Los Angeles Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers
Los Angeles Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers with A+ Rating from the BBB and over $500 Million Recovered.
A slip and fall accident can be a serious situation that changes your life forever. Some people might think of slip and fall accidents as minor incidents in which nothing is really damaged – except maybe your pride. But this is not always the case. A slip and fall accident can lead to serious brain damage or permanent nerve injuries.
These injuries might require expensive – and painful – medical treatment or rehabilitation. These costs are why it is so important for injury victims to consult with a Los Angeles slip and fall accident lawyer after an accident, no matter how serious it was.
Only an injury lawyer who is on your side can tell you what your claim is fairly worth. The insurance company is actively working against you. Their goal is to pay as little as possible on as few claims as possible, and they spend vast sums of money training their claims adjusters to do just that.
Insurance companies also have armies of lawyers that work to defend claim denials and lowball settlement offers. You don’t have to fight all this on your own. A Los Angeles slip and fall accident lawyer will ensure that your legal rights are protected and fight for fair compensation for your injuries and losses.
Our top-notch injury lawyers have handled many slip and fall accident cases. We fight hard and deal with insurance companies so that our clients can focus on recovering from their injuries. Learn more about slip and fall accidents – and what our lawyers do to ensure that your legal rights are protected.
December 2016: $22M+ verdict in a mild traumatic brain injury case. The entire details of the case can be found in the public record filings by the defendant entity that sued its defense.– Brian Beecher
Where Slip and Fall Accidents Happen
There are many places where a slip and fall accident can occur. Property owners and managers who fail to keep their premises in a safe condition can be liable for a slip and fall injury, so it is essential to understand who owned or operated the property where you were injured. Our experienced Los Angeles slip and fall accident lawyers at Arash Law headed by Arash Khorsandi, Esq. know how to find the defendants who have a legal obligation to compensate you for your injuries and prove that they are liable for causing the accident.
Here are some of the most common site of slip and fall accidents across California:
Retail Stores
Slips, trips, and falls in retail stores are more common than you might think. There are many ways that customers can be injured while shopping. In grocery stores, the produce section has many dropped fruits and vegetables. It is easy to slip on these squishy items. Grocery stores also have liquid products, like laundry detergents and beverages, that can create a fall hazard if they are spilled.
Even the infrastructure of the stores – such as refrigerated coolers and freezers – can leak and cause customers to slip. Retail stores have a special duty of care with respect to their customers. Store owners must actively inspect their premises and make them safe for those who enter the store because the public is being invited onto the property for the owner’s financial benefit. Under these circumstances, the law requires store owners to make their premises safe for the customers who have been invited there.
Water Recreation Sites
It’s no surprise that slip and fall accidents occur at water parks, marinas, lakes, rivers, and other water recreation sites. Some people assume that a slip and fall accident at one of these places must be the victim’s fault – after all, they knew there was water in the area. But this is not always the case.
In fact, slip and fall accidents are rarely that simple. Property owners can still be held liable for slip and fall accidents that occur in these types of water recreation areas. For example: what if a customer at a water park slipped on a faulty ladder leading up to a water slide? This accident might have nothing to do with water at all.
If the water park failed to check that the ladder was safe, it could buckle or fall and injure an unsuspecting customer. These types of accidents can cause serious injuries. Children and the elderly commonly visit these family-friendly locations. It is therefore important to hold park managers and owners responsible for meeting their legal obligation to provide a safe location for the paying public.
This rule also applies to publicly owned venues, such as a state park or municipal boat marina. It can be more challenging to hold a government entity accountable for injuries on public property. Whether you are able to sue the government or not, it is still essential to consult with an injury accident lawyer about your legal rights. The government, their insurance company, and their lawyers will not be able to give you fair legal advice about your own legal right to compensation.
Sporting Arenas and Music Venues
Like retail stores, music and sporting venues are operated for the financial benefit of their owners. Because of this fact, owners of these properties also have a legal duty to inspect the premises and make them safe for the customers who are paying them. These events tend to be chaotic. A basketball or football game involves a lot of players, coaches, and staff moving in a lot of different directions.
At the same time, guests are moving throughout the facilities. Food and drinks are being sold. Gift shops have a steady stream of customers. Custodial staff are working to keep the arena clean. All of this movement and commotion can lead to accidents. The same thing happens during a live concert: people are moving throughout the venue during the entire show, and there are many slipping hazards. The concert itself could cause injuries.
Many live concerts use fog machines, heavy lighting equipment, sound equipment with electricity, and many other pieces that can injure concertgoers. All of this equipment must be properly used and stored. Anyone who is injured at a music venue – whether by the concert equipment, spilled drinks, or mopped floors – might be entitled to compensation for their losses.
