If you are looking for a slip and fall attorney in Los Angeles call personal injury attorney Allen Vaysberg for a free consultation now.
Choosing a Los Angeles Slip and Fall Attorney
At the Law Offices of Steers & Associates, our slip and fall attorney Los Angeles team works unremittingly to assess the circumstances of each of our clients’ claims, to ensure we can provide them with the best financial settlement possible by pursuing the negligent party who caused their injuries.
Los Angeles slip and fall claims are no accident. When someone carelessly avoids providing a safe environment for others, it is considered a dereliction of responsibility in the court of law.
Our in-depth client support services include:
- Thorough factual analysis during our initial free consultation with clients.
- Obtain investigative reports when appropriate.
- Law firm’s investigators will obtain witness statements when necessary.
- Inspect the scene of the slip and fall accident if necessary.
- Fast response to personal injury clients’ questions.
- Consult and/or retain expert witnesses when appropriate.
- Monitor medical treatment to ensure personal injury clients are satisfied with their care.
- Prompt preparation of demand for compensation once medical treatment is finished.
- Assistance in resolving clients’ medical bills including any lien issues.
- Aggressive and thorough legal representation in the event a lawsuit has to be filed.
Our dedicated approach to presenting a legal strategy for success is paramount, giving our slip and fall lawyer team in Los Angeles an advantage in the courtroom. Each experienced slip and fall attorney in Los Angeles at the Law Offices of Steers & Associates combine professionalism with dexterity, which allows us to counter the property owners’ private attorney or the insurance company’s slip and fall accident attorneys' strategies.
The slip and fall lawyers that practice in our law firm deliver a dedicated approach to justice for our clients. We realize that confronting insurance companies can be intimidating, as can the overall legal process that accompanies the slip and fall claim.
Our slip and fall lawyer team has exceptional experience in battling large firms and their lawyers, and our personal injury attorneys never back down from a challenge in the courtroom. No matter where your injury took place, whether it was in a privately owned business, a large retail outlet, or a municipally owned building, slip and fall lawyers are prepared to conquer the opposition and provide our personal injury clients with the financial restitution they deserve.
What Is A Slip And Fall Accident?
Los Angeles slip and fall accidents or slip and fall injuries are extremely common. Los Angeles owners and possessors have a responsibility to safely maintain, inspect and oversee their premises. In order to successfully establish that an owner or possessor of someone else’s property is negligent, it must be shown that the owner either created a dangerous condition, knew of the dangerous condition and did not act to fix the problem, or should have known of the dangerous condition and did not act to fix the problem.
Examples of dangerous conditions that cause accidents, slip, trip and fall accidents or simply fall include, but are not limited to, the following:
- wet floor
- ground that has not been cleaned or inspected within a reasonable period of time
- exposed sinkholes
- uneven and cracked sidewalks
- slippery stairways and walkways
- improperly secured windows and balconies
Damages Recoverable From Los Angeles Slip And Fall Accidents
Maximum compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, future expenses, and lost wages during recovery time is payable to victims if negligence can be proven.
In order to prove negligence, a slip and fall accident victim is best aided by having an experienced Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer from the Law Offices of Steers & Associates oversee the various types of investigations necessary to substantiate claims; a slip and fall lawyer that knows the details and applications of the law, who can aggressively deal with the insurance companies whose primary interest is to make little or no payment to the victim.
Notable Slip and Fall Cases
- Kmart Slip and Fall Accident: One interesting slip and fall case involved a woman who was shopping at a Kmart and a Kmart employee accidentally knocked over a shelf near the client’s leg area which caused her to fall. We filed a slip and fall lawsuit and were able to get her a good recovery after investigating the facts of the slip and fall case and engaging in an aggressive litigation strategy by using the right kind of experts. We were able to get her a good recovery because we were able to show that the employee of the store should have acted in a safer manner.
- Premises Liability and Inadequate Security at a restaurant: Another example is a premises liability case where we filed a slip and fall lawsuit for our injured client because of inadequate security. The client was at a birthday party at night at a restaurant and it was known that people drank a lot at that restaurant. Our client was just outside of the restaurant, and at some point, another person that was in the restaurant stabbed him in the chest. named several defendants in that lawsuit, including the restaurant and the owner of the property that the restaurant was leasing from. It turned out the restaurant had no insurance, so that was bad, but the owner did have high insurance limits. Our slip and fall accident attorneys were able to obtain a copy of the lease between the owner and the restaurant. The lease required the restaurant to provide security for its guests and it didn’t do so. The litigation revealed that the property owners didn’t enforce the terms of the lease. When we took a deposition of the person most knowledgeable of the property owners, we asked about what the terms of the lease requiring security, and about safety issues and procedures. The person most knowledgeable didn’t know how to answer most of the questions. She didn’t know much about anything, which was good because if the slip and fall case had gone to trial it would have left the property owner defendant stuck with the answers of their representative.
Slip and Fall Case Statute of Limitations
Generally speaking, in California, there is a two year statute of limitations to file a lawsuit for serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, so two years from the date of the fall or incident, basically. If you file a claim against a public entity or governmental entity then there are different rules that apply, because then you have to make a written claim to the governmental or public entity within six months of the fall.
You need to wait forty-five days for them to respond and either accept or reject the claim. If they reject the claim, then you have six months after the rejection date to file a lawsuit.
If they don’t respond at all or if they accept, then the person has still up to two years from the date of the fall to file a lawsuit. Usually if a governmental or public entity is involved we try to err on the side of caution. If the claim is against a regular defendant like a store owner or private property owner or non-governmental agent, then it’s just two years from the date of the incident or fall.
