Bakersfield Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer

Bakersfield has plenty of stores and businesses that open their doors every morning hoping to welcome in a mad rush of customers. The crowds are great for business, but owners and operators have to be concerned with more than just ringing up sales. They are required by law to see to the safety of each and every visitor they welcome in. A missed chance to clean up a spill on the floor or to mop up water in the bathroom can leave customers at risk of taking a dangerous slip-and-fall. These accidents happen every day and people suffer serious injuries including broken bones and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). If you or a loved one are the victims of negligence at a business like a department store, supermarket, or restaurant and suffer a serious injury please contact Maison Law serving Bakersfield. As a victim, you’ll be facing a mountain of medical bills all while missing more and more time at work. You need a personal injury lawyer that won’t let up until a local business or national corporation agrees to accept all liability in your accident. That means you get the best care available at no charge to you.

Bakersfield Slip-And-Fall Accident Hazards

Bakersfield residents have plenty of choices when it comes to picking up groceries, grabbing a burrito, or looking for a new pair of shoes. Dozens of restaurants, mini-marts, and stores big and small are lined up along Ming Avenue and the Stockdale Highway. Each property owner or proprietor owes any visitor a duty of care. This legal responsibility means they must take ensure that you have a safe and clear path anytime you walk through those automatic doors. Once you trip over a box left on the floor, they immediately bear “premises liability” and should be accountable for every expense of recovery. These dangers are easy to monitor, but store managers and employees can be negligent in their duties and end up getting someone seriously hurt. These are just a few of the hazards that can hurt you and leave property owners liable:

• Aisle Dangers – Spills from 32 Oz drinks or juice boxes should be mopped up in a reasonable amount of time. A block of wood could be sitting on the cement floor at a home supply store and be enough to send you into a trip-and-fall resulting in a blow to the head. Candy and other foods can land on the tile and cause your feet to slide out from under you. Aisle displays can also serve as a trip hazard.
• Bathroom Dangers – Bathroom floors seem slippery even when completely dry. A stop at the bathroom at a fast food joint could leave you clutching your lower back after smacking the tile. Soapy residue makes a fall that much more likely.
• Dairy Case and Frozen Food Dangers – Refrigerated cases and frozen aisles can have machinery that leaks fluid or simply discharges water onto those shiny floors. A leaky milk jug can spill out under a case where you can’t see it, but your feet can find it. A broken egg will quickly send you sideways.
• Weather Hazards – Rainwater tracked through the front door should never be allowed to pool. Wet Floor Signs should be up. Rugs down to aid in traction can roll up and create a tripping hazard.
• Parking Lot Hazards –A pothole may go unfilled for months until you come along and trip to land on your knee. Gas stations can end up with oil build-up on the pavement by the fuel pumps. Take a fall around a pump or a cement pylon and the outcomes are rarely gentle. Head injuries and even a fall that leaves you flat on your face to endure nose and mouth damage aren’t unheard of.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do I Do If I Fall at a Business?

Collect Evidence with your phone. Call 911 for an ambulance if your injuries need medical attention, otherwise, start gathering photos. Take photos of the obstacle that sent you to the ground. It’s likely the puddle or broken merchandise will be long gone when you return. You’ll also want to allow the business manager to fill out an accident report. This is important documentation for your case. Talk to witnesses about what they saw and find out how to reach them later. After you are able to return home, call your doctor’s office and get an appointment to have your physician prepare a medical chart of your injuries.

What if I was partially to blame for my fall at a business?

The store’s insurance agents or lawyers may try to point the finger at you and blame you for your own fall. This is usually a very flimsy argument designed to scare you into accepting a lowball offer. Your personal injury attorney will be ready to dispute these claims. However, if you are forced to accept some blame for a slip-and-fall it doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck with all of the medical bills. Under California Law, you and the property owner can share blame after you take a tumble. You might have to accept a small percentage of blame because perhaps they think you were staring at a cellphone when you fell. The store owner could be on the hook for a bigger percentage of the hospital bills because they didn’t have signs out warning of a hazard. You would still earn compensation to help in your recovery, but your percentage of blame would be deducted from your award.

What kinds of things can I earn Slip-And-Fall Compensation for?

California allows victims up to two years from the date of their accident to file a claim for damages. This claim would ask for every cost of care you’ve accumulated and those bills you could rack up in the future. You’ll also hope to get current lost wages reimbursed and any potential lost time at work in the future. The costs of travel back-and-forth to see doctors and specialists. This could include out-of-state visits. The difficult mental strain you and your family have been put through can also earn compensatory support under the category of “pain and suffering.” The compensation could also take the form of money to cover visits to counselors and psychologists.

Contact a Bakersfield Slip-And-Fall Lawyer

A local business or a national chain will likely have insurance agents and corporate lawyers reaching out to you, but it won’t be to check on your wellbeing. These representatives like to secure recorded statements from victims to see if they’ll say anything that hurts their case against their client. Don’t answer these purposely confusing questions. Let an experienced Bakersfield Slip-And-Fall Attorney handle all communication with opposing lawyers and insurance agents to make sure you don’t forfeit your chance to get what’s fair for what you’ve been put through. If you’ve taken a serious fall at a place of business or a public building contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free and confidential case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian works with victims to make sure they are never held accountable for the mistake of a business or corporation. You may feel helpless against a retail giant or a supermarket chain, but allow a Bakersfield Lawyer to turn the tables and make those responsible for your injury do the worrying.