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"The Five Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Florida Accident Case is a must read for anyone that has been injured in a accident in Florida!"

My case was handled courteously and professionally. All of my questions were answered promptly and I never felt anything I was concerned about was un-important. Judi always had answers and took the time to explain. She was always on top of my case when I called the office.

I really appreciated the fact that Mr. Dodson hired a professional expert to measure and make an evaluation about the place where I fell. The whole process was handled very well. Both Judi and Mr. Dodson were very nice and my experience working with them was professional.

I would recommend Jim Dodson to anyone I knew who was in need of a personal injury attorney. 


"I recommend the Law Office of James Dodson.  They were always able and available when I had questions.  They even got me more than I expected right when I needed it most.  I am exceedingly grateful to have had this wonderful group of people helping and getting what we deserve."

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Disclaimer- This information is provided to increase consumer safety and awaremess. It does not imply that an attorney client relationship exists nor is it to be considered legal advice to any viewer.


Blog Category:

Florida Slip | Trip | Fall Accidents and Unsafe Premises

8/27/2010
Jim Dodson
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Common Injuries Resulting From a Slip and Fall Accident

Serious injuries and lifetime disability can occur from even minor slip and fall accidents. Order our FREE consumer guide – The Ultimate Guide To Injuries From A Fall: Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case, or contact Clearwater slip and fall lawyer James W. Dodson for a no cost consultation of your case – 1-888-340-0840.

8/25/2010
Jim Dodson
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Proving Fault for a Slip and Fall Accident

Demonstrating that the negligence of another caused your slip and fall accident is critical to proving fault in a Florida personal injury claim. Order our FREE consumer guide – The Ultimate Guide To Injuries From A Fall: Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case, or contact Clearwater slip and fall lawyer James W. Dodson for a no cost consultation of your case – 1-888-340-0840.

7/1/2010
Jim Dodson
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Relief From Painful Compression Fracture Found in Non-Surgical Treatment | Accident and Injury Lawyer in Clearwater Florida

Florida Accident and Injury Lawyer discusses non-invasive surgical treatment for relieving painful back pain suffered as a result of a compression fracture after a slip and fall injury or car wreck. If you have been injured in an accident in Clearwater Florida caused by someone's wrongful act or carelessness, speak to a good injury attorney about your claim.

6/29/2010
Jim Dodson
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Experienced Fall Injury Lawyer Needed For Slip and Fall Cases More Than Ever Now

If you slip and fall in a grocery store, big box store, restaurant or other business in Florida after this week you need to speak to a fall injury lawyer who has alot of experience in dealing with certain slip and fall claims because they will be harder to prove with the passing of a new Florida law favoring business owners.

5/24/2010
Jim Dodson
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Port Richey 4 Year-Old Learns Life Saving Lesson at Pre-School

A man who fell and received a head injury and several bulging disks was helped by his quick thinking 4 year-old daughter who knew how to dial 911 and give emergency responders the right information.

5/9/2010
Jim Dodson
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Why You Must be 100% Truthful With Your Lawyer | Florida Personal Injury Lawyer

In most injury cases, evidence of accidents which have happened before or after the one involved in a client's claim can't be used against them at trial. There are exceptions however. It is a big mistake to not tell your lawyer of prior accidents and injuries. Clients must always be truthful with their lawyer.

5/1/2010
Jim Dodson
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Woman Suffers Herniated Disk in Slip & Fall Accident Awarded $1.6 Million Settlement

A $1.6 million settlement has been awarded to a woman who suffered a herniated disk in a slip and fall accident on water in a beauty salon. She required multiple surgeries as a result of the fall injury. The developer of the strip center where the fall accident occurred was found to be negligent.

4/5/2010
Jim Dodson
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Slip and Fall Cases in Florida Harder to Pursue | Florida Slip and Fall Lawyer

Slip and fall cases in Florida will be even harder to pursue. Florida legislature is in session and working to protect business interests over the safety of customers. The House and Senate have passed a bill changing what must be proved when in a Florida slip and fall case.The new law will require the injured customer to prove the business had actual knowledge of the hazardous condition and did nothing to correct it.

3/13/2010
Jim Dodson
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Slip and Fall in a Grocery Store - Should the Burden of Proof be on the Injured? | Slip and Fall Attorney in Clearwater Florida

Grocery stores and supermarkets have a duty to clean spills and dropped food so customers do not slip and fall and suffer injuries such a head injuries or fractured bones. But when a customer is injured in a slip and fall in a grocery store should the burden of proof be on the injured or on the business?

