December 18, 2020

You were just at home, the one place you’re supposed to be safe. Then a fall or a hidden hazard changed your day, and now you’re hurt and wondering whether anything can even be done. Here’s the part most people don’t realize: being injured in your own home does not automatically mean no one else is responsible. TL;DR — QUICK SUMMARY You can still have a personal injury claim even if you were hurt inside your own home. It depends on who caused the hazard. Common at-fault parties include a landlord who ignored a known problem, the maker of a defective product, or a contractor whose bad work left a danger behind. Under Florida’s comparative fault law, being partly at fault reduces your recovery, and being more than 50% at fault can bar it entirely (Fla. Stat. § 768.81). Most injury claims must be filed within two years under Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(a), and defective-product cases carry their own deadlines. The Reyes Firm reviews how you were hurt for free and works on contingency, so you pay nothing unless the firm recovers for you. The Reyes Firm Hurt in Your Own Home in Tampa? Find out if someone else is responsible for your injury. Had a bad day? Contact Us Now 2 Years Deadline to file most injury claims Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(a) 51% Fault bar to recovery Fla. Stat. § 768.81 12 Years Product liability repose limit Fla. Stat. § 95.031(2)(b) $0 Upfront cost on contingency Pay nothing unless you recover Can you really have a claim if you were injured in your own home? Yes, you can, and this surprises a lot of people. The fact that an injury happened inside your own house doesn’t end the question of who’s responsible. It starts it. The real issue is what caused the injury and whether someone else’s negligence played a role. If it did, you may have a valid claim even though you were standing on your own property. Every case turns on its facts. Did you simply lose your footing, or was there a dangerous condition someone else should have fixed? Did a product fail? Did a contractor leave a hazard behind? Those answers decide whether a third party shares the blame. The point is that “it happened at home” is not a reason to assume you’re out of luck, it’s a reason to have a lawyer look at how it happened. ⚠️ Deadline Warning: Under Florida Statute § 95.11(3)(a), you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Evidence of a home hazard, like a defective part or an unrepaired condition, can disappear fast. Don’t wait to call a lawyer. Who else can be liable when you’re hurt at home in Florida? More parties than you’d think. When a dangerous condition you didn’t create causes your injury, the person or company responsible for that condition may be on the hook. The most common at-fault parties in home injury cases include: A landlord. If you rent and your landlord failed to fix a known hazard or maintain the property, that failure can make them liable for your injuries. A product manufacturer or seller. If a defective appliance, tool, ladder, or other product malfunctioned and hurt you, the maker, distributor, or retailer may be responsible under Florida product liability law. A contractor or repair company. If someone did work in your home and left behind a danger, like an exposed nail, a faulty install, or unfinished repairs, their negligence can support a claim. A service provider. Delivery workers, utility crews, cleaners, or others who create a hazard in your home can be liable for injuries that result. A serious fall or a malfunctioning product can cause real harm, from broken bones to spinal cord and brain injuries. When that harm traces back to someone else’s negligence, the law gives you a path to hold them accountable. Watch: What happens if you’re injured in your own home? This short video breaks down when an injury at home can still lead to a valid claim and who might be responsible. Still not sure whether your situation qualifies? The Reyes Firm offers a free case review to walk through exactly how you were hurt. What if you rent and your landlord ignored a hazard? If you were injured in a rental because your landlord failed to address a known danger, you may have a strong claim. Landlords in Florida have a duty to keep their properties reasonably safe and to handle repairs they’re responsible for. When a landlord knows about a problem, a broken stair, a faulty railing, a leak that creates a slipping hazard, and does nothing, that inaction can be negligence. This is exactly the situation the law is built for. If you reported an issue, the timeline of your complaints and the landlord’s response, or lack of one, becomes powerful evidence. Save your messages, repair requests, and any photos. They help prove the landlord knew and failed to act. 💡 Did You Know? Your own homeowner’s or renter’s insurance liability coverage is generally designed to protect you if a guest is hurt on your property, not to pay you for injuries you suffer from your own actions. When a third party like a landlord, manufacturer, or contractor is at fault, compensation usually comes from their insurance, which is why identifying the responsible party early matters so much. What if a defective product or a contractor’s bad work caused it? Defective products and negligent repairs are two of the most common reasons people get seriously hurt at home. If a product was unreasonably dangerous because of a design flaw, a manufacturing defect, or a failure to warn, you may be able to pursue the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer, even though the injury happened in your living room. These cases can involve their own filing deadlines and a separate statute of repose under Fla. Stat. § 95.031, so prompt legal review is important.