Practice Areas

• Car and Motorcycle Accidents
• DUI and Criminal Defense
• Big Truck Accidents
• Medical Malpractice

Serious Injuries:
Slip and Fall | Dog Bites

Accidents don’t just randomly occur. Accidents are caused.

As attorneys representing the injured, we think that is an important distinction!

When the railing on a staircase comes off in someone’s hand and someone falls, was that just a freak occurrence, or was it something that could have easily been prevented with regular inspections and maintenance?

When someone slips and falls on a wet floor that wasn’t clearly marked, was that just a random accident or was it negligence on the part of the person mopping the floor?

When someone breaks an ankle because a burnt out light bulb in a doorway wasn’t replaced, or a was curb unmarked, can you write that off as “just one of those things?” 

When someone is bitten by a dog, was it their fault?  Or just a random/freak occurance or even their fault?   (In Florida the dog owner is responsible even if it is the first bite reported.) 

The insurance companies that provide coverage for property and business owners try to say just that on a daily basis. They try to pass off negligence and incompetence as the random actions of the universe, and they do so in order to keep from paying fair compensation to the injury victims.

And, if you don’t have an experienced serious injury slip-and-fall /dog bite lawyer to represent your interests, they will succeed in paying you far less than you deserve.

In the 37 years since I began my legal practice in Gainesville, my associates and I have represented enough victims of falls and bites to know that there is nothing “minor” about their injuries. A serious fall or bite can damage a limb, face, spine or brain just as easily as a car accident, and the repercussions of these injuries can change a life in drastic and permanent ways. Victims of falls and bites can find themselves unable to return to work or provide for their families. Many of them will face the extreme financial hardship of medical bills, the costs of rehabilitative therapy, disfigurement, or of long term medical care. And the extreme tragedy of all of this is that the vast majority of slip-and-fall cases (which fall under the category of “Premises Liability”) and dog bites could have easily been prevented if there had been proper inspections and maintenance performed, or if someone had taken simple precautions.

The Law Office of Jeffrey Meldon and Associates is an established regional law firm with our main office located in Gainesville. For those in Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness and the entire North Central Florida area that have been injured in a fall or dog bite, Jeffrey Meldon and Associates have the legal experience and expertise to achieve successful outcomes for our injured clients.

 “With nearly four decades of experience and service, Jeffrey Meldon has established himself as the regional premier advocate for injury victims.

He has become respected for his skills in and out of the courtroom, as well as his keen ability to properly determine the extent of losses for a slip and fall or dog bite injury victim, and is seen as a serious contender by insurance companies.”

Remember:  Insurance companies will pay out more money to settle a case out of court if there is a greater chance or risk that the attorney will try the case in court. 

It is not always necessary to go to trial, but it is important that the insurance company has respect for your lawyer and sees him or her as a big “risk”. 

Injured victims of slip and falls and bites or other serious injuries can be compensated for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Past and future pain and suffering
• Past and future lost wages
• Loss of enjoyment of life 
  
• Any disfigurement or scaring cause by a bite
  
• Any psychological trauma caused by an attack

Why Jeffrey Meldon and Associates? In my office:

*I do not take short cuts. 
*I hire the best and most qualified and experienced associates and staff.
*Everyone in my office has the most up to date legal research, technology, and training available. 
*I spare no expense in hiring the best experts to prove the cases that I work on.
*I do not take every case that comes through my door.  Doing this allows me the time needed to give my full attention and necessary resources, to get the best possible result for each case.

 

Remember, accidents don’t just happen, accidents are caused. If you have or a loved one has been injured in a fall or dog bite contact Jeffrey Meldon and Associates for a free legal consultation today.

 

Since 1971, we have proudly represented slip and fall  and dog bite injury victims from:  Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Inverness, Palatka, Crystal River, Daytona Beach, Interlachen, Spring Hill, Dunnellon, Bunnell, Live Oak, Starke, Jasper, Cross City, Perry Trenton, Leesburg, Lake Butler, Tavares, Chiefland, Bronson, Brooksville, The Villages and the counties of Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Citrus, Volusia, Sumter, Levy, Lake, Bradford, Flagler, Hamilton, Dixie, Gilchrist, Union, Hernando, Suwannee, Union and Putnam.

 

Remember:  If you can’t come to us – We will come to you.

We take pride in our work and in the results we get for our clients.

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Blog for Serious Injuries:
Slip and Fall | Dog Bites

• Dog Bites on The Rise
• Dog Bite Victim's compensation proposal in Taramac is a good start and a fair compromise.

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Frequent Questions for Serious Injuries:
Slip and Fall | Dog Bites:

• Is it true that if my dog bites someone he might be "put to sleep" even if he's never bitten anyone before?
• Are there any ways to protect myself and my dog from being liable for an attack?
• If my dog bites someone, could I be criminally charged?
• What happens if my dog bites or attacks another animal in Ocala?
• What could happen if my dog bites someone?
• What is Strict Liability and what does it mean?
• I was just bitten by my neighbor’s dog.  The dog had never bitten anyone before, is the owner responsible?
• What can I be reimbursed for in a slip and fall case?
• Help, what should I do?  I tripped and fell on an unmarked curb in front of a store and was seriously injured.
• Who can be held liable/responsible in a slip and fall accident in Florida?
• What do you mean by premises liability?
• I slipped and fell in Kmart on water on the floor, now I need to have surgery, can I sue Kmart?

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