RETAIL STORE ACCIDENTS

According to Florida law, restaurant owners and other establishments that serve food owe a duty to patrons to maintain their premises in a condition that is reasonably safe and to provide sufficient warnings about dangerous conditions on the property. This includes taking reasonable steps to repair or fix a dangerous condition on the premises of which the owner knew or reasonably should have known. Among all types of visitors to property, business customers such as restaurant patrons are due the highest level of care from the owner.

Some types of dangers may be obvious, but there are also many subtle ways in which a patron can be hurt at a restaurant. Decorative items and other fixtures, including hanging plants and artwork, can pose a threat of harm if they are not installed or maintained properly. When it comes to the exterior, restaurants owe patrons a duty to provide appropriate lighting in parking lots, and they may be required to take additional security measures if they are aware or should be aware of crimes in the area.

After showing that the restaurant failed to act with the appropriate level of care, the plaintiff must show that his or her injuries were the direct result of this failure. A property owner may argue that the plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to the accident, or that some other factor was the direct cause. However, even if the restaurant was only partly responsible for causing the harm, it still may be ordered to pay a damages award that is proportionate to its degree of responsibility.

Victims of accidents on business property may be entitled to receive many forms of economic and non-economic damages. Some typical examples include medical expenses, the costs of future treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Discuss Your Case with a Premises Liability Case in Coral Springs