What Should You Do If You Are Injured In A Slip and Fall Accident?
If people slip, trip and fall, they should try to get the contact information of any witnesses. Often times at stores, a store manager or employee will have to file an incident report, so if at all possible, the injured person should try to get a copy of the incident report. It’s very important to take pictures if possible of what the person fell on, because if they don’t know what they fell on, that makes the case a lot tougher.
We understand it’s hard sometimes to do, if the person’s in pain. Hopefully someone can assist them and then take photos. Now with cell phones it’s easier. Someone who slipped and fell or tripped and fell should preserve the shoes or footwear that they were wearing at the time of the fall. Also receipts of any items purchased at the store before the fall should be saved if applicable.
It is also very important for the injured person to seek out appropriate medical care as soon as possible. Last but definitely not least, the injured person should seek the advice of a qualified attorney if they think that they fell because of an unsafe condition on the property or premises.
Slip and Fall Accidents In Los Angeles Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does A Typical Los Angeles Slip And Fall Accident Case Last?
It can last several years. Right now, for example, in Los Angeles Superior Court, the trial date is set around eighteen months after the lawsuit is filed. How quickly a case settles or if a case settles at all depends on the facts specific to that case, including how strong or weak premises liability is against the defendant(s) and the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s injuries.
What Should A Client Bring For Their Free Case Consultation?
For a slip and fall accident or premises liability law cases we try to gather as many facts and items as possible.
- What did they fall on, if they know?
- Do they have a photograph of what they fell on?
- How long were they at the location before they fell?
- What were they doing at the location before they fell?
- Are there any witnesses and if so, what is their contact information?
- What was said to them by the witnesses?
- What did the witnesses see or know?
- Did they keep a copy of the accident report form that was given to them to be filled out?
- What kind of shoes/footwear where they wearing?
Who Pays For Medical Care In Los Angeles Slip And Fall Accidents?
If you’re injured in a slip, fall incident, then you are entitled to be reimbursed for your reasonable and necessary medical expenses that you incurred due to the fall, assuming that you can prove that the defendant(s) were responsible for the fall. Of course proving that the property owner, store, management company or whoever is responsible can be tricky in slip and fall cases which is why we strongly recommend that the injured person speak to an attorney as soon as possible after they are injured.
Are Landlords Liable For Slip and Fall Injuries If They Are Sustained On A Landlord’s Property?
Yes, landlords can be liable. A Los Angeles, CA property owner has to keep their property in a safe condition. So, if someone’s injured on their property because of a condition that a landlord or owner of the property should have known about or knew about and didn’t fix, then they could be responsible or liable.
If someone is injured at an apartment and they’re injured in the area controlled by the landlord, like the common areas, the landlord or property owner could be held responsible. If the person’s injured inside of an apartment unit and it’s nothing the landlord or owner did – maybe the renter created a condition inside their own apartment unit – then possibly the tenant or renter could be held legally responsible.
What Are Some Of The More Common Misconceptions That People Have About Slip And Fall Accidents?
One common misconception is that if someone falls on something, the owner or operator is automatically responsible for their injuries and damages. However, legally that’s not necessarily the case. The person suing or making a slip and fall claim has to prove that the store, store operator, or property owner either created the condition or they had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition.
If you can show that what the person fell on was a dangerous condition created by the owner or operator of the premises, then that’s one way to establish fault or liability. For example, if a plumber had an accident, and slipped because of existing rickety stairs, with collected proof there might be case to be filed against the house owner.
Another way is if you can show actual notice on the part of the defendant – the store or the property owner. Let’s say that something spilled on the ground and it can be proven that the store employees or the owner knew that there was something on the ground that was slippery and they didn’t do anything about it. Sometime later someone walks by and falls on that. That’s an example of actual notice. That’s pretty rare though. It’s very rare for a company or person being sued to say, “Yeah, I knew about it, but I didn’t do anything. I didn’t clean it up.”
The third example of how to prove fault in these kinds of slip and fall accident cases is constructive notice. For example, when we represent clients in slip and fall accident cases, we will demand production of the store sweep sheets and video footage. Sweep sheets help show how often store personnel were inspecting and maintaining the area where the person fell. If we get those records and it shows that the area of the fall wasn’t inspected for an hour or ore more before the fall, that’s a good indication that the store wasn’t properly maintaining or inspecting the area of the fall.
But if the records indicate that the area of the slip and fall was inspected a few minutes before the fall, then it becomes a much tougher case because the owner/operator of the premises can make a better argument that they were acting reasonably in maintaining and inspecting the area.
Can Older People And Children Sue For Slip And Fall Accidents?
Some elderly clients experience balance problems or weakened bones. So, if an older person falls then it’s a greater risk of injuries in many cases because they may have osteoporosis or bone problems or decreased strength in their bone structure, etc. You have to watch for that in those kinds of slip and fall accident cases.
As far as children go, children generally are pretty resilient, but sometimes their parents are concerned if they’re injured. If their children have been injured, parents want to make sure they heal properly as they continue to grow into adulthood.
Which Areas Of Los California Are Covered?
We represent slip and fall clients anywhere in California. That said, many of our clients are here in Los Angeles, CA or the nearby cities of Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Alhambra, Whittier, Encino, Hollywood, Moreno Valley, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fontana, Baldwin Park, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, Corona, Santa Ana, Valencia and around Southern California.
A Recent Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was in an accident where my car was totaled. At first, I thought I could handle things by myself but then my pain began to get much worse. I hired Allen based on the recommendation of a friend and he did not disappoint. He was very fast in answering my calls and emails. He also got me the maximum settlement from the other person's insurance and then got me compensation from my insurance too. - James