Parking Lots
Parking lots are a common site for slip and fall accidents. There is a lot of commotion here, as drivers are backing up with limited visibility while pedestrians are crossing into traffic without crosswalks. Parking garages are often poorly lit – making it even more challenging to see the hazards that cause slip and fall accidents.
There could be spilled oil, antifreeze, or radiator fluid on the garage floor. Barriers and curbs are often below a pedestrian’s sightline, making them difficult to see – especially in low lighting. Strobe lights and emergency lights are used in many garages, making it even more difficult to see. Surface lots outside might have better lighting, but they are still the site of many accidents. Drivers and pedestrians might not see one another. Curbs and parking barriers are still below the usual sightline.
And during inclement weather, these problems are exacerbated by rain, hail, snow, ice, and other slipping hazards. All of this means that parking lots and garages are a very common place for slip and fall accidents to occur.
Verdict on a premise liability case involving a defective gate.– Judd Ross Allen
Hospitals and Care Facilities
Hospitals and care facilities make their money by assisting patients who are physically vulnerable. Whether it is a temporary situation (like recovering from ankle surgery) or a permanent one (such as long-term care in an assisted living facility due to a serious brain injury), these facilities have a strict obligation to protect their patients. They must take reasonable steps to avoid preventable injuries.
This rule is why many hospitals provide patients with non-skid socks, guard rails on their beds, and an emergency call button. These facilities also specifically provide transportation to help patients avoid slip and fall injuries. For example, the hospital might insist that you be taken out in a wheelchair by an orderly, even if you feel safe to walk.
These necessary steps help protect patients from avoidable injuries. Hospitals and care facilities that do not protect their patients can be held liable for slip and fall injuries that occur. Our experienced Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers at our firm know how to prove that a medical facility was negligent in your care.
Private Residences
Homeowners can also be liable for slip and fall injuries that occur on their property. This legal rule is why many homeowners insurance policies contain ample liability coverage. Because private homeowners are not receiving a financial benefit from inviting guests onto their property, they have fewer obligations than retail store owners.
Private homeowners need only warn their guests of hidden dangers that they are aware of (but which are not immediately apparent to their guests), and they do not have to actively inspect their property to make it safe for guests. Dim stairwells, uneven flooring, poorly maintained stairs, and other hazards can cause guests to slip and fall in a private residence.
If the homeowner failed to warn the guest about these dangers, the guest could have a claim under a homeowners insurance policy. Slip and fall accidents in a private residence can lead to awkward social situations.
After all, you are usually visiting a friend or family member, and no one wants to consider a lawsuit against their loved ones. But it is crucial to understand your legal rights before you make any decisions. You have the right to be compensated for all your losses caused by another person’s negligence. Damages can include lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. You may also be entitled to compensation for future losses.
This compensation is important: if you have permanent injuries, you may have medical bills for the rest of your life. You could have a decreased earning capacity – or be unable to return to work at all. You also have a legal right to be compensated for the ongoing pain and suffering you must endure as a result of your injuries.
All of these claims can lead to a significant personal injury award. Before you make any decisions, be sure to consult with a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer about your legal rights. Many injury claims against private homeowners do not result in a lawsuit at all.
The vast majority of personal injury claims in the United States are settled out of court, so you could likely negotiate a settlement with the homeowner’s insurance company without filing a lawsuit at all. All of these considerations should be discussed with your own Los Angeles personal injury lawyer. It is only fair that you understand what your legal rights are after being injured at a private residence.
Why Older Adults Are At an Increased Risk of Slip and Fall Injuries
The Centers for Disease Control reports that millions of Americans over the age of 65 fall every year. As many as one in four of these older adults experiences a fall every year. Unfortunately, less than half of these patients report the fall to a doctor, which means that many of these injuries are left untreated and become worse.
It is vital to get medical advice after any type of fall. Only a qualified medical professional can assess your injuries and recommend the appropriate treatment. Falls can cause severe injuries in older adults: one out of every five falls experienced by an older adult involves serious injuries, such as broken bones or brain injuries.
There are many reasons why older adults experience more falls – and more serious injuries after a fall – than younger adults. Aging leads to decreases in vision and reflexes, which means that an older adult might not be able to identify a tripping hazard and avoid it in time. Difficulties with coordination and balance can also make walking more difficult for older adults, and this, too, can increase the risk of slip and fall accidents.
This fact is especially problematic when there are rugs, clutter, or uneven flooring in the house. Medications can also affect a person’s balance and coordination. Many older adults take tranquilizers, sedatives, antidepressants, and other medicines that can make it difficult to avoid slipping hazards. Some of these medications are for medical conditions that could make their injuries worse.
