Premises liability lawsuits are made possible when a property owner or business owner allows a tenant, customer, client, or any visitor to suffer injury. These injuries may be caused by hazards the owner and the owner’s employees create. Someone might also be hurt by an obstacle left behind by another customer or resident.
Under California’s premises liability laws, the owners and operators of public places like supermarkets and apartment buildings are still liable. They must quickly fix or remove these hazards. When someone is allowed to get hurt, a property owner or even a major corporation could be held responsible.
Premises liability cases are critical because they allow injured victims a way to seek help as hospital bills pile up and they lose time at work. Maison Law’s Premises Liability Lawyers initiated a study to look at the many ways California residents can be hurt as they go about their lives and who can be held accountable.
Premises Liability for the Places We Visit in California
Falls are one of the most common accidents that lead to injuries and premises liability. A grocery store owner may fail to remove a spill after a customer drops a soda bottle on the tile. A landlord could delay fixing a set of stairs that is crumbling. If a shopper or a resident falls and gets hurt, a property management company or a grocery chain could be financially liable for the suffering of victims.
Falls are a major cause of injury and death each year in the U.S. and are a big reason personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits are filed. Older Americans are most at risk of these falls. The CDC finds that over 800,000 fall victims are hospitalized each year. Head injury and hip fractures are the most common reasons.
The CDC reports that almost 1.5 million older adults were injured in falls in California in 2020.
The National Safety Council (NSC) listed the top preventable injuries that occurred in the U.S. in 2021. Falls were at the top of the list.
Falls were the cause of over 7 million preventable injuries in the U.S. in 2021. Sadly, they were also responsible for over 44,000 deaths throughout that year. Those deadly falls can include tumbles down a stairwell with faulty handrailing or a fall from a great height when a barrier should have been in place. Property owners and city governments who ignore their duties to keep visitors safe can be held liable under a wrongful death lawsuit.
Drownings also made this tragic list. Drowning accidents can also leave California pool owners and operators liable under premises liability laws.
Premises Liability and Drownings
As highlighted above, drownings are a tragic and all too frequent type of premises liability accident in California involves drownings and near drownings. A pool owner might be liable for a tragic drowning for not providing lifeguards. A city parks and rec department could end up having to provide support to families after a child dies in a public pool.
The Water Safety Council of Fresno examined the rates of drownings in the major regions that make up our state. From Northern California to Southern California, the incidents of people losing their lives in water were high.
When adjusting for population, Northern California and the Sierra Mountains region actually had a higher drowning incident rate than any other area in the state. The mountains saw a drowning rate of 2.10 victims per 100,000 people. It’s a case of fewer people but more drowning dangers.
The County of Los Angeles Public Health reported L.A. County alone saw 85 drowning deaths in 2020. 54 of the victims were male and 31 were female. 30 of the drowning incidents occurred in pools and 31 in natural water.
Even in the case of a river, lake, or ocean drowning, there may be a property owner or a city or county government department that failed in their duty to keep swimmers as safe as possible. These cases of negligence allow families to seek justice from those at-fault parties that could have done more to prevent a tragedy.
You can read more about what to do if a negligent property owner is responsible for a loved one’s drowning here.
Securing Support for Victims and Families after a California Premises Liability Accident
Property owners and business owners should all be focused on the safety of their guests and visitors. A crumbling sidewalk, a puddle left on the floor, or exposed wiring, can all cause life-threatening harm and owners can be held responsible for helping victims and their families recover.
Unfortunately, these at-fault parties and their insurance adjusters and lawyers will try to deny their liability. They can act to leave victims with no support at all as they try to heal from major injuries. Maison Law helps you examine your options in a free, no-obligation case review. Contact us to find out what your injury is worth and how to hold a guilty property owner or even city government fully accountable.
