When you visit someone else's property, you expect to stay safe. For example, you may go and visit a small business, where you expect someone to take care of their floors. You do not expect to slip and fall on something. Or, if you go to a party in the neighborhood, you probably expect your friend to take care of their property. You don't expect to slip and fall while walking on the deck. If you are injured on someone else's property in the state of Florida, what should you do next? There are several important steps to follow, but make sure you rely on professionals who can help you. That way, you can ensure that your rights are appropriately protected.

1. Seek Medical Care First

If you were injured on someone else's property, the first thing you need to do is seek medical care. Even if you feel like you haven't suffered any serious injuries, not every injury will result in immediate symptoms. Even though you might feel fine now, you might be in a significant amount of pain later. If you don't see a doctor immediately, your injuries could get worse.

When you visit the doctor, make sure you are open and honest about what happened. If you were injured on someone else's property, let the doctor know. Explain how the injury happened, and make sure you are open about any pre-existing medical conditions you might have. This is important for creating an accurate medical record of what happened. You might need to refer back to it later.

2. Figure Out Why You Got Hurt

Next, you need to figure out why you got hurt. There are several common reasons why people suffer injuries on someone else's property. For example, there might be an uneven walkway somewhere. Have you ever tripped and fallen on the sidewalk because there was a piece of concrete sticking out? Something similar might happen with the boards on someone's deck.

Or, you may have gotten hurt during an encounter with an animal. If the other person is not training their animals appropriately, you might get attacked by a dog or cat.

There might have been a spill on the floor of a small business. As a result, you may have slipped and fallen. Do you remember there being an appropriate warning?

These are just a few of the most common reasons why someone may get hurt on someone else's property. You need to figure out exactly what happened. You might need to ask a professional to help you with this step.

3. Document Everything Along the Way

As you go through this process, you need to document everything. After you visit the doctor, you should reach out and ask for a copy of your medical records. If you get bills, you need to make sure you collect all of them and track how much money you have spent. Even though you may have health insurance to cover some of the expenses, you still need to track the money you spend.

You also need to take pictures of the location where you were injured. That way, you have evidence to back up your claim. Typically, when someone gets hurt, the owner of the property will quickly try to rectify the situation so that nobody else gets injured. Unfortunately, if you don't get a picture of the property in its previous state, you may have a difficult time proving your claim.

4. Ensure You Had a Legal Reason To Visit the Property

Before you go any further, you need to make sure you had a legal reason to visit that property. For example, if the business was open, then you had every right to go in there and purchase a product or service. If someone invited a bunch of friends over, you should have evidence of the invitation.

The point is that you don't want to be caught trespassing on someone else's property. Even though you may have gotten hurt on someone else's property, if you were trespassing, this could sink your claim. If you have questions or concerns about this, you may want to reach out to a professional who can assist you.

5. Reach Out to a Premises Liability Attorney in Florida

To answer the above questions, you need to rely on a premises liability attorney in Florida. There are several ways a premises liability attorney can help you. First, a premises liability attorney will make sure you were on the premises legally.

The premises liability attorney can also file discovery motions. This is important for making sure the owners or managers had a duty to take care of the property. For example, the attorney might want maintenance records related to the property. If they didn't have a duty to care for the property, then you may not have a legitimate claim.

If the owners did have a duty to care for the property, your attorney will make sure they were negligent in doing so. If they did not take care of the premises as they were supposed to, then you may have a premises liability claim.

Finally, the attorney will also have to prove that the negligence of the owners resulted in your injuries. Even if they were negligent in taking care of the property, you might not have a case if you did not get hurt. The attorney will take a look at the medical records and make sure they line up with the issue related to the property.

6. Follow the Advice of Your Attorney

Finally, you need to follow the advice of your attorney. An insurance company might reach out to you and offer a settlement; however, you do not want to take this if it is less than your injury is worth. How do you know how much you deserve following your injury? That is another way where a premises liability attorney can help you. Make sure you rely on legal professionals who can vigorously defend your rights.

Count on the Experience of Vasilaros Wagner for Premises Liability in Florida Issues

There is probably a lot going through your head if you have gotten hurt in an accident on someone else's property. You expect them to take care of their property, and it can be a shock if you are hurt as a result of their failure to do so. Fortunately, this isn't a situation you have to go through alone. Contact Vasilaros Wagner for a premises liability attorney in Florida for a free case consultation.