Slip and Fall Accident

Slip and fall accidents can happen virtually anywhere – at the grocery store, at a neighbor’s house, on the stairs at work or even while you’re using the sidewalk – and the consequences of a slip and fall can be serious and long-lasting, depending on the extent of your injuries. Millions of people visit the emergency room for slip and fall accidents every year and falls are the leading cause of severe, possibly life-altering injuries like traumatic brain injuries and hip fractures. If you have been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident in California and the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, that person may owe you compensation for your losses. You may be unsure whether you need an attorney to handle your slip and fall case, which is why we offer a free initial consultation and case evaluation. This gives you the opportunity to get to know our legal team before you make a decision about who you want to represent you in your slip and fall case. Contact our firm today to find out how our California slip and fall injury attorneys can help.

Common Causes of Slip, Trip and Falls

By law, every person has a responsibility to be reasonably aware of their surroundings and use care to avoid causing harm to themselves. However, property owners also have a legal responsibility to ensure that their property is safe and free from hazardous conditions that could cause a person to slip, trip or fall. That may mean fixing a broken handrail on a set of stairs, replacing a burned out light bulb in a dark hallway, cleaning up spills on the floor, de-icing a parking lot or performing any number of other routine maintenance tasks to keep the property safe. If a property owner fails to maintain a safe, hazard-free property and someone is injured as a result, the injured victim can hold the negligent property owner liable in civil court by filing a premises liability claim. Some common causes of slip, trip and fall accidents that could result in a premises liability claim include the following:

• Stairs with broken handrails
• Uneven pavement or gravel
• Inadequate lighting
• Sidewalk cracks
• Wet or slippery floors
• Changes in flooring surfaces
• Debris or obstructions in walkways
• Snow or icy conditions
• Recently mopped or waxed floors
• Potholes in parking lots
• Loose floorboards or uneven rugs

Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

Slip and fall accidents are entirely avoidable and if business owners and other individuals exercise reasonable care in keeping their property safe and hazard-free for customers, employees and guests, they could prevent countless accidents and injuries. Some common injuries resulting from California slip, trip and fall accidents include the following:

• Broken bones
• Head injury
• Concussion
• Whiplash
• Neck injury
• Traumatic brain injury
• Lacerations
• Internal bleeding
• Back injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Knee or hip fractures
• Permanent disability
• Wrongful death

Slip and Fall Accidents – Premises Liability

Slip and fall accidents that take place on someone else’s property fall under premises liability, an area of the law that deals with the legal obligation property owners and operators have to inspect and maintain buildings, parking lots, walkways and other areas so that they are reasonably safe and free of hazards that could cause harm to others. Should any hazardous conditions exist, property owners have an obligation to repair the condition and/or warn customers or guests about the condition so they can avoid a slip and fall. Unfortunately, not all property owners are diligent in maintaining their property and grounds, and people are injured every day in slip, trip and fall accidents that occur because someone failed to take proper steps in preventing a foreseeable accident. Proving liability in a slip and fall accident involves the following elements:

• The property owner or operator knew or should have known that the dangerous condition existed,
• The property owner or operator failed to fix the dangerous condition in a timely manner,
• You were injured as a result of the dangerous condition, and
• As a result of your injuries, you suffered the damages you are seeking compensation for.

What is My Slip and Fall Claim Worth?

If you are injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property because of the property owner’s negligence, the property owner may be liable for any damages related to the accident, such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and a loss of future earning capacity, among other damages. If a close family member dies from injuries sustained in a slip and fall accident, you may be able to sue the property owner or operator for the wrongful death of your loved one and recover compensation for funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support and other associated damages. When you retain a slip and fall accident attorney, one of the first things the attorney will do is calculate the extent of your damages to ensure that you recover the maximum compensation you are entitled to, whether that means negotiating with the property owner’s insurance company to receive a fair settlement or, if a settlement cannot be reached, taking your premises liability case to court.

Contact Our Skilled Premises Liability Attorneys

Slip and fall accidents can result in painful, long-lasting injuries and costly medical bills, not to mention the risk of financial hardship due to missed time at work. If you have suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident caused by a dangerous condition on public, private, commercial or government property in California, whether you slipped on a slick hallway or tripped over a rug or uneven pavement, your first course of action should be to contact a California premises liability attorney to discuss your possible compensation options. Slip, trip and fall cases can be complex and difficult to prove, and it is always a good idea to have a knowledgeable lawyer on your side when considering legal action. Our attorneys have years of experience representing clients in slip, trip and fall accidents in California and we can assist you in pursuing fair and timely compensation for your slip and fall injuries.