Personal Injury On Government Property

What happens when you incur personal injury on government property?  All around Florida and the greater United States, government-owned property enables citizens to do many things.  For example, parks allow city dwellers to experience the therapeutic benefits of being in nature, and municipal buildings allow locals to accomplish a variety of essential duties such as mailing packages, filing taxes, and registering their vehicles.

These complex systems can be intimidating for residents who fall victim to personal injury due to a government agency’s negligence.  Taking legal action against a government entity can be much more complex and nuanced than litigation between citizens.

For this reason, many individuals injured on government property elect to work with an experienced personal injury attorney.  They will help you build a case that shows the government entity acted in a negligent manner that led to the personal injury.

Proving negligence is absolutely required when taking legal action, but there are other important considerations to make as well.  Read on to discover what Florida residents should know about taking legal action following personal injury on government property.

Proving Negligence 

Florida law establishes a comparative negligence structure when determining fault in personal injury cases.  This means that when a case is submitted to the courts, the final compensation amounts will vary relative to the amount of fault each party had in the events leading to an accident.  In some cases, proving the government entity was negligent is relatively easy, while in other cases it can be quite challenging.

Simply slipping and falling on government property is not sufficient to file a personal injury suit.  Plaintiffs must be able to show that conditions were unsafe, the government knew they were unsafe and didn’t act accordingly, and this negligence led to your personal injury.

Inadequate maintenance of safety signs, guard rails, or structural issues that aren’t addressed are all examples of government negligence. Your personal injury attorney will review the events leading to the accident, and investigate to determine if the government entity was at fault.

The Government’s Response 

Generally, if a personal injury case goes to court against a government body, the defense will attempt to show that you as the plaintiff were acting in a negligent manner, and that this negligence led to your injury.  This is why it is important for Florida residents to ensure they take proper and reasonable safety precautions when on government property.

For example, slipping and falling in a part of a park where signs clearly tell you to stay out will not qualify as acceptable grounds for filing a suit, and may even place you at risk of being cited for not following the posted warnings.

Working with Legal Professionals 

When mounting a personal injury case against government agencies, residents need help from a skilled Orlando personal injury attorney.  If you have been injured on government property and you believe it was due to their negligence, contact Payer Law today to examine your case and determine next steps for action.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.81.html