Los Angeles Sidewalk Injury Lawyer
Pedestrians in Los Angeles already deal with some of the most frightening traffic in the world on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they are also at risk of tripping and falling on Los Angeles sidewalks as they navigate by foot.
Los Angeles has a sidewalk network of somewhere around an astounding 9,000 miles. Sadly, cracked pavement and tree root damage have left parts of that network almost impassable in places.
Victims who trip on sidewalks in Los Angeles can suffer broken bones, brain trauma, and other scary injuries. Fortunately, with the right legal action, injured pedestrians can hold the city of Los Angeles responsible for their injuries
Maison Law offers free consultations to pedestrians who are injured on Los Angeles sidewalks. Contact us today to find out more.
Los Angeles Sidewalk Injury Claim Process
What to Do After a Los Angeles Sidewalk Trip-And-Fall Injury
Taking a tumble on a sidewalk will, at the very least, leave you out-of-sorts. You could also be in serious pain after suffering a major injury. You could be unable to move and find yourself disorientated.
However, if you are able to still get around in the moments after an accident, it’s an excellent time to gather the evidence you’ll need in a personal injury case.
Try to collect these important details after a fall:
- Call 911 if you are hurt. Be warned that some injuries don’t become noticeable until hours or days after an accident. Have paramedics check out injuries even if they seem minor. Go to the hospital if it’s necessary.
- Take photos. Take pictures of the obstacle that sent you to the ground. If any caution tape is around the sidewalk take photos of it or show the absence of warnings signs and tape. Snap a photo of any visible injuries you have.
- Note if any nearby businesses or homes might have had security cameras rolling when you fell.
- Talk to any witnesses and find out how your lawyer can contact them.
- Keep all damaged clothing, the shoes you were wearing, and damaged personal items. Don’t throw out evidence.
- Schedule an appointment with your own doctor in the days that follow. Do everything your physician recommends and keep all medical documents.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer. With Maison Law, we offer all victims and their family members a free consultation that comes with no obligation. The call is free and there is no reason not to reach out to us. We can advise you of all of the benefits available to you and detail the best way for you to hold the city of Los Angeles or a property owner accountable.
What to Claim For Sidewalk Injury Damages
Victims may earn financial support from several parties while they heal as long as they have a strong case and don’t allow insurance companies to rob them out of the compensation they need.
If your attorney secures a financial award for you through an insurance settlement or courtroom judgment, you can expect to receive support for these factors and more:
- Hospital and rehabilitation expenses.
- Earnings you’ve lost while missing work.
- The costs experienced with a permanent physical disability such as a loss of mobility, brain damage, chronic pain, and other lifelong injuries.
- Emotional Trauma. Victims may experience a loss of enjoyment of life when they can’t do the things they love to do. Anxiety and depression are often associated with a long and difficult recovery. Family relationships can also be affected by a serious injury.
- Damage or destruction of property.
- Travel costs. You should be reimbursed for the expense of making your many doctor’s appointments. You may have to travel out of state to see specialists and those travel expenses are covered.
Can I Sue the City of Los Angeles if I Trip On the Sidewalk?
A report released by local government officials confirmed the city has received more than 1,700 claims and 1,020 lawsuits for sidewalk injuries over the past five years. Those suits have led to the city paying out more than $35 million in settlements. That figure includes the $12 million in settlements over the 2020 fiscal year alone.
In an agreement reached with disability rights activists, Los Angeles promised to spend over a billion dollars fixing sidewalks over the next 30 years. Critics say this plan doesn’t act fast enough and won’t keep up with sidewalk damage over that time.
The Public Works Department’s Bureau of Engineering (BOE) has begun fixing stretches of sidewalk and the city has started a “fix and release” program. This program allows the city to repair a sidewalk and then shift liability for its future repair to nearby property owners. However, under state law, the city can still be held liable for accidents.
It’s a confusing and frustrating problem, but for victims, there may be multiple parties that can be held accountable for an injury suffered while walking along a Los Angeles roadway.
How to Report a Sidewalk Problem in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles allows the general public to report a sidewalk in need of repair. In fact, someone may have already reported the spot where you’ve suffered a fall and injury.
A service request must be made through the MyLA311 website. It would be filed by clicking the “all service requests” link and checking the circle by “street problems and repair” and then selecting the “sidewalk repair” option.
The city site warns that anyone reporting an issue shouldn’t expect immediate attention… “Please note that due to the large number of sidewalk repair requests the City is receiving, there could be a significant wait before work is completed.”
What Our Clients Say
Proving Trip-And-Fall Accident Liability in Los Angeles
As in all slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall personal injury cases, proving knowledge of a problem is the first step in holding a property owner or an entire city responsible. A skilled premise liability lawyer will determine if a property owner is responsible for a stretch of sidewalk, if the city is responsible, or if they both bear some blame.
When a home or business owner has a sidewalk issue reported to them, or a previous accident has occurred, it’s often their duty to repair that hazard.
Once they are informed of the problem or observe it themselves, they have a reasonable amount of time to get it fixed. When they neglect this duty and someone gets hurt, they can be held liable for every hospital bill and lost paycheck a victim incurs. This responsibility falls under “premises liability.”
The same legal standard applies to the City of Los Angeles. When the city has had reports about a dangerous stretch of sidewalk or has responded to previous accidents at the site, they can be forced to accept blame when someone falls and takes an injury.
A local attorney with a background in Los Angeles ordinances and State Law will determine just how many people have reported broken concrete, and how many previous accidents are on the record. This investigative work might uncover powerful evidence in favor of a victim trying to secure compensation.
Los Angeles Trip and Fall Lawyer
If you or a loved one are the victims of a hazardous stretch of sidewalk in Los Angeles, don’t accept that you’ll just have to cover your own expensive recovery. Allow Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, to investigate what happened and present a powerful case that clearly demonstrates who should be held accountable.
It’s important not to delay when considering filing a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles. Matters involving city government may involve strict deadlines placed on victims to file a claim. Contact Maison Law of Los Angeles for a free and confidential case evaluation to find out how much you should be expecting after a dangerous fall on a city sidewalk.
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