If you suffer an injury while in a bathroom at a business or on public property, you can demand help with your recovery.
You must ask for support for your medical bills and your lost income while your injury keeps you out of work.
At-fault owners and operators can have their own lawyers and insurance adjusters to help delay and reject your claim. It’s why you may need a lawyer’s assistance to protect your claim and help you earn more money.
Contact Maison Law to talk over your options with a real California attorney in a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a simple, no-risk way to find out about the benefits an insurer won’t be telling you about.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Taking a Fall in a Bathroom?
If your accident involves a serious injury, like a broken wrist or a brain injury, and an owner’s negligence is to blame, it’s a good idea to have a lawyer go over your case. Injury cases involve more money (including higher medical bills), and that means businesses and even government entities will fight harder to avoid taking the blame.
Our California premises liability accident lawyers fully investigate what happened to you. We strike back when insurers try to blame your accident on simple clumsiness. We back your case with evidence, so the fault can’t be shifted. We then enter aggressive negotiations on your behalf. Our lawyers are often able to win you much more than you could by taking on a business or a major chain by yourself.
Business Owners Must Provide Safe Bathrooms
Under California’s premises liability laws, business owners and property owners are supposed to provide safe journeys for any visitors, often in the form of customers, clients, and tenants.
California Civil Code 1714. states the responsibility of all business and property owners. It means that victims should be kept safe in parking lots, through grocery stores, restaurants, and absolutely in bathrooms.
Owners and managers must avoid creating hazards that might cause someone to come to harm. They must also monitor for the messes and damage guests can cause, putting others in danger. These obstacles must be repaired or cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time.
This responsibility also falls to government departments responsible for the upkeep of restrooms in public buildings, parks, and rest areas. If someone gets hurt in a bathroom personal injury accident that could have been prevented, the business can be fully liable.
These are just a few of the dangers that can put visitors at risk in a bathroom:
- Leaks and Puddles – A slippery floor hazard that can easily be fixed or cleaned up, but often sits around until someone gets hurt. A sink or a toilet may be leaking water that’s invisible until a victim has their feet taken from them in a slip-and-fall.
- Soap on Floors – Soap can turn the tile into a skating rink. A dangerous tumble is possible.
- Head injuries – Any fall puts the head in danger around porcelain sinks and toilets. A hard impact with the floor can cause a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which might result in severe concussions, memory loss, and even seizures.
- Debris on Floor– A fall can also be caused by a tripping hazard like trash on the floor, sending victims forward.
- Floor Damage – A broken tile or drain might catch someone’s shoe, bringing them to the ground.
- Loose Toilet Seats – A fall from a broken toilet seat could injure the tailbone (coccyx). According to MedlinePlus, a coccyx fracture can take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks to heal and cause intense pain when standing or sitting.
- Exposure to harmful substances – This may include coming in contact or breathing fumes from harsh cleaning products.
- Negligent Security – If you are the victim of an assault, the suspect will hopefully be caught and face a criminal trial. But separately, you can file a civil claim holding the owners and operators of that bathroom liable. Store owners are required to keep bathrooms secure, provide proper lighting, and keep stall latches in working order. They might be liable for resisting hiring security staff when the threats are known and real.
If you take a fall and get hurt, you should call 911 for an ambulance response. Also, alert a manager or owner as to what happened so an incident report can be filled out. Get witness contact information.
Most Important Step: Get photos of the obstacle that caused you to get hurt…a puddle, damaged flooring, etc. This hazard may be cleaned-up or removed the moment you leave.
When you alert a lawyer to what happened, your attorney would collect your evidence and perform further investigation, including requesting any existing surveillance video, to build a strong case for you.
Compensation Available if You Fall In a Public Restroom
A personal injury settlement must support victims in full as they may be going through one of the most difficult periods of their lives. They may be buried under a mountain of medical debt. They may be unable to perform job duties to earn a paycheck and continue to support their families.
Getting back to full health may also be a challenge. Fall victims can damage hip bones and knees, affecting their mobility. They may have to sit out family vacations, all exercise, for weeks or months.
A restroom accident settlement must figure these damages into any claim that’s filed. An experienced attorney would be demanding support for these hardships and others:
- Current medical expenses and estimates on future expenses
- Costs associated with a permanent physical disability
- Money for medical equipment and home renovations to allow patients more freedom
- Support for the physical pain victims suffer
- Support for the emotional distress victims are put through in recovery
- Reimbursement for the paychecks and work benefits lost while missing shifts
- Travel costs for medical exams and surgeries
What Our Clients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
California generally grants victims up to two years to file a claim. The statute of limitations is different for cases involving a government entity (see below). Waiting to contact a lawyer is not recommended. You want to hand your case over to an attorney while the evidence is still fresh and before surveillance video can be erased.
These cases can be complex because government agencies, like a city parks department, are protected when being sued. You might fall in a courthouse restroom or in a bathroom at a park, and be forced to seek help in recovery. First, the government will want you to basically ask permission to file your claim. This will involve presenting your evidence and filling out complex paperwork. The statute of limitations also changes. In a case involving a city-operated building or park, or a state facility, you’ll likely only have a few months to file your claim or lose your chance to ask for assistance. It’s best to seek a lawyer’s help to make sure you meet deadlines and file everything properly.
You won’t need any upfront money to pay Maison Law. Our lawyers work on a contingency basis. It means we don’t get paid unless we win your case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check that the owner’s insurance company must provide to you and your family.
Contact a California Restroom Accident Attorney
After an accident involving a serious injury in a public bathroom, be sure to discuss your case with an experienced California Premises Liability Accident Lawyer. You should be able to focus on your recovery without worrying about the hospital bills piling up and the paychecks you’re missing while out of work.
Allow Maison Law to go to work on your case to secure the most compensation possible for your recovery.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation to find out how we can assist you. There’s no obligation, and your case review is completely confidential. Not every injury victim earns the same amount in slip-and-fall claims. We want to make sure you get the maximum available.
