Slip, trip, and falls are incredibly common. In fact, fall-related injuries are some of the most frequently seen injuries in emergency rooms and hospitals throughout the United States. While many people think of slip and falls as simply being the result of clumsiness, these accidents are actually often caused by negligence.
When a property owner does not conduct proper maintenance or fails to repair or address a dangerous condition, such as a wet floor or broken step, others on the property can be seriously injured. At Bral & Associates, we stand up for victims of property owner negligence by helping them file premises liability claims and seek full, fair compensation for their damages. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, our legal team can help you work to recover compensation for your resulting medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages (if you were unable to return to work during your recovery), and more.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip, trip, and falls are often perceived as not being all that serious—but this could not be further from the truth. In fact, falls are among the leading causes for both traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, which are some of the most serious and catastrophic injuries a person can suffer.
Slip and fall accidents often lead to the following injuries:
These and other fall-related injuries often necessitate immediate emergency medical attention and extensive, ongoing treatment. Some victims may even require months, years, or a lifetime of care. On top of this, these injuries can lead to temporary or permanent disability, preventing victims from returning to work and creating additional financial hardships.
At Bral & Associates, we understand the immense impact a slip and fall accident can have on just about every aspect of your life. Our Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers are here to help you get back on your feet, guiding you through every stage of the legal process and advocating tirelessly for the maximum recovery you deserve. We know how to hold negligent property owners accountable—and have a proven track record of success in doing just that.
How to Tell If You Have a Slip and Fall Case
Slip and fall accident claims are relatively common in personal injury law, but they can actually be somewhat difficult to prove. While a property owner may owe you a duty of care (in most circumstances), it is not enough to show that you were injured on his or her property. Instead, you will need to prove that your slip and fall accident occurred as a result of a hazardous condition that the property owner knew about, or should have known about, but did not take reasonable steps to repair, fix, address, or warn of.
Proving Liability in Slip and Fall Cases
In order to have grounds for a slip and fall claim, you will need to prove all of the following elements:
The Property Owner Owed You a Duty of Care: In order to establish this fact, you will need to prove that you were either an invitee (someone visiting a property for commercial/business purposes) or a licensee (someone visiting a property for the mutual benefit of him/herself and the property owner; i.e. a social guest). While California property owners do owe a duty of care to trespassers, it is much less than the duty of care they owe to invitees and licensees. If you were trespassing when the slip and fall accident happened, it is not impossible to secure compensation for your damages, but it will be difficult.
The Property Owner Breached the Duty of Care: To show that the property owner breached his or her duty of care to you, you will likely need to prove that a condition or hazard existed on the property and that this condition/hazard posed a “foreseeable” risk of injury or harm to others. Additionally, you will need to prove that the property owner both knew of the condition’s existence (or reasonably could be expected to have known about it) and that the property owner did not take reasonable steps to fix, repair, resolve, or warn others of the condition.
As a Result of This Breach, You Were Injured: You will also need to show that you were injured because of the property owner’s failure to conduct proper maintenance and/or repair, fix, resolve, or warn of the dangerous condition. In other words, you will need to show that, had the condition not existed or had the property owner taken reasonable steps to address the condition, you would not have been injured.
You Suffered Damages: Lastly, in order to collect compensation for damages, you will need to show that you actually suffered damages. These damages can be either economic or non-economic in nature and may include things like medical bills, disability, lost wages, lost future earnings, future medical care costs, pain and suffering, trauma, and more.
What If a Slip and Fall Happens on Government Property?
If a slip and fall accident happens on government property, your claim is going to be a lot more complicated. Our attorneys can assist you in determining the special rules that apply in your case, including notice requirements and deadlines for filing your claim. Our attorneys are well-educated on government, local, and state liability in slip and fall and other types of premises liability cases.
It’s important to discuss your potential claim as quickly as possible with Bral & Associates due to the fact that there are shortened timelines for filing a claim against a government entity.
Contact Our Slip & Fall Attorneys 24/7 for a Free Consultation
Our legal team is always available to assist you when you need us most. We take calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can meet with you at a time and place that is most convenient for you. We offer our personal injury services on a contingency fee basis. This means that there are no upfront or out-of-pocket expenses for you; instead, we only collect attorneys’ fees if/when we successfully recover compensation for you.