Maison Law represents victims injured in storefront crashes in California. If you or a loved one has been injured in a storefront crash, the personal injury attorneys at Maison Law are here to get you the compensation you need. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Storefront Crash Injury?
When a storefront crash occurs, most would assume the driver bears sole responsibility for storefront accidents, but liability can actually extend to store owners, building owners, property managers, and business operators. Each one of them has a “duty of care” to protect customers from potential storefront accidents. This includes the implementation of bollards (short, sturdy posts), lighting, signs, and speed bumps to prevent these accidents from occurring.
If one of the operators of the store fails to take the proper safety measures to prevent injuries in the event of a storefront crash, their failure to act can result in a premise liability. So, if you’ve been injured in a storefront crash, there could be a number of potentially liable parties, depending on the details of the accident. For that reason, it is advisable to speak to a premises liability attorney about your incident. An attorney can make you aware of your right to compensation as well as:
- Connect you to trusted doctors for continued treatment
- File a lawsuit to get you compensation for your:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Assign liability to all additional parties responsible
- Communicate with insurance adjusters on your behalf
- Build your case by gathering concrete evidence to confirm your claim
- Represent you in court if your case goes to trial
What is Considered a Premise Liability in California?
In California, premise liability occurs when an owner, or whoever is given control over a property) fails to maintain their property or warn of known danger and someone sustains injuries. In most cases, the owner can be held responsible for the victim’s economic and non-economic damages. These damages include:
- Medical costs
- Lost wages (if you have to miss work to recover)
- Retraining or re-education for job placement if you have suffered a disability from the accident
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Under California Civil Code 1714, property owners are responsible for keeping their property safe by adhering to safety regulations and preventing potential hazards from harming guests. In addition to safety standards, property owners are required to repair, replace, or provide reasonable warnings about unsafe property conditions to keep visitors safe. Property owners who fail to repair dangerous conditions, or warn them, can be served with a premise liability lawsuit if someone gets injured as a direct result of their carelessness.
What is Needed to Prove a Premises Liability for Deck Collapse Injuries in California?
If you file a premise liability lawsuit against a property owner or corporation, you will be considered the plaintiff and the potentially liable party will be considered the defendant. To recover damages from the defendant, you must establish the following:
- The defendant owned, leased, or controlled the property
- The defendant was careless and did not maintain the property in a safe manner
- You were harmed by slipping or falling on the property
- The defendant’s careless action or hazardous conditions caused you harm
In a premises liability case, a property owner is considered careless when they:
- Allow a hazardous condition to exist on their property
- Knew, through the exercise of reasonable care, that this condition existed
- Fail to repair the hazard, or warn others about the condition
Common Causes of Storefront Crash Injuries in California
Believe it or not, storefront crashes happen every day. According to the Storefront Safety Council, more than 100 storefront accidents occur every day with half of them resulting in severe injuries and 10% of them leading to fatalities. Many of these storefront crashes occur for the following reasons:
- Incidents involving drunk or distracted driving
- Lack of safety barriers to keep reckless vehicles from entering the building
- Driver error and miscalculations
- Impaired visibility
- Defective vehicle components
- Acts of robbery or theft
- Inadequate illumination of the storefront
As you can see, there are numerous reasons why these unfortunate accidents occur. In a premise liability claim, the reason for the accident will reveal which party failed to establish a “duty of care,” and how many parties were at fault. A premise liability attorney can help injured storefront crash victims investigate the incident and file a lawsuit against all responsible parties.
What is the Typical Compensation for a Storefront Crash Injury in California?
Unfortunately, there is no typical compensation for storefront crash injury victims. Even though most cases are traumatic situations, each one differs in their financial outcome because no case is exactly the same. However, your economic damages are a good indicator of what you can expect to receive. These include:
- Medical expenses: your current bills and the cost of your anticipated, future medical care
- Lost wages: these include wages lost while you were too injured to work, as well as damages to your future earning capacity if your injuries are too severe for you to resume your occupational duties
- Medical equipment: costs of altering your home, or vehicle due to your disability
- Property damages: if any damage was done to your property during a slip-and-fall accident it can be included in your compensation
Other compensation-deciding factors include non-economic damages. These damages cannot be assigned a specific value because they include:
- 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
- Loss of consortium (to be filed by your spouse or immediate family member due to loss of love or companionship)
Contact a California Storefront Crash Injury Lawyer
The premise liability attorneys at Maison Law are here to help you obtain justice for victims of storefront accidents. Our experienced team of attorneys will thoroughly investigate your accident, gather evidence to support your claim, and aggressively pursue compensation from all liable parties on your behalf. For legal advice and all personal injury inquiries, contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation. There are no upfront fees for our services and you will not be charged a cent unless we win your case.
