When someone is injured from a slip and fall or a trip and fall, the business or person who owns or runs the location where the fall took place may be liable if their negligence led to the injury. Whether you sustained fractures or other injuries from a slip and fall or trip and fall, Leighton Panoff Law lawyers will aggressively pursue the maximum compensation provided by law.
Each year there are over 2.5 million non-fatal falls in the United States which require emergency treatment, including 250,000 hip fractures. Falls can cause traumatic brain injury, which is often overlooked or missed because it may take time to show up. If you have hit your head or lost consciousness in a fall, it is important to see a skilled medical professional for a full assessment. We represent many people who have suffered mild and moderate traumatic brain injuries from falls; these injuries can be devastating to the victim and their family.
Slips and falls due to dangerous situations occur with great frequency. Often it may be due to a substance that has been left on a floor or a condition that causes the ground to be dangerously slippery. Sometimes there is an uneven surface or a hidden danger that cannot be perceived by someone until they fall. The law requires that premises be reasonably maintained and that people are entitled to be warned of known hazards. The attorney’s job is to find out if there was a defect or known hazard and, if so, to prove it in court.
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Retail liability occurs when a shopper is injured because of a dangerous condition in a store. The proliferation of “big box” stores has added to the risks that shoppers face. Now they are not only dealing with whatever risks a traditional store offers, but often they are essentially inside a working “warehouse.” It is not unusual to see forklifts and pallets loaded with merchandise being moved back and forth or up to high levels while shoppers walk through the store. This increases the chances for injuries in an already dangerous environment. This includes falling or misplaced merchandise inside stores, causing injuries and falls. It can also include protrusions and improper merchandising of products that create hazards.
Leighto Panoff Law personal injury lawyers have a long and successful track record of recovering substantial damages for people who are injured from falls.
Falling merchandise: John Elliott Leighton represented a 62 year-old woman who attempted to retrieve a package of toilet paper from an overhead pallet at warehouse store, Costco. The entire shrink-wrapped pallet fell on her from above her head, causing a displaced fracture of her leg. The big box store defended the case by claiming that this was not merchandise intended for sale (it claimed it was “overstock”). Mr. Leighton took the case to trial and proved that Costco knew its customers opened shrink wrapped pallets and did nothing to warn them or prevent customer access. Mr. Leighton retained a retail merchandising and engineering expert, and an accident reconstruction expert, to demonstrate to the jury how the incident occurred and the reasonableness of the plaintiff. The jury returned a verdict of $1,007,000, which was more than ten times the offer made to our client before trial.
Slip and fall injuries: One of Mr. Leighton’s skills is in maximizing his client’s recovery for slip and fall injuries. In one case, he represented a woman who slipped and fell while walking out of a Wendy’s restaurant. She had slipped on a grease slick that was in front of the walkway up to the restaurant. The restaurant denied any responsibility. At trial, Mr. Leighton proved that the restaurant had a practice of carrying out its used grease from its fryers to the back of the restaurant along this path. Expert chemical analysis demonstrated that the grease on which our client slipped was the same as that which is used in the Wendy’s fryers. Mr. Leighton won a jury verdict in excess of $200,000.
In another recent case, Leighton recovered $850,000 for a woman who slipped and fell at a Disney hotel while on vacation and fractured her knee. The flooring surface was wet from rainwater, which the hotel failed to dry or warn guests about. Another Leighton Panoff Law client fell down stairs at a country club due to a lack of lighting and building code violations. A $1,300,000 settlement was recovered.
Mr. Leighton represented a man who slipped and fell on an improperly painted surface which became very slippery when wet. The man suffered serious leg injuries and was disabled from his job as a truck driver. Leighton obtained a substantial confidential settlement which provided for the client’s economic future.
Mr. Leighton and Mr. Panoff recently recovered $1,000,000 for a man who slipped and fell on a wet area outside a resort hotel. The area was sometimes covered with a carpeted mat to prevent slips but was not on this particular day despite the rain. Leighton Panoff Law proved that the slope of the area violated building codes and the surfacing used by the owner was an improper tile to use in an area that was subjected to water, thus causing the client’s fall.
In a slip and fall case tried in Broward County Circuit Court, Mr. Leighton obtained a verdict of $200,000 for a young woman who injured her back after slipping and falling on water inside a supermarket. The water was from damaged bottled water that sat on the store shelves, but which did not receive appropriate attention once they began to leak.
Electrocutions: Sometimes premises injuries can have deadly results. The injuries can be due to things other than falls. In one celebrated case litigated by John Leighton, a man was killed when he was electrocuted while in his pool. The wiring for the landscape lighting around his pool had been installed incorrectly, causing his death. Leighton recovered $5.5 million for the family. His wife and children were financially secured even though they lost this wonderful father and husband.
In another of our electrocution cases, a man working on a construction site was electrocuted when another worker turned the power on when he was working on the job. In another case tried by Mr. Leighton, a jury awarded over $1 million for the electrocution of a teenage boy who was killed when the boat lift he was playing on was electrified.
