La Jolla Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers
We’ll tell you if you have a case or not, call (888) 488-1391 — We’re here 24 hours a day.
Our La Jolla Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers Represent The Injured In California
Did you slip and fall while shopping around La Jolla or performing your duties at work? If you’ve been injured, you may be eligible to seek compensation. Call us at (888) 488-1391, and our La Jolla slip-and-fall accident lawyers can review your case during a free initial consultation.
La Jolla City is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in San Diego, where you can kayak, hang out with wildlife, dine at a restaurant by the coast, or climb over rocks in tide pools. If sand is not your thing, you can also have a fun excursion to the Birch Aquarium or shop on Prospect Street.
Unfortunately, these activities can potentially involve hazards that lead to slip and fall accidents. Even seemingly low-risk situations, like relaxing by a pool or running errands, can result in such incidents.
Slips, trips, and falls are commonly caused by the negligence of property owners or managers. Despite numerous safety laws and guidelines in place to protect them, a significant number of people are injured due to falls each year. More often than not, these incidents are the direct consequence of ignoring legally mandated safety standards.
If you experience a slip and fall accident in La Jolla, feel free to contact our lawyers. Arash Law has experience helping victims seek damages after these mishaps occur.
Settlement in a slip and fall case versus Jiffy Lube; client suffered spinal injuries– JUDD ROSS ALLEN
How Can Our Slip And Fall Lawyers In La Jolla Support Your Case?
Our personal injury law firm can review your case and help you navigate the claims process while you deal with the trauma and injuries from the accident.
Having handled numerous slip and fall accidents in our years of practice, we are fully aware of the physical and financial challenges victims may face. In our experience, most of our clients with severe injuries need at least a few months to recover, making it difficult for them to file claims themselves.
Filing a claim involves more than just completing a form, submitting it, and receiving a compensation check. The entire process can be lengthy, especially when it comes to evidence gathering, and it can’t guarantee any particular outcomes. If you need to recover during this time, our dedicated attorneys in La Jolla can help handle your slip and fall claim. In addition to gathering evidence, we will initiate the process and communicate with the other party. We may also assign a case manager to keep you updated on your case’s progress.
Feel free to review our client testimonials on Google for more insight into the services we provide. If you have further questions or concerns, contact our La Jolla slip and fall accident lawyers.
Our Slip And Fall Attorneys Can Help Evaluate Settlement Offers
Our attorneys are committed to helping you pursue compensation that reflects your losses as a slip and fall victim. We’ll factor in all your damages, review similar cases, and consult medical & financial experts when estimating the potential value of your claim.
We may then use that estimate when negotiating for a settlement from insurance companies. From the outset, the at-fault party’s insurance provider might contact you about a potential settlement. Since they often do so soon after an accident, you may not yet know the full extent of your damages.
Through years of handling personal injury cases, we’ve learned that these initial offers can be much lower than what victims can potentially pursue. As such, we’re ready to review your accident, as well as any offers you receive, to help you decide whether to accept or counter them.
Common Causes Of Slip And Fall Accidents
Wet floors are the usual culprit in slip-and-fall accidents. They can be caused by spills on the floor or slippery tiles, such as those found in poolside areas or driveways. Other potential hazards can also lead to slips, trips, and falls, including:
- Loose carpets or rags
- Uneven flooring
- Lack of handrails
- Inadequate lighting
- Lack of slip resistance on walking surfaces
- Oily garages or walkways
- Recently waxed floors
- Defective or missing staircases
These risks are present in many establishments across La Jolla, such as:
- Swimming pools
- Restaurants
- Groceries
- Malls
- Parking spaces
- Workplaces
- Apartments
- Hotel lobby and corridors
- Stadiums
- Commercial buildings
- Amusement parks
- Construction sites
If you’re in a slip and fall accident anywhere in La Jolla, our attorneys can investigate its potential cause. This can then help us identify who may be responsible for your injuries.
Common Injuries Sustained In A Slip And Fall Accident
Our lawyers have experience handling slip and fall cases involving different types of injuries, such as contusions or bruises, in La Jolla.
We’ve also represented clients who sustained catastrophic injuries that caused long-term suffering and hefty medical expenses, including:
- Head Injuries — Victims who slipped and then fell might hit their heads on the ground or a hard surface. As a result, they might get brain injuries, leading to constant headaches, confusion, memory loss, nausea, slurred speech, loss of balance, and blurry vision.
- Back Injuries — Spinal cord injuries are common for those who land on their backs. They might experience chronic back pain, numbness, loss of balance, a lack of bowel or bladder control, or paralysis. Victims might also sustain other back injuries, like muscle strains and herniated discs.
