Tampa Street Slip & Fall Lawyer
Walking down a public street in Tampa is not something you would normally associate with a serious accident. Yet many people suffer serious injuries in slip-and-fall accidents that occur on public streets. And many of these accidents are the result of negligent and improper road maintenance on the part of the state or city.
If this describes your own recent accident, you may have a case for seeking compensation from the government. Our Tampa street slip and fall lawyer is happy to sit down with you and discuss your accident. Anderson & Anderson is a team of Florida personal injury lawyers with over 35 years experience representing clients injured in slip and fall accidents. We can advise you on the special rules applicable to tort claims against government entities and help ensure you receive fair treatment under the law.
How Do Slip and Falls Occur on Tampa Streets?
Some slip and fall accidents are just that–accidents where nobody is really at-fault. That said, whenever a person is injured on someone else’s property, the law can–and does–hold the owner responsible if they allowed a dangerous or defective condition to cause a slip-and-fall by a person who was lawfully entitled to be on the premises. In the context of a public street, a state or local government may be responsible for any of the following dangerous conditions:
- cracks in the pavement;
- potholes;
- grates in any footpaths;
- puddles of water;
- slippery surfaces;
- foreign objects;
- curbs without markers or signs; or
- sudden changes in walkway elevation.
Proving governmental liability for a street slip and fall accident is complicated by Florida’s sovereign immunity laws. Under the state constitution, you typically cannot sue the government for civil damages. The legislature carved out an exception, however, for tort (personal injury) claims arising from the negligence of the state or any of its subdivisions, including the City of Tampa. So it is possible to sue the state or city when poor road maintenance leads to a slip-and-fall accident on a public street.
The catch is that you must first file an administrative claim, a type of pre-suit notice, in order to give the government time to investigate your accident and possibly offer a settlement. If that process fails to compensate you to your satisfaction, you can then file a lawsuit in state court.
Even if you prevail in court, however, Florida law limits the total amount of compensation you can receive under the state’s waiver of sovereign immunity. Total compensatory damages are limited to $200,000 per person, regardless of the extent of your actual damages.
Contact Anderson & Anderson Today
Even with the restrictions imposed by sovereign immunity, a slip and fall accident victim may still recover significant compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, among other damages. So it is in your best interest to work with an experienced Tampa street slip and fall lawyer who will work to maximize your compensation under the law. Call Anderson & Anderson today at 813-251-0072 or contact us online to schedule an initial consultation.