At Leighton Panoff Law, our team of lawyers, paralegals, nurses, investigators and staff are trained to help our clients who have suffered a fall and are injured. We can assist clients in helping coordinate care and prosecuting a case against the responsible party. Call us at 888-395-0001 or contact us for a complimentary consultation. We pride ourselves in obtaining the very best recoveries for clients who have slipped or tripped and fallen because of a dangerous or defective condition.
Click here for examples of our pending and finalized premises liability cases.
Disclaimer: The information about past verdicts and settlements of the firm’s cases are based on the unique facts of each case. These amounts reflect the gross recovery in each case (before attorneys fees, expenses and medical costs are deducted). Although these results were obtained by our firm, they may not indicate the success or value of any other case as each case is unique. By clicking on Verdicts and Settlements you are acknowledging that every case is different and each case must be evaluated on its own merits. The information contained here has not been reviewed or approved by The Florida Bar.
When someone is injured from a slip and fall or a trip and fall, the business or person who owns or runs the location where the fall took place may be liable if their negligence led to the injury. The law requires that premises be reasonably maintained and that people are entitled to be warned of known hazards. Whether it’s a slippery floor, hidden danger, or uneven surface, our attorneys will investigate and prove if there was a defect or known hazard in court.
Each year there are over 2.5 million non-fatal falls in the United States which require emergency treatment, including 250,000 hip fractures. Falls can cause traumatic brain injury, which is often overlooked or missed because it may take time to show up. If you have hit your head or lost consciousness in a fall, it is important to see a skilled medical professional. Mild and moderate traumatic brain injuries from falls can be devastating to the victim and their family.
Slips and falls due to dangerous situations occur with great frequency. Often it may be due to a substance left on a floor or a condition that causes the ground to be dangerously slippery. Sometimes there is an uneven surface or a hidden danger that cannot be perceived until someone falls. The law requires that people be warned of known hazards, and businesses must maintain safe conditions. The attorney’s job is to determine if there was a defect or known hazard and to prove that in court.
Retail liability occurs when a shopper is injured because of a dangerous condition in a store. The rise of “big box” stores has increased risks, turning stores into working warehouses with forklifts and pallets of merchandise. This includes falling or misplaced merchandise, protrusions, or improper product merchandising. In one case, a 62 year-old woman was injured at Costco when a pallet fell on her. Mr. Leighton took the case to trial and secured a $1,007,000 verdict, more than ten times the pre-trial offer.
Leighton Panoff Law personal injury lawyers have a long and successful track record of recovering substantial damages for people who are injured from falls. Mr. Leighton has represented clients in cases involving grease slicks outside restaurants, rain-slick floors at hotels, and code violations in stairways. He has obtained verdicts and settlements as high as $1,300,000 for clients who were seriously injured in these types of accidents. Our attorneys work to maximize recovery and hold responsible parties accountable for maintaining unsafe premises.
In one case, Mr. Leighton recovered $850,000 for a woman who fell at a Disney hotel on a rain-soaked surface. In another, a $1,300,000 settlement was recovered for a client who fell down stairs at a country club due to poor lighting and code violations. A supermarket case resulted in a $200,000 verdict for a young woman who slipped on water from leaking bottles. Each case demonstrates the importance of identifying hazards and pursuing justice for clients injured by unsafe conditions.
In one case, Mr. Leighton represented a man who slipped on an improperly painted surface that became slippery when wet. He suffered serious leg injuries and was disabled from his job as a truck driver. A substantial confidential settlement was obtained to secure the client’s economic future. In another case, $1,000,000 was recovered for a client who fell on wet tile outside a resort hotel. The tile was not designed for wet use, and the area violated building codes, causing the fall.
Yes. Premises injuries can have deadly results and are not limited to falls. Mr. Leighton litigated a case where a man was killed by electrocution due to improperly installed pool lighting. He recovered $5.5 million for the family. Another case involved a construction site worker electrocuted when power was turned on during a job. In yet another, a jury awarded over $1 million for the electrocution of a teenage boy who was killed by an electrified boat lift. These are all examples of premises-related injuries.
At Leighton Panoff Law, our team of lawyers, paralegals, nurses, investigators and staff are trained to help our clients who have suffered a fall and are injured. We assist clients in coordinating medical care and prosecuting cases against responsible parties. Our goal is to obtain the very best recoveries for clients who have slipped or tripped and fallen due to dangerous or defective conditions. We offer complimentary consultations and take pride in providing both aggressive representation and compassionate support throughout the case.
In complex fall injury cases, expert testimony can be essential. In the Costco case, Mr. Leighton retained a retail merchandising and engineering expert and an accident reconstruction expert to show how the incident occurred and prove the plaintiff acted reasonably. In the Wendy’s grease slick case, expert chemical analysis matched the slick to fryer grease. These expert insights helped secure substantial verdicts and settlements. Leighton Panoff Law knows how to leverage technical and expert evidence to successfully represent fall injury victims.