Maison Law protects slip-and-fall victims in Orange County. If you or a loved one have been the victim of a slip-and-fall accident, our personal injury attorneys can get you the compensation you need. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Should I Contact a Lawyer After a Slip-and-Fall in Orange County?
If you’ve sustained injuries due to careless actions of a person or business in Orange County, it is advisable to seek legal counsel with a reputable attorney. Even if your injuries seem minor, they can manifest into a much worse problem down the road. After a slip-and-fall accident, insurance companies will try to settle quick and for the lowest amount possible. This is a tact taken by insurance adjusters to get accident victims to sign away their right to compensation before fully understanding the extent of their injuries.
Establishing an attorney-client relationship with a reputable attorney and filing a lawsuit against the “at-fault” party lets the insurance company know you are aware of your rights and you’re prepared to invoke them. Your lawsuit will be filed under premise liability. California’s Civil Code 1714(a) states that:
“Everyone is responsible, not only for the result of his or her willful acts but also for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary car, brought the injury upon himself or herself.”
Once you’re lawsuit is filed, you will have to prove a person or business:
- Created a dangerous condition to exist on its property, or allowed one to manifest
- Knew about a dangerous condition but did nothing to fix or remove it
- Reasonably should have known the hazardous condition existed and did nothing about it
Next, you will have to show that:
- Your injuries were due to the dangerous condition
- You suffered harm that can be verified by a doctor or hospital
How Can an Orange County Slip-And-Fall Lawyer Help Me?
If you suffered a slip-and-fall accident due to a person or business’s carelessness, a slip-and-fall-attorney can:
- Increase your initial settlement by letting the insurance adjuster know you intend to invoke your rights
- Make you aware of the compensation you will need in order to treat your injuries and make a full recovery
- Help you understand what a fair settlement should be based on your case
- Build a case by gathering evidence such as:
- Proof of the damages you’ve suffered
- Evidence that a person, or business, was liable for your injuries
- Evidence the accident was in no way your fault, nor could you have done anything to prevent it
- File a claim in court if a settlement cannot be reached and present your case in front of a jury
Having an attorney who has handled numerous slip-and-fall cases like yours before can increase your odds of reaching a successful settlement. Contact the experienced attorneys at Maison Law today for a 100% free consultation and case evaluation.
Common Causes of Slip-and-Fall Accident in Orange County
Slip-and-fall accidents usually occur when a person, or business, has created a hazardous condition from a failure to provide a “duty of care” to others. The leading causes of injuries are:
- Uneven flooring
- Missing stair railings
- Rotten steps
- Loose carpeting
- Wet walkways or aisles
- Icy sidewalks
- Exposed wires
Victims of slip-and-fall accidents who contact an experienced slip-and-fall attorney are more likely to reach a successful settlement than those who did not. To recover financial compensation for the damages you’ve suffered due to the carelessness of another, contact the experienced slip-and-fall attorneys at Maison Law today for a free consultation.
What to do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident in an Orange County Business
Let’s say you’re shopping at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and you slip and fall on a slippery floor inside the Whole Foods, hitting the back of your head against the tile floor. What should you do?
First, seek medical attention. Nothing is more important than your health. After receiving treatment, it is recommended to:
- Report the injury to Whole Foods. Injuries at grocery stores are not uncommon and they require a prompt investigation. Don’t be surprised if they take your written statement, photograph your injuries, and review the video surveillance evidence to make sure your statement adds up.
- Take your own photos of the scene and get witness statements, as well as their information. Businesses will typically remove hazardous conditions very quickly, so it is important for you to capture the dangerous environment while it is still there. This will strengthen your case and make it difficult for Whole Foods to deny your claim.
- Follow up on your injuries with a doctor. Anything you’ve sustained from your slip-and-fall accident will become a part of your case and you will need a doctor to corroborate your injuries.
- Contact Maison Law to protect your rights to compensation. Most accident victims find themselves overwhelmed by the incident and fail to realize the enormous impact a serious injury can have on their lives. Our experienced attorneys can help you understand your options and get you the compensation you need to make a full recovery.
Here are things you should NOT do once you’ve been injured:
- Do not write or sign any statements. You are not required to sign anything. Being involved in an accident can put you into an altered state and you may not be thinking straight. So, it is advised to decline signing anything until you’ve spoken with an attorney.
- Do not speak to the insurance company. Your attorney will manage communication with the insurance of the at-fault party. Insurance adjusters are experts at tricking victims into taking the blame for their injuries or dissolving Walmart of any responsibility for the hazardous environment they created. If you must give a statement, keep it brief and never admit fault.
- Do not accept any early settlement offers. Take the time to decide if you would like to pursue a claim and discuss your options with an accident attorney. Keep in mind, that you should not rush to settle, especially if you’re unsure of how significant your injuries are.
What Kind of Settlement Can I Expect from a Slip-and-Fall Accident in Orange County?
When it comes to slip-and-fall accidents, no case is the same. The circumstances are always different with every accident, but the extent of your injuries will largely determine your settlement amount. These items can be calculated based on your economic damages and non-economic damages, which include:
- Present and future medical expenses
- Loss of income, as well as the reduction in your earning capacity you’ve suffered from your slip-and-fall accident
- Cost of living with your injury, such as making your home disability accessible, purchasing a wheelchair or crutches, hiring a nurse or housekeeper
- Damage done to your property during the accident
- Pain and suffering caused by your injuries
- Stress and anxiety due to the nature of your accident
- Your mental state after a life-changing accident
If you were found partially to blame for the accident, you are still entitled to compensation. California adheres to the Comparative Negligence Law, which states:
“Under the pure comparative negligence rule, the state allows the plaintiff to claim damages for the 1% they are not at fault even when they are 99% at fault.”
So, if you were partially at fault, but still got injured, you still reserve the right to compensation, it will just be reduced by the percentage at which you were at fault.
FAQs
Q: How does “duty of care” apply to a slip-and-fall accident?
A: Property owners must exercise a “duty of care” to take reasonable steps to maintain their property, discover potential hazards, and warn visitors of foreseeable hazards that exist.
Q: How many slip-and-fall cases end up going to trial?
A: Very few slip-and-fall cases go to trial. If there is an unwillingness to settle, then you will go to trial. However, many cases will end up settling out of court.
Q: What’s the deadline for filing a slip-and-fall claim in California?
A: 2 years from the date of your accident.
Q: Do I have to go to court to receive compensation?
A: No, you do not have to go to court to receive compensation. Most personal injury lawsuits settle out of court, in which case your attorney will collect your compensation from the insurance company and give it to you.
Contact an Orange County Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the carelessness of a person or a hazardous condition in Orange County, the attorneys at Maison Law can get you the compensation you need. No upfront money is required and we don’t get paid unless we win your case. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
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