Florida Slip and Fall at Walmart
Shopping for groceries shouldn’t end in the hospital. You slipped near the produce section on a wet floor or broken jar and now face surgery, therapy, and mounting bills while Walmart’s insurance offers barely anything.
Large retailers have teams ready to fight every claim, often blaming victims or stretching out cases until people give up. You shouldn’t have to face that alone. Every Walmart in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and nearby areas has risks that can cause serious injury. Englander Peebles steps in for you. Our Florida slip and fall lawyers work to get the compensation you deserve.
Key Takeaways: Walmart Slip and Fall Accidents in Florida
- Walmart must keep floors clean and dry, aisles clear of obstacles, and provide warning signs for hazards that cannot be immediately corrected under Florida premises liability law.
- Proving your case requires showing Walmart knew or should have known about the dangerous condition through actual or constructive knowledge based on the hazard’s length.
- Security camera footage from Walmart often provides key evidence of the hazard and your fall. Still, this footage typically gets erased after sixty to ninety days unless your attorney demands preservation immediately.
- Injuries from falls on hard retail floors frequently include broken bones, head trauma, spinal injuries, and soft tissue damage that can require extensive treatment and result in permanent disabilities.
- Call our Florida slip and fall attorneys to protect your rights and get guidance now.
Why Hire the Florida Slip and Fall Lawyers at Englander Peebles
Taking on retail giants like Walmart requires attorneys with experience, resources, and determination to fight corporations prioritizing profits over customer safety. Generic personal injury firms may lack the experience to overcome Walmart’s sophisticated defense strategies.
Track Record Against Major Retailers
Englander Peebles has represented numerous clients injured at big box stores and commercial properties throughout South Florida. Our attorneys recovered $2,500,000 for a client injured at a commercial property and $1,200,000 in a Miami-Dade County slip and fall case.
We also secured $500,000 in another slip and fall accident and $250,000 for a slip and fall injury. These results prove our ability to maximize compensation even when facing well-funded corporate defendants with experienced defense teams.
Immediate Action to Lock Down Evidence
Walmart’s surveillance system captures footage throughout its stores, but this evidence disappears unless someone acts quickly. Our Florida slip and fall lawyers immediately send preservation demands to Walmart’s corporate headquarters and the store where you fell.
We request incident reports, inspection logs, employee statements, and any other documentation related to your accident. When necessary, we file emergency motions to preserve evidence before it gets destroyed. This aggressive approach ensures crucial proof remains available to support your claim.
Accessible Offices Throughout South Florida
Our Fort Lauderdale office at 2122 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 206, serves Broward County residents, including those in Plantation, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach. We also have a Miami office at 111 NW 183rd Street, Suite 107, by appointment only, convenient for clients throughout Miami-Dade County.
Both locations make it easy to meet with attorneys without traveling far while you recover from injuries. If mobility challenges make office visits difficult, our lawyers can meet you at home or another convenient location, ensuring quality legal representation without added stress.
Resources to Match Walmart’s Defense
Walmart employs national law firms and expert witnesses to defend injury claims. Englander Peebles matches their resources with our network of investigators, safety professionals, engineers, and medical professionals.
We retain accident reconstruction specialists who analyze how your fall occurred. We consult with premises liability professionals who evaluate whether Walmart followed industry safety standards. We work with economists who calculate your total financial losses, including future impacts. This comprehensive approach builds cases strong enough to overcome Walmart’s defenses and secure maximum compensation.
Compensation for Walmart Slip and Fall Injuries
Florida law allows customers injured on Walmart property to recover all damages caused by the store’s negligence. Economic damages cover every medical expense, from emergency treatment to future care, as well as lost income and reduced earning capacity if injuries prevent a return to your previous job.
Non-economic damages compensate for pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life. Serious falls on hard retail floors often cause lasting injuries, and Florida juries recognize these impacts with substantial awards.
Working with Englander Peebles increases your chances of full recovery. Walmart’s initial offers usually cover only a small portion of your damages, but our involvement shows they must negotiate seriously and prepare your case for trial if needed.
You generally have four years from your fall to file a lawsuit in Florida, though certain circumstances can affect this. Waiting risks losing evidence and unavailable witnesses. Our slip and fall lawyers regularly appear in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County and the Eleventh in Miami-Dade, protecting claims with local experience.
Where Do Walmart Slip and Falls Happen in South Florida?
Walmart operates multiple Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets throughout the Fort Lauderdale and Miami metropolitan areas. The Walmart Supercenter on University Drive in Plantation serves busy communities, including Sunrise and Davie. The location on State Road 7 in Margate sees heavy traffic from shoppers throughout western Broward County.
Miami-Dade County locations include Walmart stores in Kendall, Hialeah, and Cutler Bay. Each store presents similar hazards that cause customer falls. Grocery sections experience frequent spills from broken containers, leaking packages, and produce that falls onto floors. Walmart employees stock shelves constantly, leaving boxes and merchandise in aisles and creating tripping hazards.
The garden center at Walmart stores becomes particularly dangerous during rainy weather. Water tracks in from outside and pools on smooth floors, creating slippery surfaces. Potting soil and fertilizer spills, when they mix with moisture, add to the hazard.
Englander Peebles has represented clients injured at Walmart locations throughout South Florida. Our experience with these stores helps us identify common problems and understand where to look for evidence supporting your claim.
Understanding Slip and Fall Cases at Walmart
Florida premises liability law requires Walmart to maintain reasonably safe conditions for customers. This duty requires staff to inspect regularly for hazards, clean up dangerous conditions promptly, and warn about hazards they cannot fix immediately.
