Fort Lauderdale Condominium Accident Attorney

When People are injured in the homes of others, they turn to this Fort Lauderdale Condominium Accident Lawyer. Condominiums are like apartments, but they are usually owned by the person living in them. Condo buildings are typically run by governing boards.

Accidents in condo buildings can occur in either common areas or in single condos. If an accident happens in a common area, then it will typically be the owner of the condominium building who will be liable. Accidents in common areas of condos can include slip and fall or trip & fall accidents. Such falls can be caused by liquid (e.g., water, juice, soda, etc. on the ground) or “fixtures” (permanent structures) in common areas. If the dangerous condition that caused your fall was only temporary (e.g. liquid on the floor/ground), then you will need to prove that the condo had notice of the dangerous condition. Such notice can come in the form of “actual notice” or “constructive notice.”

Actual notice takes place when the employees of the condo either created the dangerous condition themselves or knew about and failed to correct it. Constructive notice, on the other hand, occurs when the dangerous condition existed for long enough a time period that the condo should have known about it. You can prove that the dangerous condition existed for some time by using circumstantial evidence. For example, if dirt or tracks existed in liquid on the floor/ground of a condo common area, then that could be evidence that the liquid had been on the floor/ground for a while.

If your accident was caused by a fixture in a common area of a condominium building where you lived, then the defense in your case may argue that the dangerous condition that caused your accident was “open and obvious.” That is, the defense may argue that you should have known about, and avoided, the dangerous condition. After all, if you lived in the condo building, then you presumably passed by the dangerous condition before and knew about it.

Should you be hurt in a condo in Florida (including West Palm Beach, Miami, Miami-Dade County, or Palm Beach County), call Mr. Quackenbush to talk about your case for free. He can be reached at 954-448-7288 anytime.

In this situation, the defense may argue that you were “comparatively negligence.” That is, the defense may argue that you yourself were partly responsible for the accident for not avoiding the dangerous condition. If the Jury in your trial agrees, it may assign you some percentage of fault. The Jury can divide percentages of fault however it wants. For example, it may decide that you were 50 percent liable for your accident, and the condo 50%. Or the Jury could divide fault 90/10 percent. Your award will be reduced by the percentage of fault the Jury assigns to you. For example, if the Jury awards you $100,000 but believes you were 10% responsible for the accident, then you will receive only $90,000 (instead of $100,000).

If your accident occurred in a condo common area, then one thing you should do is to ask for surveillance videotape/footage at the condo. Many condominiums have surveillance footage in their common areas. If the condo where you accident occurred had such surveillance, then your accident might have been captured on videotaped.

On the other hand, if an accident happens in a single condominium, then it will typically be the owner of the condo who will be liable. It is the responsibility of the condo owner to keep his or her property safe. If the property owner doesn’t do this, then he or she can be responsible for any injuries caused. Various hazards can exist in condominiums. For example, liquids and objects on the floor of condos can cause slip & fall and trip and fall accidents (as mentioned above). Further, walls and roofs/ceilings in condos occasionally fall/collapse and injure people.

“Step-downs” in condos may also occasionally cause falls. A step-down is the name for a change in elevation of the flooring in a condo. While walking, people may fail to notice step-downs and fall as a result, experiencing injuries.

Improper, inadequate or poor lighting in condos may also occasionally cause falls. This is especially true if a person encounters a step-down in a condo (as mentioned above).

Crimes also frequently occur in condominium buildings. If you’ve been the victim of a crime in a condo building, then you might have a negligent security case against the condo. This will be true if you can successfully argue that the crime was allowed as a result of inadequate, improper, poor, or lack of security. It will be easiest to make this argument if the condo existed in a high-crime area. After all, if there was a lot of crime in the area, then the condo should have provided adequate security. Mr. Quackenbush will check the history of crime in the area of the condo by checking the area’s “crime grid.”

Call Mr. Quackenbush to talk about your case for free. He can be reached at 954-448-7288, and he can help if you’ve been hurt anyplace in Broward County (including Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Coral Springs, Dania Beach, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, Margate, Miramar, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Southwest Ranches, Sunrise, Tamarac, West Park, Weston and Wilton Manors).