Premises Liability
When a property owner's negligence turns a routine visit into a serious injury, you should not be the one paying the price. Crumbling stairways, unmarked hazards, defective elevators, exposed wiring — property owners and managers in Florida have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. At John P. Sherman, PLLC, we hold negligent property owners accountable and fight to recover the full compensation you need to heal and move forward.
Legal Overview
How Premises Liability Works in Florida
Florida law requires property owners to maintain safe conditions and warn visitors of hidden dangers — with the highest duty of care owed to business invitees like customers, tenants, and hotel guests. Premises liability claims can arise from structural defects, poor maintenance, inadequate warnings, code violations, and more. We investigate inspection histories, maintenance records, and prior incidents to prove the owner knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to act.
Identifying Hazardous Conditions
by inspecting the property, reviewing building code compliance, and documenting the specific defect or dangerous condition that caused your injury.
Proving Owner Knowledge
by obtaining maintenance logs, inspection records, prior complaints, and incident reports that show the property owner knew about the hazard or should have discovered it through reasonable care.
Connecting the Injury to the Condition
by working with medical professionals and, when necessary, engineering or safety experts to demonstrate that the dangerous condition directly caused your harm.
Overcoming Comparative Fault Defenses
by countering claims that you were responsible for your own injury — a common tactic used by property owners and their insurance companies to reduce or deny your compensation.
