Is Publix Telling the Truth About “Truth in Damages” for Slip and Fall Accident Victims

Another attempt to unfairly limit damages in jury awards for Florida Personal Injury victims is underway.  Two of Florida’s most successful businesses are behind the effort to re-write Florida’s long standing damage laws.  The industry leaders – Publix Supermarkets and Walt Disney World intend to change the manner in which medical damages are awarded against a negligent property owner on behalf of a victim of a slip and fall accident or the victim of an amusement park facility injury.

The Orlando Sentinel has discovered that Publix has spent in excess of $37 Million dollars last year for compensating its fall victims.

The perspective that is not sufficiently emphasized by the press is what that number more realistically reflects.   $37 Million dollars is a staggering reflection on the number of Floridians that fall victim to Publix’s carelessness and neglect.  And suffice it to say that that number most likely reflects significant compromises to each victim; and may have left thousands of their injury victims already under-compensated for their medical injuries.  What is also remarkable is that Publix predicts that it will only save $ 1 million dollars a year by having Florida’s laws altered.

Of course Publix is attempting to sell the story that “shrewd trial lawyers” have manipulated awards, with the assistance of the unethical health care professionals that exaggerate and provide excessive medical care and expense, as the reason for excessively large damage awards.

So these otherwise extremely successful Florida businesses are looking to alter the manner in which personal injury medical expenses are evaluated, and are marketing these proposed changes as “Truth in Damages”.

One of the faults of attacking the victim rather than the health care provider is that if a jury is not permitted to compensate a personal injury victim with the full amount they are charged, the victim/patients are still obligated to pay their doctor the amount they are charged.  It would be very unfortunate if Florida’s legislature passes such legislation which only serves to protect the interests of big, successful businesses at the unfortunate expense of its citizen victims.

For further information please free to contact the Personal Injury Attorneys at the Schulman Law Group at 954-349-3300, 1-877-529-0444 or at info@www.schulaw.com