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A fall in a grocery aisle, an apartment stairwell, or a shopping plaza parking lot can leave you with a broken wrist, a hip fracture, or a head injury that changes the months ahead. Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers represents people hurt in falls throughout Greenacres and the surrounding communities of central Palm Beach County. Before you decide anything, a Greenacres slip and fall lawyer can walk through your situation with you for free, day or night, and you owe no attorney fees unless we win compensation on your behalf.
Property owners and their insurers often argue that the person who fell should have been more careful. Call 561-800-8000 so we can start gathering the evidence that tells the full story.
What Causes Most Falls in Greenacres?
Most falls in Greenacres happen because a property owner or manager left a hazard in place that reasonable care would have caught. The hazards we see most often include:
- Spilled liquids, dropped produce, or leaking coolers in stores
- Rain tracked onto tile floors at building entrances
- Broken or uneven sidewalks, curbs, and parking lot pavement
- Loose handrails, worn stair treads, and poor lighting in apartment buildings
- Cords, boxes, and merchandise left in walkways
- Wet pool decks and clubhouse floors in residential communities
Afternoon storms make wet entrances and walkways a familiar problem in Greenacres, and businesses know it. Mats, warning signs, and regular checks are basic steps owners are expected to take.
Where Do Falls Happen in Greenacres?
Greenacres is largely residential, with busy shopping centers and many apartment and townhome communities. Where you fell often decides who is responsible and what evidence exists.
Shopping Plazas on Jog Road, Lake Worth Road, and 10th Avenue North
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants line the city's main corridors. Stores with heavy foot traffic are expected to inspect and clean their floors regularly, and their cleaning logs and video often become key evidence.
Apartment and Rental Communities
Many Greenacres residents rent, and falls on stairs, walkways, and shared areas of apartment complexes are common. Landlords have specific maintenance duties under Florida law, explained below.
Restaurants and Takeout Spots
Busy kitchens, mopped floors, and spilled drinks make restaurants a frequent setting for falls. Staff are expected to clean up spills promptly and use warning signs while floors dry.
Homeowners Association Communities
Gated and HOA communities have clubhouses, pools, and private sidewalks that the association usually maintains. A fall in one of these shared areas may lead to a claim against the association and its insurer. Meeting minutes and maintenance requests sometimes show that the association knew about a problem long before anyone was hurt.
Can You Sue Your Landlord After a Fall at a Greenacres Apartment?
Yes, a tenant or guest hurt in a fall at a Greenacres apartment may have a claim against the landlord when the fall was caused by a condition the landlord was required to maintain. Florida's landlord and tenant law sets out those maintenance duties.
What Landlords Must Maintain
Landlords must comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes, or keep structural parts such as floors, steps, porches, and exterior walls in good repair. For apartment buildings and other multi-unit properties, the landlord must also make reasonable provisions for the clean and safe condition of common areas, unless the lease says otherwise in writing.
When the Tenant Is Responsible
The landlord is not responsible under that statute for conditions the tenant, the tenant's family, or guests created through their own carelessness. That is why photos of the hazard and any earlier repair requests are so important.
Guests Visiting a Tenant
Friends and relatives visiting a Greenacres apartment may also have a claim when a broken stair or poorly lit walkway in a common area causes a fall. The claim usually goes through the landlord's or management company's liability insurance.
Who Pays Medical Bills After a Fall in Greenacres?
Medical bills after a fall are usually paid by your own health coverage first, while the property owner's liability insurance pays at the end of the claim. Personal injury protection (PIP) on a car insurance policy does not cover a fall on someone else's property.
| Source | When it applies | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Property owner's liability insurance | When the owner's negligence caused the fall | Pays medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, usually at settlement |
| Medical payments coverage on the owner's policy | Many business and homeowner policies include it, regardless of fault | Limits are often modest, but it can pay early bills quickly |
| Your health insurance | Covers treatment as it happens | Many plans expect repayment from a settlement, often at a negotiable amount |
| Medicare or Medicaid | Covers treatment for eligible patients | Must be repaid from a settlement, so the amount should be resolved before funds are distributed |
Under section 768.0427, juries often see what was actually paid for medical care, so organized billing records protect the value of the claim.
What Must You Prove After a Fall in a Greenacres Store?
After a fall in a Greenacres store, you must show that the business knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to fix it or warn you. The proof looks different depending on the hazard.
Spills and Temporary Hazards
For a spill or other temporary substance, section 768.0755 requires proof that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of it. Video showing how long a puddle sat, or records of a cooler that leaked again and again, often meets that standard.