1/20/2010
Jim Dodson
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Slip and Fall Cases in Icy Winter | Florida Slip and Fall Attorney

Slip and Fall injuries in Florida do not happen due to Icy conditions. An article from Cleveland.com reports that icy conditions led to slip and fall injuries that ovewhelmed EMS crews in the area.

11/18/2009
Jim Dodson
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5 Critical Factors Which Resulted in Substantial Florida Fall Case Settlement Part 2 | Florida Slip and Fall Lawyer

Experienced Florida slip and fall lawyer Jim Dodson lists five critical factors in a fall case which resulted in a client's substantial settlement. (Part 2)

11/4/2009
Jim Dodson
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How Contacting an Experienced Slip and Fall Lawyer Early On Wins Fall Case Client $675,000 Part 1 | Clearwater Slip and Fall Lawyer

Clearwater Florida Slip and Fall lawyer Jim Dodson advises those who have been injured in a slip, trip, fall or unsafe premise case the importance of contacting an experienced Florida fall lawyer promptly after suffering an injury.

9/30/2009
Jim Dodson
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Why It Is Important to Act Early in a Case | Don't Wait | Florida Slip and Fall Lawyer

Clearwater | Florida Personal Injury and Slip and Fall Lawyer James Dodson discusses how important it is to act early when you have been injured in a slip and fall.  Don't wait to hire a lawyer. An experienced slip and fall lawyer will take the necessary steps to hire an expert and document your injury to protect the strength of your claim.  Many times the seriousness of your injuries are not as apparent immediately after an accident.

9/30/2009
Jim Dodson
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Here Are the Important Steps to Take in a Fall Case | Florida Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer

Florida Slip and Fall Injury and Accident Lawyer Jim Dodson talks about the important steps to take when you or someone you know has been injured in a slip and fall accident in the state of Florida. Listen to this video containing valuable information to strengthen the value of your claim when you have been injured in a fall.

9/30/2009
Jim Dodson
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A List of Common Misunderstandings In Fall Cases | Who is At Fault | Property Owners Responsibility

Florida Slip and Fall Injury Attorney James W. Dodson discusses some common misunderstandings people have about fall cases. Find answers to questions such as: Is the property owner held responsible for your medical bills and lost wages when you fall on their property? How important is it  to prove conditions were unsafe and  the property owner was at fault for your injuries?

9/22/2009
Jim Dodson
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Florida Slip, Trip and Fall Lawyer Jim Dodson's New Video | Comparative Fault and | The Danger of Giving a Recorded Statement

Florida slip, trip and fall lawyer Jim Dodson's new video explains what "comparative fault" means to someone who has been seriously injured in a Florida fall accident and why giving a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster -before speaking to a lawyer- can reduce the value of your fall claim.

If you or someone you know have been hurt in a fall, you need the guidance of a personal injury lawyer experienced in slip-and-fall cases to pursue and obtain recovery for legitimate injuries. These cases generally come down to the failure of tthe person responsible to take minimal steps to provide a safe environment for people on their property.

For additional information request your FREE copy of Jim Dodson's consumer guide, Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case, offered at NO Cost to those who have been injured in a slip and  fall accident in Florida.


Dodson Law Firm Recovers Against Local Sports Arena in Fall Claim

Fall Injury Case Settles


9/14/2009
Jim Dodson
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Slip and Fall Injury? | Video of the Necessary Steps to Take to Protect Your Case | Florida Slip and Fall Attorney Jim Dodson

Florida Slip and Fall Lawyer Jim Dodson provides a  video of  very  important steps you must  take to protect your claim, if you have been seriously injured on an unsafe premise or in a slip and fall accident. These accidents may result in serious injuries including: herniated disks, ruptured disks, broken bones, closed head injury, wrist, ankle and knee injuries, shoulder injuries, (torn rotator cuff) and  hip fractures.

Click here for a link to Attorney Dodson's slip and fall video.

Request your FREE copy of Jim Dodson's valuable consumer guide, Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case here. It is available on Amazon.com for $13.95, however we make it available here at NO COST, if you've been injured in Florida.  





8/19/2009
Jim Dodson
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Fall Injury Case Settles | Clearwater Florida Fall Injury Lawyer

We settled a fall case this week in which the client suffered a serious knee injury and required surgery. The accident occurred at a business and was due to an inadequate, out of code stair railing. The settlement was based on our ability to have a prompt inspection of the accident site by an engineer.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to an unsafe premise and are considering bringing a claim, check out an article written by Florida Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson listing the Four Things a Fall Case Must Have  and  Four Things Your Fall Case Must Have Part 2

The Dodson Law Firm handles all types of slip, trip and fall cases. For a free consultation, call our office at 888-340-0840.

For additional information, request a copy of Jim Dodson's  consumer guide, Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case . It is available on our website, FREE to those who have been injured in a fall accident in Florida. 

