Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Both Florida and Colorado have stunning vistas for picture taking. In Florida, Hobe Mountain offers amazing views. And in Colorado, Mount Elbert and Mount Massive both have elevations of over 14,000 feet.
You don’t have to climb a mountain to have a bad fall from a height during a vacation, though. And when these falls happen, travelers can suffer head injuries, spinal cord trauma, fractures, and other devastating injuries. If you’re injured by a fall during a trip, you can contact Flaxman Law Group for a free consultation with an accident attorney. It’s your chance to talk to a Florida or Colorado lawyer to discuss whether you have a claim—and what you need to do next to protect your right to seek compensation.
How Fall Injuries Happen on Vacations
Slip and fall injuries can happen anywhere on your vacation, including pool areas or a restaurant where a spill wasn’t cleaned up. But here, let’s focus on falls from heights. These can happen in all kinds of situations:
- Balconies. Poor lighting or wobbly railings on balconies at hotels or other venues can easily lead to falls. In addition, when property owners don’t enforce balcony weight limits, this can cause balconies to collapse and cause catastrophic injury.
- Natural heights. Cliffs, mountains, hills, and other naturally beautiful spots make excellent spots for pictures. In parks and other public areas, these areas should come with clear warnings or barriers to prevent people from falling.
- Stairs. Stairs on cruise ships and in hotels and other public spaces should be well-maintained and well-lit to prevent injuries.
- Ski areas. Ski lifts and ski gondolas that take you up a mountain should be safe, but people are injured every year falling from these.
- Double-decker buses. Double-decker buses have enough height to cause a serious fall, which is why tour operators have an obligation to make sure passengers don’t try to climb on top of these buses or lean out of windows.
- Adventure travel. Skydiving, bungee jumping, and other high-octane adventures should still come with safety precautions to prevent falls and injury.
- Tall structures. Towers, roller coasters, and other tall structures all pose their own dangers, and owners are expected to take reasonable steps to keep visitors safe.
- Decks on cruise ships and tour boats. Each year, people fall overboard on ships on vacations, and many sustain fatal injuries. Boats and ships should be equipped with safety equipment to help anyone who has fallen overboard and medical equipment to assist anyone who falls from one deck to another.
One area of concern is that more tourists today are interested in taking the “perfect picture” to post on social media. This can especially be the case with younger travelers. Unfortunately, this can lead to risk-taking behavior, such as leaning over cliffs or out of towers, to get the perfect shot. In some cases, this sort of behavior has led to tragedy.
Who Is Liable?
Property owners are expected to maintain their property and tour operators are expected to warn tourists of dangers and to exercise reasonable precautions to keep tourists safe. Both should be aware that children, especially, need careful supervision and that picture-takers may take unneeded risks.
Even if you were taking a photo at height or had been drinking on vacation, if you suffered an injury after a fall you may still be eligible for compensation if someone’s negligence contributed, at least in part, to your injury. You may even have a claim if you signed a waiver.
No matter what, if you’re injured it pays to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible to find out whether you may have a case and to talk about what steps you need to take to protect your right to compensation. If you’re injured, you can always reach Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626 to schedule a free consultation with an accident claims attorney. Our offices in Miami, Hollywood, Homestead, and Denver are here to serve you across South Florida and Colorado.