney. Your lawyer will look at every detail of your case to seek the maximum amount of compensation for your medical bills, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering you experienced.
The sooner you contact an attorney after your injury, the more time they will have to build a strong case. Many personal injury cases are subject to the Florida statute of limitations. If you don’t file within the window, your claim will not be accepted. Do not miss out – fight for the compensation you deserve.
About the Author:
Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2017 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – and was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite” and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015, 2016, and 2017.