How the Value of a Fall case is Determined  Part 1 







7/19/2009
Jim Dodson
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Fall Injury in Shopping Center Parking Lot Successfully Settled | Florida Fall Injury Lawyer

We successfully settled a fall case with serious injuries this week. Our client fell in a shopping center parking lot due to their foot becoming caught in a hole or depression in the pavement. This condition was allowed to exist because of negligent maintenance. The hole caught and held our client's foot due to it's size. Our client was pitched forward resulting in a trimalleolar ankle fracture. The injury required open reduction and internal fixation of the lateral malleolus with a plate and screws.

The party responsible accepted liability following our engineering evaluation. It demonstrated we could prove at trial the condition violated numerous safety codes including the Life Safety Code, the Federal handicap accessible code known as the American's With Disabilities Act, the Florida Building Code, the Florida Transportation Design standards, as well as the ASTM standards.

We were pleased for our client's sake to have obtained this result without  filing a lawsuit. This would have required a much longer period of time before the case could have been settled.

If you have questions about an injury received in a fall accident in Florida, request a copy of Mr. Dodson's book Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case at our website www.JWDodsonLaw.com. We will gladly send it to you at no cost, or obligation.

 



7/8/2009
Jim Dodson
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Florida Slip and Fall Case | Is it a Breach of Duty of Care | Florida Slip and Fall Attorney | Clearwater

This plaintiff's complaint, posted in our Florida Slip, Trip and Fall library, is a textbook outline of what needs to be proved in a fall case claim --- also discussed completely in my free book, Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case --- 

However, juries and your neighbors do not like suing under circumstances in which it is not justified!
While it meets the legal test --- does it pass the "sniff test?"  Ask what would the reaction of your friends be hashing this case out over coffee?

Most would say she shouldn't win --- she slipped on a boardwalk in a nature park --- you have to expect these things!
We run our fall cases in front of mock juries and focus groups regularly. What they tell me is many cases meet the legal test but lack key points for the plaintiff to prevail. We'll have to wait to see how this lawsuit prevails!


7/1/2009
Jim Dodson
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Florida Trip and Fall Accident Caused by Unsafe Premises | Clearwater Florida Slip Trip Fall Unsafe Premises Lawyer

An open and obvious danger does not relieve a property owner of the duty to maintain a property safely. The  landowner in a recent post to our library concerning a Florida trip and fall case may have breached the duty of keeping the property safe when a woman tripped and fell as she caught her foot on a loose mat . The mat was unsecured and partially covering a carpeted floor.

Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeals made a ruling on this unsafe premises case which happened at the Embassy  Retirement Home. Read the complete opinion posted in our website's online library.  

As a Clearwater Florida Slip, Trip, Fall and Unsafe Premises attorney, I have written a two part article to help those who have been injured in a fall determine if they may recover damages. The links are listed below.

Four Things Your Fall Case Must Have      Part 1 


Four Things Your Fall Case Must Have      Part 2








6/12/2009
Jim Dodson
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Fall Accident | Determining the Value | Fall Accident Attorney | Florida

We recently posted a two part article in our document library concerning fall claims, under Florida Slip | Trip and Fall Accidents. You will the link for Part 1  hereand the link for Part 2  here.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a fall due to an unsafe condition or a violation of a safety code, check out  this important information concerning how a value is determined on a fall case. 

For additional information or answers to any further questions you might have, you may want to speak to a Florida Slip | Trip and Fall lawyer. 

6/9/2009
Jim Dodson
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Do I have a Fall Injury Case? | Clearwater Slip and Fall Lawyer

Several public figures have been in the news recently due to injuries suffered from falls. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor stumbled while rushing to catch a plane and sustained an ankle fracture. Earlier this year, actress Natasha Richardson died, tragically, from blunt trauma to the head after a fall injury while skiing. In recent reports, the 82-year-old founder of Marie Callender pies and frozen foods died from injuries he received in a 2007 fall accident. 

Obviously, we all, at some time, have experienced a slip, trip or fall accident. Usually we collect ourselves, maybe feel somewhat embarrassed and go along our way. Sometimes these "fall" incidents simply happen due to our inattention, or because we are in a hurry and may result in minor injuries. So, clearly, not all fall cases are serious enought to hire a lawyer.

As a Clearwater slip and fall lawyer, I am often asked how someone, who is injured in a fall, can determine whether they have a case. Recently, I added a two part article to our online document library, "Four Things Your Fall Case Must Have"  to answer these concerns and to hopefully clear up some misconceptions. Click here to read  Part 1.  Click here to read Part 2.
If you have further questions about a slip/trip or fall accident, Contact our office for a free case review of your injury. There is no obligation to hire a lawyer.

