Potholes in Madera can take down the most careful walker or runner. Thankfully, when pedestrians get injured in a trip-and-fall, they don’t have to face the cost of recovery alone.
A Madera premises liability accident lawyer represents victims and can often win full compensation from negligent city street maintenance departments and business owners. Our skilled lawyers offer a free, no-obligation case consultation to all victims. If you do need our help to earn more, we also make sure there are no upfront fees. If you hire us, we don’t get paid unless we win your case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you win.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Taken Down by a Pothole While Walking in Madera?
Fall injury victims with serious injuries usually benefit the most from having the protection of a lawyer. More serious injuries mean higher hospital bills, and that sends insurance companies looking for ways to avoid the blame.
A Maison Law attorney fully investigates your accident and has evidence ready when business owners and city officials try to blame your trip-and-fall on clumsiness. A lawyer also safeguards your diagnosis when insurers dispute how badly you are hurt. A skilled lawyer can often win you much more in support than you could by handling your case yourself.
Who Is Liable for a Pothole Trip-and-Fall Accident in Madera?
Potholes can develop in nearly any walkway or road surface around Madera. Pedestrians may be walking in a crosswalk when a deep pothole takes them down and leaves them in the path of traffic. These potholes on streets and the injuries they cause can be the responsibility of the City of Madera.
Madera shoppers may be in a Walmart Parking lot when they step in a hole and trip forward to land on a knee. Any parking lot in front of the business or residential property would usually be the owner’s responsibility. A pothole that was left to sit without repair for too long and caused someone to get hurt would leave the store owner and landlords responsible.
These are a few of the parties that may be liable for the recovery costs that follow a fall on a pothole:
- Business Owners
- Homeowners
- Landlords or property management companies
- The City of Madera
- Madera County
Local governments can be liable for potholes and the injuries they cause in public places. These locations may include:
- Parks
- Public Parking Lots and Parking Decks
- Schools
- Around Government Buildings
- Fairgrounds and Around the Madera Speedway
Under California premises liability laws, private owners and government agencies are liable for accidents caused by concrete and road surface damage. However, store owners will have lawyers to help them escape blame. Retail chains will have corporate lawyers. The City of Madera will rely on government lawyers to help limit the support you receive after suffering a major injury.
A skilled premises liability accident attorney can help you force a business or a government entity to accept full blame for what happened to you.
How Long Can I Wait to File a Pothole Accident Injury Claim?
The time you have to file a claim will depend on whether a property owner was responsible for your fall or if a government agency was liable.
A normal trip-and-fall accident claim filed against a private property owner or store owner would carry a statute of limitations of two years from the date of the injury. It seems like plenty of time, but victims shouldn’t wait years to explore filing a case. Waiting can give evidence time to disappear or be covered up. Witnesses might also become harder to track down. It’s best to contact a lawyer as soon after your injury as possible.
Added Difficulty When Suing the City of Madera. Cases against a city or county public works department over a pothole on a street can be much more complicated. Cities have special protections against litigation. It starts with a much shorter statute of limitations. A case directed at the city must often be filed within 6 months of the accident to be eligible for compensation.
What’s more, victims are forced to seek permission to file an injury claim. The city would look over the evidence and could block an attempt to file a claim and get away with offering support to victims. This is why it’s so important for victims to back their cases with evidence, especially when going up against a local or state government. An experienced attorney will know what evidence is needed and how to present it to have the biggest impact on the claims process. Your lawyer also helps you file all the complicated paperwork on time.
What Should I Do After a Fall Caused by a Pothole?
Call 911 if you are hurt. Then, if the scene is safe and you feel up to it, it’s a good time to collect the valuable evidence on the scene. Get photos of the pothole from several angles and show how deep it is. This is an important step, because the pothole may be filled in before you or your lawyer can return to the location. Make sure your photos show your injuries if they are visible, and show damage to your clothing. Get witness contact information. Note the address of the business or house bordering the accident scene. Make sure you know how to find the spot again if it’s filled in later. Contact a lawyer for a free case consultation before talking to any insurers for lawyers for the city.
Contact a Madera Premises Liability Accident Lawyer Today…
To get started, Maison Law offers a free case consultation to all trip-and-fall accident victims. It’s a confidential meeting, and there’s never any obligation.
If you need our help, your lawyer will immediately begin investigating your case. Maison Law files your claim on your behalf so you can focus on recovery, allowing you to get back on your feet as soon as possible.
No Stress About Paying a Lawyer: It’s important to remember that you don’t have to have any money to afford legal protection. Maison Law doesn’t get paid unless you get paid. That means we only get paid if we win your case. Then, our fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurance company must write for you.