Permanent Defects
Broken tile, a crumbling curb, or a missing handrail follows general premises liability rules. The question is whether the owner used reasonable care to find and repair the defect or to warn visitors about it. Repair invoices, past complaints, and inspection records often answer that question.
Your Reason for Being There
Florida law sets the owner's duty partly by why you were on the property. Customers, tenants, and invited guests are owed reasonable care and warnings about hidden dangers, while section 768.075 sharply limits the duty owed to trespassers. Receipts, leases, and invitations help show you belonged there.
Steps to Take After a Fall in Greenacres
The first days after a fall shape the evidence available later. These steps help protect a Greenacres claim:
- Report the fall to a manager, landlord, or association office and ask for a copy of any incident report.
- Photograph the hazard, the lighting, and any warning signs, or the lack of them.
- Get names and phone numbers from witnesses and employees who helped.
- See a doctor promptly, even if the pain seems manageable at first.
- If you rent, send the landlord written notice of the hazard and keep a copy.
- Keep the shoes and clothing you wore, without cleaning them.
Once we are involved, we send written requests asking the property owner to keep video, cleaning logs, and maintenance records.
Shared Fault and Time Limits for Greenacres Falls
Florida reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars recovery if you are more than 50% at fault under section 768.81(6). Insurers often claim that the hazard was easy to see or that the person who fell was not paying attention.
An Apartment Stair Example
Suppose you trip on a broken stair in your apartment complex, and a jury values your damages at $150,000. If the jury finds you 20% at fault for using the stairs in the dark, you recover $120,000.
Time Limits
Most slip and fall claims arising after March 24, 2023, must be filed within two years under section 95.11(5)(a). A fall on a city sidewalk or in a public park follows sovereign immunity rules, including written notice to the city or county within three years and caps on damages.
Where Your Case Is Filed
Greenacres is part of Florida's 15th Judicial Circuit. Lawsuits seeking more than $50,000 are filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
Recoveries for Back, Shoulder, and Knee Injuries
Falls often cause back, shoulder, and knee injuries that take months to treat. Published results from our firm for injuries like these include:
- $300,000 for lumbar injuries
- $217,500 for spinal injuries
- $120,000 for a shoulder injury
- $100,000 for spine injuries and a left knee injury
We share these results to show the kinds of injuries we handle, not to promise a similar result, since every outcome depends on its own evidence and coverage.
Why Greenacres Residents Choose Frankl Kominsky
Greenacres residents choose Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers because we push back when property insurers try to blame the person who fell. Our headquarters on Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach is a short drive from Greenacres, and we meet clients in person, by phone, or by video.
What clients count on:
- A lawyer who personally leads the case and returns your calls
- Over $250 million recovered for injured clients
- 60+ years of combined injury law experience
- Over 2,000 verified client reviews and a BBB A+ rating
- Staff fluent in Spanish and Creole
We also understand that many fall injuries happen to older adults and working parents who cannot afford months away from their routines, so we keep the process clear and responsive.
FAQs: Greenacres Slip and Fall Cases
Can I file a claim if I fell at my HOA community's clubhouse or pool?
A fall in a Greenacres HOA clubhouse, pool area, or shared walkway may lead to a claim against the homeowners association when it failed to maintain that area. The claim is usually paid by the association's liability insurance, not by your neighbors directly.
What if I tripped over something the store says was obvious?
An obvious hazard does not automatically end a Florida slip and fall claim. The owner may not have to warn about a hazard that is plain to see, but it still has a duty to keep the property reasonably safe, and your share of fault may simply reduce the recovery.
Can I still recover if I was wearing flip-flops or heels when I fell?
Yes, footwear does not bar a Florida slip and fall claim, although an insurer may argue it contributed to the fall. If the floor was wet or the pavement broken, the hazard usually matters far more than the shoes.
Does a waiver I signed at a gym or event stop my fall claim?
A waiver may limit a fall claim in Florida if its language clearly covers the property owner's own negligence. Many waivers are written too broadly or vaguely to apply, so have a lawyer review the exact wording before assuming you have no claim.
Can I get a copy of the store's incident report?
Many Greenacres businesses will not hand over their incident report, because it is often prepared for their insurer. You can still write down what you told the manager, and the report may become available later through the legal process.
When a Hazard Should Have Been Fixed
Most people who fall in Greenacres were doing something ordinary, like buying groceries, walking to their car, or heading upstairs to their apartment. Nothing about those errands should end with a fracture or a trip to the emergency room.
Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers keeps it on the property owner, with the video, records, and medical proof that show what happened. Call 561-800-8000 for a free consultation with a Greenacres slip and fall lawyer, available 24/7.