For additional information request a free copy of my consumer guide: Dangerous Trips to Avoid in Your Fall Case

View a Video:Steps to take if  you have fallen in a grocery store








 

5/26/2009
Jim Dodson
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Slip and Fall Injury Claims Are Up | Florida Slip and Fall Injury Attorney

    I wrote yesterday about a number of fall cases I am currently handling on behalf of my clients and today, I came across a new insurance report that says with the aging boomer population those statistics are not likely to change regarding slip and fall injury claims.

    A plaintiff's attorney in New Jersey said he is seeing an increase in slip-and-fall cases as well, but he does not pass it off to an aging population but instead to shortcuts being taken by property owners and managers. In May, he won a $1.75 million verdict against a car dealership on behalf of a 69 year- old woman who slipped on a tile floor, broke her hip and shoulder and tragically, died from a resulting infection.

    The insurance report offered 19 detailed recommendations on how premise owners can reduce the risk of slip and falls.

     Here are several of those:

  • Use high-traction, slip-resistant flooring materials and cleaning products
  • Limit the difference in height between the floor and mats
  • Frequently inspect mats for wear and build-up
  • Train staff on spill prevention and how to respond
  • Institute a program for regular inspection of all walkways, parking areas, stairs and walking surfaces
  • Regularly review all slip and fall incident reports

  • If you have been hurt in a fall, you need the guidance of a personal injury lawyer experienced in slip-and-fall cases to pursue and obtain recovery for legitimate injuries. These cases generally come down to the failure of the person responsible to take minimal steps to provide a safe environment for people on their property.



5/25/2009
Jim Dodson
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Fall Injury Cases | Where's the Proof? | Florida Fall Injury Lawyer

My  wife and I visited my mother-in-law for the weekend and while watching the Memorial Day parade in Central Florida we struck up a casual conversation with one of her neighbors whose elderly mother had a fall injury recently and broke her hip, requiring  hip replacement surgery. Unfortunately there was no inherent liability on the part of the property owner for her fall injury but it raised the question of what is required for us to pursue a case for a client who is injured in a fall.

In thinking over some of the cases of some of the clients we currently represent, there are definite patterns in what occurred.

Currently, we are pursuing a "big box" retailer on behalf of a client who fell in a garden center because of a broken part on a flower display cart which resulted in her tripping and multiple surgeries.

We also represent a woman who fell in the lobby of a condominium on a day when it was raining lightly, causing her to suffer a knee injury with a fractured patella with complications and multiple hospitalizations. The investigation revealed the floor did not meet the minimal co-efficient of friction. There was no warning cones posted, despite the weather and there was inadequate matting to absorb water tracked in.
 
Another client fell on a set of stairs resulting in a knee injury, again with a fractured patella, requiring surgery. The defect we are pursuing includes violation of the life safety code having to do with a handrail.

In addition, a client fell on a set of steps at a fast food restaurant which caused her to have a hip fracture with open reduction internal fixation. The investigation has determined that the tread depth on the steps were too narrow and did not meet code.

Another client fell on a set of exterior walkway steps which resulted in a fibula/tibia fracture with open reduction internal fixation surgery which was contributed to by the steps having an impermissible slope, where they were irregular and otherwise out of code
.
  
Yet another client, fell over an electrical box stubbed out of the ground in the walking area of  an outdoor patio, causing our cient to fall and break his arm.

An older client living in a over fifty-five community suffered a fall injury with a patellar fracture because of a manhole cover which had been intentionally raised by the property owners approximately three inches above the roadway and was not painted or warned against.

While I could list other cases, just let me say,  the common theme of most of our  fall injury cases include: a serious injury, generally requiring surgery, immediate notification of the property owner (either directly or through paramedics arriving at the
scene),  our investigation confirming evidence of what caused the client to fall and our ability to document it with photographs and measurements, in addition, to the defect being a safety or code violation.





We represent Florida Personal Injury clients in: Clearwater Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, Dunedin, Largo, Oldsmar, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Pinellas Park, and Seminole, Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Treasure Island, Madeira beach, Indian Shores, Redington Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Clearwater Beach, Palm Harbor, Crystal Beach, Bradenton, Palmetto, Sarasota, Ellenton, Kenneth City, Belleair Shores, South Pasadena, St. Petersburg Beach, Tierra Verde, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson, Bayonet Point, Holiday, Land O'Lakes, Odessa, Tampa, Temple Terrace, Lakewood Ranch, Sebring, Wesley Chapel, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, and all other Florida Counties. Contact US NOW for FREE Consultation! 727-446-0840!!
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