There is a duty incumbent on both the owners of commercial and residential properties to maintain their real estate in a reasonably safe condition for other people who might visit those properties. Aside from auto accidents, slip-and-falls and trip-and-falls are the most common personal injury accidents in the United States. If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall or a trip-and-fall in or around Glendale, you may be able to have the owner or occupier of the premises where you were injured pay for your recovery and damages.
The Owner or Occupier’s Duty
Owners and occupiers of property must keep that property in a reasonably safe condition so that others who legally visit that property aren’t injured. Here are some common causes of slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall injuries that we’ve seen over the years:
- Spilled liquids on store floors that were not attended to.
- Recently mopped or waxed floors.
- Merchandise displays sticking out into shopping aisles.
- Uneven walking surfaces, loose tiles or holes in parking lots, sidewalks, or aisles.
- Weather-related slip and trip hazards.
Proving Liability in a Slip-and-Fall or Trip-and-Fall Case
When a person is injured while visiting a commercial property or a private home, proving liability is often a complicated job. The insurer or defense attorneys of the owner or operator of the property will ordinarily deny liability or try to shift blame over onto the victim. These types of cases turn on the evidence at the scene of the slip or trip at the time that it happened. A detail-oriented and skilled attorney who leaves no stone unturned in the process of an investigation will be needed for purposes of establishing liability.
Common Slip-and-Fall and Trip-and-Fall Injuries
When people suffer a slip-and-fall, they usually fall backward. In a trip-and-fall, they usually fall forward. Here are some of the common injuries that victims suffer:
- Skull fractures, facial fractures and
- Serious jaw and dental injuries.
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
- Injuries to vertebrae and spinal discs.
- Hip and leg fractures.
- Rib fractures.
- Tearing of knee cartilage.
- Shoulder damage.
Don’t Let Them Try to Push Liability Off to You
Report your accident immediately, including the condition that caused you to slip or trip and fall. Then, get to an emergency room or urgent care center immediately to be examined and have your injuries documented. Save your clothing and footwear. Those might be needed as evidence. After that, contact us at Maison Law, and we can arrange for a free and confidential consultation and case review.
Other than an initial report of the accident, don’t give the insurer of the place where you fell any type of a recorded statement about your accident and injuries. Whatever you say can be used against you in the future, and California law doesn’t require you to give such a statement.
Talk to us instead. You can tell us about what caused you to fall and how your injuries have affected you. We will let you know if we believe it is in your best interest (or not) to move forward with additional legal support. If we’re retained to represent you in your Glendale slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall, our goal will be to maximize any settlement or award that we might obtain on your behalf.
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