At some point you or a loved one may need slip and fall lawyers in Los Angeles. When a person is injured on the street or on a private property, he may be entitled to claim compensation.
Our Los Angeles injury lawyers can help you with these accidents and any other workers’ compensation issue. We have over 40 years of experience litigating and winning cases of slip and fall accidents in LA and the rest of California.
Slip and fall accidents are among the most common in personal injury lawsuits. Every year about 2 million people are injured in these accidents in the United States. This is indicated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Data from the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), furthermore, indicate that emergency rooms receive more than one million visits every year for these accidents as well.
The problem is that the victim often does not know their rights and cannot clearly identify the person responsible. Call now for a free consultation or visit our offices in Los Angeles and we will gladly answer all your questions.
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The best slip and fall lawyers in Los Angeles near you
As you known, the determination of responsibility is crucial to claim and obtain compensation. Otherwise, the payment of medical bills and other damages caused by the accident will be borne by you.
However, determining who is responsible is not easy and recover damages when none of this is clear, either. Therefore, you need the help of the best slip and fall lawyers in Los Angeles to ensure fair compensation.
By law, the responsibility for slip and fall injuries applies to businesses and government agencies alike. Also applies to negligent employers who do not give proper maintenance to work places.
California’s slip and fall law establishes “premises liability.” This means that there may be another person responsible for the injuries and damages caused to the injured party.
The concept applies to people with property or in possession of a property, who should be aware of the danger. The jurisprudence in this regard is based on the principles of pure comparative negligence in California.
The insurance companies of the responsible party sometimes try to distribute the blame and accuse the victim of negligence. However, with the help of a seasoned and capable lawyer, a landlord can be found responsible for the injuries.
Continue reading this article and later we will explain how to prove the negligence of the owners in these cases.
Why hire the Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers from the Lluis Law firm?
We offer our legal support to proceed with your case and get the compensation you deserve. Our catastrophic injury lawyers specialize in investigating who is responsible for your injuries.
We are experts calculating the amount of compensation that corresponds to you and we have a qualified staff. When we decide to take a case we deal with:
- Thoroughly evaluate the case and define a fast and safe strategy to claim compensation.
- Investigate the case and document it with reliable evidence.
- Prepare carefully the documentation that will accompany the claim.
- Hire key experts to support the claim and promote witnesses to the event.
- Provide fast and reliable answers to all your questions.
The benefits of hiring a lawyer in our family-run law firm are stated in the free initial consultation. Call right now or come to our offices in downtown Los Angeles and we will gladly answer all your questions.
Main causes of slip and fall accidents
The causes of these accidents are diverse and include negligence and lack of maintenance of public and local roads. Let’s name some of the most common causes:
- Broken sidewalks and pavement with ditches or potholes.
- Wet floors.
- Carpet lifted or improperly installed.
- Polished floors without anti-slip or greasy.
- Dry soils with dust or sawdust remains.
- Surfaces with slippery water or ice due to bad weather.
- Obstacles or obstructions in aisles and warehouses.
- Narrow, poorly lit stairs and broken railings.
- Dangerously inclined roads.
- Cables thrown on the floor.
As you can see, almost all causes have to do with the negligent conduct of the owner of the premises or the city. Any public or private property must receive adequate periodic maintenance to avoid such accidents.
How to avoid slips and falls?
Tripping over a fixed object and sliding the shoe on slippery floors is the main cause of these accidents. Therefore, companies and the city must take precautions eliminating these risks.
This is achieved through:
- Internal management processes. Ensure permanent cleaning and maintenance in commercial premises, work spaces, sidewalks and streets. You must have a staff dedicated daily to perform these tasks.
- Reduce risks on slippery and wet surfaces. Always keep them dry or at least passable. Place risk notices in danger zones.
- Daily cleaning of obstacles in corridors. Avoid clutter by removing boxes, shelves, desks and any object that may cause a fall.
- Keep work spaces and streets illuminated. This includes the corridors and stairs used by company personnel.
- Avoid wearing slippery shoes. Instead wear shoes with traction or grip at least on dangerous surfaces.
What to do after a slip and fall accident?
All information about the accident and injuries must be recorded. Here are some recommendations:
- Take pictures and videos of the accident scene that highlights what caused the accident. For example, a gap in the street, an open sewer, wet floor, an obstacle and so on.
