You went out for groceries, dinner, or a few days away. Now getting through the day hurts.
Miller & Jacobs helps people hurt in Hollywood falls understand what happened, preserve evidence, and pursue a supported injury claim. Tell us where you fell and what has changed since. You do not need an incident report or every answer before you call.
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless compensation is recovered for you.
Serving Hollywood
From our Pompano Beach office
Since 1995
Both partners admitted to The Florida Bar
Free consultation
Start with the questions you have
Call first
Speak with our team about the next step
A fall alone does not establish responsibility. The review connects a dangerous condition, the duties of the party controlling the area, and the harm that followed. A photograph of where you fell can help, but we also need to understand what it shows. Our Hollywood personal injury overview explains the broader claim process.
Identify the hazard
Describe the liquid, object, mat, step, or change in the walking surface as you remember it. Save an original photo if you have one. If you could not see the cause, tell us that. Later cleaning or repair may make the answer harder to find.
Check the business's notice
For a temporary substance in a business, Florida law requires actual or constructive knowledge. Inspection times, an earlier complaint, or evidence of a recurring condition may matter. We ask how the hazard developed and what the business had an opportunity to learn.
That business-spill rule is not the test for every broken stair, fixed defect, or public walkway. The place, condition, and responsible party determine the legal review. Florida generally gives two years to file a negligence lawsuit for a recent fall under section 95.11. Different notice or limitation rules may apply, so we check the incident date and property type.
Connect the harm
Treatment, missed work, and limits on ordinary tasks help explain the injury's effects. Keep records of care and a truthful account of what you can no longer do comfortably. A claim needs evidence of the losses being sought. Shared fault can reduce compensation. Under Florida's comparative fault law, being more than 50% at fault generally bars recovery in a negligence claim.
The week after the fall
A short trip out can turn into appointments, missed shifts, and asking someone else to carry the laundry. It can be hard to explain those changes when an insurer only asks for a report number.
Tell us what hurts, what you need help doing, and what you are unsure about. We can help make the next legal step clearer while you focus on your care.
Yes. Cleanup does not answer every question about what was there or who knew. Tell us the exact location, approximate time, and who came to help. We can assess which records and people may still explain the fall.
Write down what happened and whom you spoke with, including a cashier, server, security guard, or hotel desk employee. Save the receipt or booking record that places you there. If a report is made later, keep the timing accurate.
Keep photos taken before and after cleanup, with the original files. Save the shoes you wore. Tell us about a warning sign, nearby drain, cleaning cart, or witness. Those details may help explain the sequence without proving fault by themselves.
A lawyer can ask appropriate parties to preserve relevant footage and records. A request does not guarantee access or recover erased video. Describe where the camera was and when you entered and left, so a request can be specific.
We begin with the fall and your immediate concerns, then explain which facts need checking. If we represent you, the work follows the evidence and your recovery, not a promised timetable.
Tell us the business name, address, date, and time. We review the photographs, paperwork, and messages you already have. You can explain that a record is missing instead of trying to replace it with a guess.
We investigate who operated or maintained the area and what supported evidence is available. Treatment records, work restrictions, bills, and receipts help us assess the harm and available claim paths.
We explain what a proposed settlement would resolve and what questions remain. If a lawsuit is warranted, we discuss that step and its risks. You decide whether to accept an offer.
Call with the place, the date, and the question worrying you most. We can discuss whether a claim deserves further review.
No attorney fee unless compensation is recovered for you.
Keep treatment bills, insurance notices, travel receipts for care, and records of missed work. Supported medical needs, lost income, pain, and other injury-related losses may be part of the review. An open claim does not itself make the property's insurer pay today's bill.
Use available health coverage and ask providers about payment options. If you need help understanding notices or a reimbursement demand, bring them to the first conversation. We can explain how those questions fit into the claim.
A letter of protection is one arrangement some providers use to defer payment while an injury claim proceeds. It does not make treatment free or guarantee a recovery. Understand the payment terms before agreeing.
A store entrance, hotel lobby, condominium walkway, and public promenade can involve different responsible parties. Give us the precise spot, not only the building name. A photograph facing the entrance can help distinguish a private business area from an adjoining walkway. If the injury involved a broken railing, falling object, or another unsafe property condition, our Hollywood premises liability page covers the broader property review.
At a Hollywood Beach hotel or a shop near Hollywood Boulevard, the building owner, business operator, or a maintenance contractor may have separate roles. For a condo common area, association records and maintenance arrangements may matter. We investigate control without assuming that every party is responsible.
Serving Hollywood from Pompano Beach
1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101
Pompano Beach, FL 33062
Mark Miller and Rick Jacobs have been members of The Florida Bar since 1995. Their published biographies explain their backgrounds. Ask who will handle your matter and how the team will keep you informed.
Meet Miller & Jacobs ↗
Partner
Mark's background includes prosecution and insurance defense. His biography describes that experience and his work before co-founding the firm.
Read Mark Miller's biography ↗ Partner
Rick served as an Assistant State Attorney before entering private practice. His biography provides the details of his education and courtroom background.
Read Rick Jacobs's biography ↗A missing report, rain at an entrance, or a return flight does not tell the whole story. These starting points explain what to bring into the review.
Yes. Save the receipt, date, approximate time, and any photographs or witness contacts. Tell us who you spoke with and why you left. A missing report can make evidence harder to gather, but it does not by itself decide whether there is a claim.
No. The review considers the condition that caused the fall, what the business knew or should have known, and reasonable steps it could have taken. Timing, recurring water, inspection records, and mat placement may matter. Rain alone does not prove liability.
Responsibility depends on who controlled, maintained, or created the hazard in that area. An association, owner, manager, or contractor may have relevant duties. Save the building and unit details and identify the exact common area. We review the arrangements before identifying potential defendants.
Yes. You can start the conversation by phone. Keep booking records, receipts, staff names, and original photographs from the property. Continue appropriate care and save those records at home. Tell us promptly about cameras or records that may be overwritten.
Understand its scope first. Save the full authorization and ask what providers, dates, and records it covers. Do not guess about medical history or injuries. We can review the document and explain the request before you decide how to respond.
We first need to identify who controlled the exact spot and what condition caused the fall. A nearby private business and a public walkway can involve different duties. A government claim may have additional notice requirements. Give us the location and incident date so the applicable deadlines can be checked.