For example, many elderly patients – especially women – have osteoporosis. This condition makes it more difficult for broken bones to heal. Because of this, many older fall victims have more difficult, painful, expensive, and more extended recovery periods than the recovery period for a younger patient with the same injuries.
So what does all this mean in a slip and fall injury case? Because older adults are at a greater risk of slip and fall injuries, businesses that serve these customers must take special precautions in order to protect them from this known risk. For example, a nursing home is likely to serve mostly elderly residents. These residents will be at a greater risk for slip and fall injuries.
The care facility is being hired specifically to protect these residents and provide the care they cannot give themselves. Because of this, the facility has a higher obligation than other businesses to protect its customers from slip and fall injuries. The nursing home must actively work to keep its floors free from spills, debris, and other tripping hazards. They must ensure that residents have the assistance they need to get out of bed and move throughout the facility safely.
If residents do not have grab bars, emergency call buttons, or other safety equipment, this could lead to preventable slip and fall injuries. The nursing facility could be held liable for failing to provide any necessary safety devices. It could also be liable for its employees and staff’s negligence or for failing to train its employees on proper techniques for safely moving the residents. All of this means that a nursing facility – and other businesses that specifically cater to older adults – must take special precautions to protect their customers from the known risk of slip and fall injuries.
The Evidence Our Los Angeles Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers Use to Prove Your Case
There are many different types of evidence that can be used to prove the value of a personal injury claim. A personal injury claim is valued based on several different areas of compensation. Here are some of the most common types of evidence that are used to prove different types of losses:
Claims For Medical Bills and Rehabilitation
The value of your medical bills is usually simple to establish. Medical providers issue itemized statements detailing the cost of their care, and these are sent to the insurance company. Medical bills also include the costs of rehabilitative care, such as physical therapy or chiropractic services. In some cases, the insurance company might dispute the value of your case.
They might claim that you made your own injuries worse (and thus increased your medical bills) by failing to see a doctor right away after the accident or say that you received “too much” treatment. This dispute is common with chiropractic bills. In some circumstances, the insurance company might even require you to submit to an “independent” medical exam from a doctor of their choosing. Your injury lawyer can combat these claims with evidence from your own medical expert, or records documenting your injuries, such as videos and photos showing the extent of your injuries.
Lost Wage Claims
Most injuries involve some time off work. If your injuries were relatively minor, you might only miss a few hours of work immediately after your accident. These losses are easy to document with a letter from your employer stating exactly how many hours you missed and what your hourly rate is. (Salaries can be prorated based upon a forty-hour workweek.) But not all lost wage claims are this simple.
Sometimes, the injury victim loses a commission or bonus. If you can prove the value of the commission and the fact that it was lost as a direct result of your injuries, it is possible to be compensated for this lost wage as well. In the case of severe or permanent injuries, the victim might be unable to return to a former position.
If a person is only able to work part-time or have limited responsibilities, their wages are likely to be lower than they were before the accident, and this causes a permanent decrease in their future earning capacity. If an injury victim is unable to work at all, they could be entitled to compensation for all the wages they would have earned between the time of the accident and their expected age of retirement. Inability to work can result in significant compensation for lost wages.
As you might imagine, insurance companies scrutinize these claims carefully when they involve significant amounts of compensation. Our lawyers work with vocational experts to prove what your earning capacity is after the accident. We hire medical experts who can testify about how your injuries have affected your ability to work.
We also employ expert economists to project the value of any future lost wages. Lost wage claims can become very complicated when they involve claims for future decreases to your earning capacity. Our experienced Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers know how to prove these claims to get the compensation you deserve.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering is often the most significant component of a personal injury award. Unfortunately, it is also the most subjective, meaning it can be challenging to prove in court. Insurance companies often challenge pain and suffering awards for these two reasons.
Experienced injury lawyers know how to help juries understand the real impact of pain and suffering on a person. An insurance company calculator might not understand the pain of not being able to hold your children, but jurors do. These are the types of losses that your accident lawyer will prove in court to get you fair compensation for all your physical pain and emotional suffering.
Experienced, Aggressive Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers for Los Angeles Injury Victims
You could spend hours searching the internet for “slip and fall accident lawyers near me.” You don’t have to look far to find the best injury lawyers in Los Angeles. Our skilled accident attorneys at Arash Law led by Arash Khorsandi, Esq. have decades of experience.
We have collected over 500 Million dollars for clients across the state. Our skilled legal team serves clients in San Francisco, Riverside, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, Sherman Oaks, and throughout California. Wherever you live in California, we are near and ready to help protect your legal rights. Call (888) 488-1391 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
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