- Also take pictures of the injury and of yourself where you show the wound and how the clothes looked.
- Ask witnesses their information and record their names, phone numbers, mail and address.
- Call 9-1-1 and report the accident with great detail.
- Contact our slip and fall lawyer in Los Angeles.
- Report the accident to your insurance company. File an accident report.
- Keep the medical records that will be used later to file the compensation claim.
- If it was an obstacle that made you slip, take it and save it. If it is a fruit or any perishable food, then freeze it.
Compensation for falling on public roads
These accidents also have a high cost in medical expenses for companies and individuals. Compensation for falls is approximately $ 70,000 million annually. Falls can occur in any workspace (companies, industries or commerce), or in public places (streets and parks).
After identifying the person responsible for the injury on public roads, it is necessary to establish the cause-effect relationship. In other words, determining how the city, county or government agency has been negligent.
In the claim, the lawyer must sufficiently demonstrate that the injuries were a consequence of the negligence of the state. If you want to know more about negligence you can also visit our article on medical malpractice attorneys in Los Angeles.
Both victims of slip and fall accidents and their families have the right to demand compensation. This compensation for a slip and fall accident generally includes:
- Loss of wages and other income for the victim and his family.
- Medical bills and recovery treatment.
- Partial or total disability, temporary / permanent.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress.
- Compensation for wrongful death that covers funeral expenses and burial.
If the accident occurred while working our worker’s compensation lawyers in Los Angeles can help you get compensation. Call our emergency phone now and we’ll make sure you find the person responsible for your injuries.
Compensation for falling on private property
In California, when someone is injured on the property of another person, they can pursue damages for “Responsibility of the premises”. It means that the owner of the premises or his insurance must pay compensation to the victim.
Previously, it is imperative to prove the negligence of the owner of the premises or any other person responsible for claiming compensation.
To calculate the compensation for injuries in accidents caused by slips and falls, the lawyer calculates all the damages. This includes medical expenses, collateral damage such as loss of employment and the ability to generate profits.
Likewise, the circumstances in which the accident occurred are considered. Additionally, the severity of the injuries and the time it will take for rehabilitation. In general, each item has a value expressed in money, which allows to infer the estimated amount of the claim.
Although, each case is different and the compensation benefits that can also be obtained. The consultation for the calculation of compensatory benefits is free and without any commitment for the client.
How to prove negligence in slip and fall accidents?
It is based on the premise that owners (public / private) have a duty to care for passers-by and other users. However, building a successful slip and fall case involves demonstrating the following:
- Lack of maintenance of the place.
- The property had a dangerous physical state.
- No warning signs were placed about the dangers of falls in the area.
- The owner of the premises knew and even if he ignored the fact, he should have noticed that the property was not in conditions of passability, work or use.
- The street / sidewalk had no warning signs or barriers to prevent accidents.
- The owner had time to make the necessary arrangements on the property.
Demonstrating negligence is basically the most complicated point of the matter. The case is won or lost if the lawyer or victim is not able to prove the owner’s negligent conduct.
On the other hand, the accused of causing the injuries or his insurance company will try to prove:
- That he had no responsibility in the accident or in the plaintiff’s injuries or,
- That the victim had a share of responsibility in the accident.
During the trial, then, the plaintiff or his lawyer must prove that it was not the lack of care when walking through the property that caused the accident, but the conditions of the place.
The insurance company or the California court analyzes and evaluates the allegations promoted and the facts. In this way, they determine the degree of responsibility of each party according to the rule of comparative negligence. Then, from the evaluation of the case the offer of agreement for compensatory damages or a sentence is produced.
Common injuries from slip and fall accidents
Slip and fall accidents are the cause of serious physical injury and even death. Many people die from slipping and falling backward causing a head injury that can be fatal.
Slips and falls are classified among the most common workplace accidents and injuries in California. The most common injuries caused by slips and falls are:
- Fracture of wrists, elbows and arms.
- Broken leg or ankle.
- Wounds and bruises on the head.
- Cuts and lacerations.
- Tears and ligament damage.
It is possible that some of these or other injuries do not manifest immediately due to the adrenaline generated by the accident.
If you or a family member has suffered an injury in a slip and fall accident in your workplace or on a public property remain calm. Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers at Lluis Law can help you with everything you need.