Types of Hazards That Cause Walmart Falls
Wet floors are the leading cause of Walmart falls. Spilled drinks, leaking freezers, and freshly mopped areas create slippery surfaces that employees sometimes fail to address quickly. Ice melting from freezer sections adds to the danger. To protect customers, Walmart must use warning cones, non-slip mats, and clean spills immediately.
Debris and misplaced merchandise also cause trips. Cardboard boxes, fallen hangers, scattered toys, and shopping baskets can block aisles. Food products like grapes, spilled oil, or loose flour create extra hazards. Damaged flooring, including cracked tiles, torn mats, or uneven surfaces, increases the risk, and poor lighting can hide these dangers from view.
Florida law requires stores to maintain safe conditions and promptly address hazards. We help residents pursue claims for injuries caused by Walmart’s negligence, ensuring their medical costs, lost earnings, and address recovery needs properly.
Common Injuries from Walmart Falls
Falls at Walmart often lead to serious injuries because of hard concrete and tile floors. Older customers are prone to hip fractures, usually requiring surgery and a long recovery. Wrists and ankles break when people try to stop themselves or twist during a fall. Head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries, can cause lasting memory, mood, and cognitive issues.
Even minor concussions need careful medical monitoring to avoid long-term effects. Spinal injuries like herniated discs or compression fractures can create chronic pain, sometimes leading to partial paralysis that limits daily activities.
Shoulder and knee injuries from awkward landings often need surgery and months of therapy, with lingering effects even after healing. Florida premises liability laws allow victims to seek compensation for medical costs, lost earnings, and ongoing care.
Battling Walmart’s Insurance Company
When you report your fall, Walmart’s insurance adjusters and defense lawyers start working to reduce your claim. Employees in the area may give statements coached to support the company, and inspection logs can appear to show checks that didn’t happen. Adjusters question your credibility, suggesting you were distracted, wearing improper shoes, or exaggerating injuries, and claim the hazard was obvious.
They may review your medical history to rule out pre-existing conditions, hiring doctors to minimize the link between your fall and current injuries. Delay tactics, unnecessary paperwork, and lowball offers aim to wear you down, hoping you accept less than you deserve.
At Englander Peebles, we counter these strategies with focused advocacy. We secure surveillance showing hazards, interview witnesses to verify events, and retain medical professionals who separate fall-related injuries from prior conditions.
We compile thorough documentation of all damages and present evidence to maximize settlement potential. If Walmart refuses fair compensation, we are ready to take the case to trial, ensuring your claim is fully supported.
What to Do After Falling at Walmart
After your fall at Walmart, attend every medical appointment and follow the doctor’s instructions. Skipping care can let Walmart argue your injuries aren’t serious or that you didn’t try to recover fully. Track everything related to your recovery, including medical bills, prescriptions, photos of healing, missed workdays, and daily activity limits. These details support your claim.
Gather evidence from the accident scene, including photos showing hazards or missing warnings, and witness contacts. Bring all documents to Englander Peebles so we can review your claim and identify everyone responsible. Sometimes, liability extends beyond Walmart to contractors or product makers.
Avoid giving statements to Walmart’s insurance before speaking with us. Although their questions may sound friendly, they are meant to reduce your claim. Our Florida slip and fall attorneys handle all communication, build your case, work with professionals, and present your damages clearly, helping you get the compensation you deserve.
Walmart Slip and Fall Accidents: Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Walmart keep surveillance footage of my fall?
Walmart keeps surveillance footage for 60–90 days, so quick action is vital. Englander Peebles immediately preserves footage, incident reports, and inspection logs, and can file emergency court motions to prevent evidence from being destroyed, ensuring all proof of your fall is secured.
What if Walmart claims their employees just inspected the area before I fell?
Walmart often produces inspection logs claiming the area was checked minutes before your fall, but these records can be suspicious. Our Florida slip and fall lawyers review surveillance footage, depose employees, compare logs to official policies, and use professionals to show that staff failed to identify the hazard.
Can I sue Walmart if I was looking at merchandise when I fell?
Florida law doesn’t require customers to watch the floor constantly—you can shop normally, while Walmart must keep the premises safe. Our attorneys defend against claims of your fault and work to minimize any reduction in compensation under shared negligence rules.
What should I do if Walmart offers me money right after my fall?
Do not accept payments or sign any Walmart documents after your fall without an attorney. Early offers are often low and include releases that can prevent future claims, even if injuries worsen. Contact Englander Peebles before deciding on any settlement.
Will Walmart use my social media posts against me in my injury claim?
Walmart’s lawyers often check social media for posts that may contradict your injury claims. Photos or updates about your activities can work against you, so keep your accounts private and avoid posting anything about your injuries or lawsuit.
Call Our Florida Slip and Fall Lawyers Today
Walmart has vast resources to defend against injury claims, hiring law firms focused on limiting payouts. You need strong representation to protect your rights and fight for fair compensation. Englander Peebles has recovered over $10 million for injured clients across South Florida.
Our car accident lawyers act fast to preserve evidence, gather witness statements, and challenge the defenses major retailers use. Waiting can weaken your case as footage disappears and witnesses move. You deserve full compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain endured. Call Englander Peebles at (954) 226-9134 for a free consultation.
Englander Peebles – Fort Lauderdale Office
2122 W. Cypress Creek Road Suite 206
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
P: 954-539-8960