Maison Law is here to represent victims of a Lathrop trip and fall injury. If you or a family member has recently sustained injuries because of a safety hazard that caused you to trip and fall, reach out to our staff for a free consultation and complete case evaluation by a seasoned Maison Law Lathrop trip and fall lawyer.
Do I Need a Trip and Fall Lawyer
Abstractly, a trip and fall incident sounds like an event that is very benign and would result in more of a bruised ego than significant physical harm. That could be because most people never want to think the worst or fear that they are projecting bad thoughts. But the reality is that the location of a trip and fall, the overall health of the victim, and the surroundings will have a great deal to do with the severity of the injuries and the victim’s choice to pursue legal action. However, there are no situations where the legal system requires a Lathrop trip and fall victim to hire a trip and fall lawyer to represent them when moving forward with a lawsuit.
The decision to secure legal representation is purely the victim’s preference. In cases with only minor injuries and little in the way of damages, the choice might be to work with the insurance company handling the case to resolve the matter without the time and cost of going to court. Many trip and fall victims are comfortable handling the negotiation process with an insurance company representative to complete this process. But in cases that become more challenging and the insurance company is only making a low-ball offer, feel free to reach out to Maison Law for help resolving the matter.
For trip and fall victims who sustained serious injuries and require extensive medical care and mounting expenses, hiring a Lathrop trip and fall lawyer from Maison Law is a great way to reduce your stress and know that a professional is protecting your best interests from a legal and financial perspective. At the same time, you focus on healing and rehabilitation of your injuries. Your body will require added rest as it heals, and the increased stress of resolving a trip and fall case can actually slow your healing and recovery process. In addition, experts have found that cases handled by a trip and fall lawyer often result in a larger settlement or compensation award for the victim as compared to similar cases that the victim litigates on their own.
Request a Free Consultation Today
Unless you have experienced a trip and fall lawsuit in the past or have studied the law, you are sure to have many questions about the complexities of a trip and fall injury case and how to move forward to secure compensation for the damages you have incurred. The simple, cost-effective, and reliable solution to these concerns is a free consultation with a Maison Law trip and fall lawyer for a complete case evaluation. Soon you will know the legal merit of the case, what you could recover in damages for the incident, and how the Maison Law team can assist you in getting that compensation.
The Value of a Lathrop Trip and Fall Lawsuit
Trip and fall accidents can be a bit unnerving because they can happen just about any place you find yourself walking throughout the day. Most people put thoughts of a tumble and injuries out of their mind or are so consumed by other thoughts that they worry very little about the outcome of a trip and fall until it happens to them. At that point, you are very interested in the process used to determine the value of your trip and fall lawsuit and how to secure those funds.
Working with your Maison Law trip and fall lawyer, you will compile your economic damages, or the items that have a clear dollar value already assigned to them. They typically include:
- Your current medical expenses to date for treatment, doctors and hospital services, therapy or rehabilitation, medically essential durable products, and even medications
- Any estimated costs for future medical care or treatment that is vital to your healing, recovery, or continued care of your trip and fall injuries
- The cost of transportation to medical appointments related to the trip and fall injuries
- Any cost associated with mental health care such as counseling or therapy to address the trauma of the accident and your injuries
- Your lost income if the harm suffered due to the trip and fall has prevented you from working at your regular job until you are fully healed
- Any decrease in earning potential for the future if your trip and fall injuries created a disability or limitation that will negatively impact your career path and earnings
The second aspect of your compensation related to your losses is called non-economic damages. These are losses that have a less tangible dollar value but have been lost to you as a result of the incident and your injuries, such as
- Your loss of enjoyment in routine activities like your hobbies, participation in sports, or taking part in family activities
- Your pain and suffering
- Loss of ability to contribute to the lives of your loved ones as you did before the injuries
- Loss of consortium and detriment to your marriage
- Emotional issues like anxiety, stress, PTSD, or sleep issues because of the accident
The Statute of Limitations for a Trip and Fall Lawsuit
The legal system imposes a time limit on all personal injury victims to prepare and file their lawsuit with the court. The standard allotment is two years from the date of the injury incident. This time limit is non-negotiable, and once it has expired, victims no longer have the right to pursue legal action related to the accident, injuries, and damages from that trip and fall.