- Broken Bones — Falls could also result in fractures, from minor hairline cracks to shattered bones. In extreme cases, these injuries could lead to an amputation.
- Neck Injuries — Some neck injuries are more than stiffness. Sometimes, a serious accident might cause cervical dislocation, which can lead to difficulty breathing and impaired speech.
- Shoulder Injuries — People usually stretch their arms out while falling forward. However, this puts them at a higher risk of dislocating their shoulders, which can cause stiffness, arm weakness, a limited range of motion, swelling, and bruising.
- Wrongful Deaths — Even a seemingly minor incident like a slip and fall could lead to the death of a loved one, especially if they hit their head or develop an infection from a wound.
If you suspect you have any of the bodily injuries mentioned above, contact a personal injury lawyer to understand your legal options. Our slip and fall accident lawyers can connect you to medical specialists in La Jolla or California to help support your treatment and your claim.
What Damages Can I Pursue For A Slip & Fall Accident?
You may be able to seek compensation for economic and non-economic losses incurred due to the accident. Some examples are:
- Hospital bills
- Lost wages
- Reduced capacity to earn a living
- Emotional distress
- Other out-of-pocket expenses related to managing your injury
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of a limb
- Loss of consortium
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Intangible damages like anxiety and pain might be difficult to calculate, but our La Jolla slip and fall lawyers can tap outside experts who may help determine their potential value.
Determining Liability In A Slip And Fall Accident
Victims may be eligible to seek compensation from the parties responsible for the accident. To pursue a valid claim, you need to identify the liable party and prove their negligence.
Our slip and fall accident lawyers in La Jolla can handle this for you. However, understanding some key factors and legal concepts can be helpful.
Liable Parties
Depending on the circumstances of your slip-and-fall accident, our La Jolla lawyers might file a claim against the following parties:
- Landlord of an apartment building
- Mall management
- Maintenance contractors
- Store owner
- Other visitors or tenants
Essentially, liability would depend on the actions or inactions of all parties potentially involved in the accident.
Premises Liability Law
Premises liability states that property owners or managers are responsible for identifying slip and fall hazards, putting up warning signs, and addressing dangerous conditions. This means they are expected to:
- Mop spills in a timely manner.
- Place wet floor signs.
- Fix leaks as soon as possible.
- Prepare for weather hazards.
If they fail to uphold their legal responsibilities and someone gets injured as a result, they could be held responsible for the victim’s injuries.
However, not all slip and fall cases fall under premises liability laws. Our slip and fall accident lawyers in La Jolla can still work to identify who may be responsible for your injuries.
Negligence In Slip And Fall Cases
Negligence is defined as failing to exercise a duty of care in the same circumstances as a reasonable person.
There are four elements to proving negligence:
- Duty of Care — The defendant must owe the victim a duty of care. In premises liability claims, the property owner has a legal responsibility to remove any hazard that might cause injury to others.
- Breach of Duty — This happens when a person fails to fulfill their duty to keep an individual safe. For example, a breach of duty may occur when a landlord fails to correct a known hazard or a customer spills a drink on the floor without cleaning or informing an employee.
- Causation — The breach of duty must have directly resulted in the injury, damage, or loss of life.
- Damages — To be eligible for compensation, the victim must have incurred damages. Some examples are medical bills for their injuries, lost wages, and mental health issues.
To prove these elements, our lawyers would present evidence such as:
- Accident reports
- Medical records
- Video footage
- Surveillance footage
- Photos of your injuries
- Pictures or videos of the accident scene
- Eyewitness statements
- Expert witness opinions
- Employment records
Establishing negligence is the prerequisite for pursuing compensation. If any of the elements above are not met, your claim could become invalid. You can ask our attorneys in La Jolla to explain negligence in connection with your slip and fall accident.
Comparative Negligence Rules
In California, all liable parties are assigned a percentage of fault based on their contributions to the accident. Even the victim could share some liability, which can reduce the amount of compensation they may potentially receive.
Here’s an example of comparative negligence:
A man at the mall was running late for a meeting. He spoke on his cell phone, informing his client that he would be late. As he wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings, he stepped on a newly mopped area without a wet floor sign. The man slipped and fell, injuring his back.
In this scenario, who is at fault? The man who didn’t look at where he was going? Or the mall, whose employee had yet to place a warning sign?
The answer could be both, depending on the incident’s other specific details. Let’s say the court determined that the man had 30% responsibility for his injuries because he did not exercise the due care that could be expected of a reasonable person, which is not to rush through a crowded area and to pay attention to where he’s going.
If his total damages amounted to $100,000, he would only receive $70,000 as the final award. His claim is reduced by $30,000 (or 30% of $100,000).
