What Accidents Constitute a Notice of Claim?

If you were made a victim of a personal injury accident, you may be exploring your legal options. Before you serve papers to the at-fault party, though, you may need to consider writing up a Notice of Claim. Follow along to find out what types of accidents constitute a Notice of Claim and how a proficient Tampa slip and fall lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can assist you in drafting one.

What types of accidents constitute a Notice of Claim?

More often than not, a Notice of Claim is required to be filed alongside a slip and fall accident claim. But more specifically, it is necessary if you are directing your lawsuit toward a state- or city-owned entity. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• You slipped and fell due to the dangerous conditions in a state-owned building.
• You slipped and fell due to the dangerous conditions in a state-owned park.
• You slipped and fell due to the dangerous conditions of a state-owned mass transit vehicle.
• You slipped and fell due to the dangerous conditions in on a city-owned street.
• You slipped and fell due to the dangerous conditions on a city-owned sidewalk.

Though slip and fall accidents are the most popular, any type of personal injury accident may constitute this notice. For example, it may be needed if you were at a pedestrian crossing and you were struck by a city-owned bus. Or, it may be needed if you were struck by a standard motor vehicle while at a pedestrian crossing, but a faulty city-owned traffic light was the crux of the accident.

What should I include in this notice?

Importantly, your Notice of Claim must be in writing and provided on a piece of paper; an emailed notice will not be considered sufficient notice. The contents of your Notice of Claim should be made of up the following:

• Your legal name and your residential address.
• The date on which your slip and fall accident occurred.
• The state- or city-owned location in which your slip and fall accident occurred.
• The facts surrounding the events that led up to your slip and fall accident.
• The losses you incurred from your slip and fall accident.

Also worth noting is that you must submit your Notice of Claim within three years from the date on which your slip and fall accident occurred. Then, no slip and fall accident claim may be filed until after a 180-day investigation period. Unfortunately, it is a very real possibility that the government entity may formally deny your Notice of Claim. All in all, this process, from start to finish, may be made easier with the sound legal advice of a talented Hillsborough County personal injury lawyer. Contact our firm as soon as you possibly can.