It is worth noting that the time limit can be decreased to only six months from the date of the trip and fall incident if the liable party in the case is a government entity or agency. If you sustained harm because of a trip and fall as a result of a damaged city sidewalk in Lathrop, you have very little time to assess your options. Likewise, if the trip and fall occurred at the local Post Office, which is federally owned, you need to reach out to Maison Law swiftly to ensure you fully understand your options and the restrictive time limit for these cases involving a government entity.
Common Lathrop Trip and Fall Hazards
The seamless communication between various parts of the human body can be nothing short of amazing. Walking down East Louise Avenue near the La Reina Supermarket, you might catch your toe on the seam of the concrete sidewalk, but your body immediately corrects your gait and balance to avoid a trip and fall. You never even think about the process of shifting your weight and pace. But in other cases, you trip and fall only to wonder what caused the incident and if you might be to blame. This is just one complexity of a Lathrop trip and fall case that your Maison Law trip and fall lawyer in Lathrop can help you sort out if you suffer a trip and fall because of these common safety issues:
- Loose floor coverings like tile, carpet, or wood planks
- Litter or debris that falls from an overly full trashcan
- Clothing or other personal items dropped and left on the floor
- Hoses or electrical cords left in walkways
- Damaged or worn steps
- Missing or damaged safety handrails at steps
- Cracked or damaged walkways, driveways or parking lot surfaces
- Landscape debris or litter left at entryways or on sidewalks
- Damaged or folded floor mats at building entries
- Poorly marked or unmarked transitions from one walking surface or elevation to another
- Poorly lit areas that are difficult to navigate on foot safely
What makes these issues even more difficult to understand and avoid is that they can be present nearly anywhere. You cannot spend your entire day walking around Lathrop staring at the ground to try to avoid a trip and fall hazard. So, you rely on property owners’ duty of care obligation to provide a safe and hazard-free setting for guests.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trip and Fall Incidents
What does duty of care mean?
Duty of care is a legal term and part of premises liability law that defines the legal obligation of property owners and their agents concerning safety and care of the space. The basic requirement for anyone responsible for the care of a property is that they provide the level of attention and maintenance that would be given by the average prudent person when a safety issue is present.
What happens when a responsible party does not meet their duty of care?
When a property owner or their agent fails to meet the required level of care and maintenance for a space, they can be deemed negligent in their duty of care. For example, they may fail to repair damaged steps or place a warning sign until the steps can be repaired. If you suffer a trip and fall because of the damaged step, you can contact Maison Law to evaluate your trip and fall claim and demonstrate the negligence in court to secure compensation for your damages.
Can I share the blame in a Lathrop trip and fall case?
Yes, in California, the court can determine that more than one party is to blame for an incident. This is called comparative liability. In these cases, the court assigns each liable party a share of the total blame for the incident. As the trip and fall victim, you can sue for the portion of your damages that is equal to all other liable parties’ share of the responsibility for the incident. If you are 25% to blame, you can sue for 75% of your damages.
Contact a Lathrop Trip and Fall Lawyer
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a trip and fall incident in Lathrop, contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Our team will help you understand who could be held accountable for your losses and expenses and determine if you wish to move forward to secure that compensation.
If you decide to hire Maison Law to represent you in this matter, we will take the case, and you are not required to pay any legal fees or expenses upfront. Our firm works on contingency to eliminate the added stress of legal fees for our clients. We only get paid after the matter is resolved and you have received the settlement or compensation, including money to cover all your legal expenses for the Lathrop trip and fall litigation.
