“Reasonable care” is a legal term that carries a lot of weight in personal injury cases in the state of Florida. At its core, reasonable care is the duty that all Floridians have to act rationally or logically in the face of circumstances that could lead to personal injury.
If you’re confused, you aren’t alone. Below, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of Florida’s reasonable care laws and what you need to know about the legal consequences of failing to act with reasonable care.
Understanding Reasonable Care
Exercising reasonable care involves doing all that’s in one’s own power to prevent harm to another individual. There are virtually an unlimited number of situations where reasonable care can be put into practice—more than you might think.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you work in a corporate office and notice a water spill on the floor. Instead of either cleaning the spill or using a wet floor sign, you do nothing and go about your day. Later, an office visitor is injured when they slip and fall, so they decide to sue your company. Since you didn’t act with reasonable care by using a sign or cleaning up the spill, your company or you could be deemed negligent and liable.
Reasonable care also applies to driving.
When it comes to roadways, Florida drivers are expected to operate their vehicles safely and abide by all road laws. This means adjusting speed and heightening caution in weather conditions. Additionally, drivers are expected to be vigilantly alert and look for potential hazards.
How Negligence Plays a Role
Failing to use reasonable care can make any individual appear negligent in the eyes of the Florida legal system. Being negligent is when you’ve acted in a way that’s considered thoughtless, careless or contrary to how a normal person would act in a similar situation.
In other words, a legal charge of negligence can be the result of failing to act with reasonable care.
If you or a loved one have been involved in a personal injury accident that was the result of negligence, the team at Lorenzo & Lorenzo can answer your questions and more during a free consultation.