You can schedule a free initial consultation with our lawyers in La Jolla to learn more about comparative negligence and how it might apply to your slip and fall case.
What Is The Statute Of Limitations?
The statute of limitations states that victims have a two-year deadline for filing a personal injury case. Missing this time frame could disqualify your case and prevent you from seeking compensation. However, there are some exceptions:
- The victim is a minor. Their two-year deadline is paused until they turn 18.
- The injury was discovered late. In this scenario, you’ll have two years from the date of your medical diagnosis to file a claim. This is called the Delayed Discovery Rule.
- You sustained your injury on government property. Instead of two years, you will only have six months to file for compensation.
At first glance, two years may seem long. But in reality, it is not, especially when you are badly injured. It might be difficult for you to gather evidence and file your case on time.
Our La Jolla slip and fall accident lawyers can evaluate your case and determine what time limit applies to your situation.
What To Do After A Slip And Fall Accident
Despite being completely preventable, slip and fall accidents can still happen anywhere and to anyone. If they happen to you, consider taking these steps after a slip-and-fall incident:
- If you can move, check for injuries. Otherwise, don’t force yourself to do it.
- Call 911 for police and medical assistance.
- Report the incident to the property owner or the person in charge. You can ask an employee or passerby for help.
- Wait for paramedics to evaluate your condition and administer first aid.
- If you are able, take pictures or videos of the location and the spot where the accident occurred.
- Get the details of the property owner and other people involved: name, address, phone number, and insurance details.
- See a doctor for a thorough medical checkup.
- Consult a lawyer handling slip and fall accidents in La Jolla. We can help you explore your legal options and discuss how to proceed if you have a viable claim.
A young roofing contractor fell through a defective skylight at a commercial building. This case dealt with very technical legal issues, particularly, the defendants were alleging a defense under the Privette doctrine, which is designed to protect them from this exact type of fall. Despite the heavy legal defenses available, Benny and his team were able to prevail and secure this settlement for a deserving client.– BENNY KHORSANDI
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Slip And Fall Lawyer?
The amount a lawyer charges will depend on how challenging it will be to pursue compensation on your behalf. For instance, they may ask you to pay more if they need to take your case to court. Our slip-and-fall injury attorneys in La Jolla understand the financial burden an injury can cause. That’s why we work on a contingency fee basis.
This means clients won’t owe us attorneys’ fees upfront. The only time they will is if you’re awarded compensation. If you aren’t, you may only have to cover other case-related costs. Our lawyers can discuss these and any questions you may have regarding your case during your initial consultation.
How Much Is My Slip And Fall Claim Worth?
There is no set answer to this question, as every case is unique. Instead, the amount that may be available to you will depend on multiple factors. These usually include, but are not limited to, the severity of your injuries. Our La Jolla slip-and-fall lawyers can assess your case and come up with an estimate of its potential value.
Can I Sue Someone Even If I Feel Okay After My Slip And Fall Accident?
It depends. For your case to be legally valid, you must prove you suffered damages. You can file a lawsuit even for minor injuries. If you don’t have any injuries or damages to your property, then you might not be able to sue the other party.
However, many injuries don’t show initial symptoms. Traumatic brain injuries, for instance, are not always apparent until they worsen.
You should seek a healthcare professional immediately after a slip and fall accident, even if you feel fine. They can determine the full extent of your injuries, allowing you to pursue compensation that more closely aligns with your losses.
Our La Jolla slip and fall accident lawyers offer a free initial consultation to determine if you have a viable claim.
Slip And Fall Statistics
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), there were 674,100 cases of slip, fall, and trip accidents across all industry sectors in the entire United States.
The majority of fatal slip and fall accidents in California are workplace accidents. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 79 slip-and-fall workplace fatalities in 2022.
Consult With Our Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers In La Jolla
A slip and fall accident shouldn’t be taken lightly. The statistics not only show how common it is but also how dangerous the resulting injuries can potentially be for victims. Consult a doctor immediately if you’re injured in such an accident. Then, consider reaching out to a slip and fall lawyer so you can decide what to do next. If you’re injured due to negligence, we may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries and losses.
Call us at (888) 488-1391, and let our La Jolla slip and fall lawyers study how they may help you hold the at-fault party accountable. If you have a case, we will do all the legwork so you can focus on your recovery.
Our legal team can also assist slip and fall victims in the nearby areas of La Jolla, such as San Diego, Solana Beach, Coronado, Encinitas, National City, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway, Spring Valley, Chula Vista, Santee, El Cajon, La Presa, Bonita, Sorrento Valley, Miramar, Clairemont, Mission Valley, Grossmont, and Bostonia, as well as throughout California.
