South Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Florida has countless high-rise apartment buildings, hotels, and condos, which means that people often enjoy outdoor time on their balconies. While most people do this without incident, the reality is that balcony accidents do happen in Florida and across the United States. Serious accidents can happen when the balcony or balcony railing is not built to code or properly maintained. If you have fallen from a balcony or been hurt in a balcony accident that could have been prevented, you may be entitled to compensation.
According to The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, there were an estimated 86,500 balcony fall injuries treated in hospital emergency departments between 1990 and 2006. Most of these falls ranged from five feet to 87.5 feet. In approximately 6.5 percent of these cases, injuries were caused by structural deficiencies. Children under the age of 18 were more likely than adults to suffer closed head injuries or skull fractures.
Balcony falls can have a number of causes, including loose railings or rusted bolts, railings that are not high enough, gaps in railings that leave a dangerous space through which people can fall, unsafe design or construction of the balcony, structural weakness, a failure to place proper warning signs, and improper maintenance.
If you have been injured as a result of a poorly maintained balcony in an apartment building, hotel, or condo development, you may be able to sue the property owner under a premises liability claim. Under premises liability laws, it is the property owner’s responsibility to protect invitees (i.e., paying customers and those on the property for business purposes) and licensees (i.e., social guests) who enter the property from all known and knowable hazards, to clearly warn of such hazards, and to remedy any conditions that could pose a risk of injury to visitors. Part of this duty includes making sure that that the balcony and guardrails are maintained on a regular basis to ensure that they are safe for use.
If your balcony accident was a result of a defectively designed or manufactured balcony, you may be able to recover compensation through a product liability claim. Manufacturers are required to follow industry regulations when making balconies and guardrails. Structural defects can lead to serious accidents and resulting injuries. In the most serious cases, balcony accidents consist of falls from high heights that lead to a victim’s sudden death.
If you or someone close to you has suffered an injury in a balcony accident, we can help. You should not delay in reaching out to a seasoned Miami premises liability attorney who can assess the merits of your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we are committed to representing people and families who have suffered serious harm due to the negligence of others. With years of experience, we understand this area of law and can put our knowledge to use in your case. For more information about your legal rights and options, call us at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) or contact us online today.
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