There’s never a shortage of places for California residents to visit in The Golden State. But it’s important to remember that whenever we venture out to a grocery store, a gas station, a park, or any other public place, safety should be a priority.
We may forget about our welfare as we grab lunch at a restaurant or walk down an aisle at Wal-Mart, but property owners and business proprietors should never be allowed to neglect our safety.
A broken jar of spaghetti sauce left out on a store floor or a pothole in a parking lot can all be enough to send you into a painful slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injury. You may not have noticed the obstacle that sent you to the ground until you are suddenly dealing with a cracked hip or a concussion. The fact is that business owners and operators are required to spot these hazards and fix them before anyone has a chance to get hurt.
When someone’s negligence or carelessness causes an accident that leaves you injured, it is important to hire a lawyer in California who is highly experienced with trip and slip and fall accidents. The insurance companies will try to downplay your injuries and blame you for the accident. We will hold them accountable so that you can receive the highest amount possible to cover your medical and recovery bills.
Contact Maison Law today for a free, no-obligation case analysis.
California Trip-and-Fall Accident Claims Process
STEP 1
Call Us For A Free Consulation
Call us 24/7 with No Obligations
STEP 2
Describe Your Accident Details
We will then discuss your legal options and decide whether to move your case forward.
STEP 3
Retain Maison Law w/ No Upfront Fees
We work on contingency. No attorney fees unless you win your case.
STEP 4
Receive Your Compensation
We will fight for you to earn the highest possible payout for your damages.
Helping Slip-And-Fall Victims in California
When owners and occupiers invite the public in they should not be negligent in their duty to keep a property free of obstacles and defects that could end up hurting someone. If they fail to meet these conditions then they can be held financially responsible for victims and their recovery under premises liability laws.
Owners and operators may have created the hazard that endangers customers or visitors. The danger may have been created by another customer, such as a spill. But property owners and parent companies are still required to monitor for these dangerous situations and clean them up or repair them in a reasonable amount of time.
After taking a fall on someone else’s property you may feel extremely vulnerable. Not only will you have to recover physically, but you may also have to recover financially as you miss weeks of paychecks at work and face enormous medical invoices.
If you suffer a serious accident after a fall, contact Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law in California, to discuss how to avoid getting stuck with all the bills in a fall that wasn’t your fault. Mr. Gasparian offers you a free and confidential evaluation of your case and is ready to take on local business owners, property owners, and large corporations to make sure you earn the compensation you’ll need to heal and rebuild your life.
Free Trip-and-Fall Accident Consultation
After a painful slip or trip and fall, you deserve to understand what your legal options are in California. When someone else’s carelessness or oversight caused you to get hurt, you shouldn’t have to pay for your recovery.
Maison Law exists to help California accident victims recover what is legally owed to them. Give us a call and we will listen to your case, explain your full range of legal options, and help you decide whether or not your case is worth pursuing with the help of an attorney.
The consultation is completely free and you are under no obligation to work with us. Even if we don’t represent your case, we will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Most Common Businesses Where Slip and Falls Happen
Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall cases can come out of any injury you take in a fall on someone else’s property. The accident can occur at someone’s house, on a landlord’s rental property, and on-site at any business. California “duty of care” laws require proprietors to monitor for hazards and ensure they are cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time before you have the chance to slip or trip on the obstacle. When these hazards are left out and you are injured in a tumble to the floor, the store and their corporate owners can be fully liable for the costs of your recovery.
Some of the most common slip and fall accidents in California happen at:
Common Trip-And-Fall Injuries in California
In fall injury cases it’s important to file a claim against a property owner in the right way, documenting all of your damages the first time because you probably won’t get a second chance.
You may get your immediate hospital bills paid for and then a few months down the road need another surgery and miss more time at work. You won’t be able to return to an insurance company and ask for more help. That’s why all of these probabilities have to be factored into the initial claim, so you don’t get stuck with the bills now and in the future.
These injuries can be severe and require long, emotionally draining recoveries. They can also result in a permanent disability or disfigurement.
Here are just some of the injuries that can be the result of a fall:
Trip-and-Fall Injuries
- Arm injuries are common because victims generally fall forward when they trip. They can try to soften the fall by extending their hands. That impact can break hand and wrist bones and leave you unable to perform basic functions for yourself. Most people use their hands at work and this can make returning to a job difficult for a long while.
- Knee injuries can leave victims unable to bend their legs. It may be a long time before victims can put their full wait on a fractured knee.
- A full-face impact can also result from a fall forward. Noses and jawbones can be broken. A strong blow to the forehead or temple can cause brain trauma.
- The mouth can absorb part of the impact and teeth can chip or be knocked loose.
Slip-and-Fall Injuries
- Brain injuries and skull fractures can occur when victims fall backward after a slip. You can hit the back of your head on the hard tile, on a shelf edge, or on a gas station concrete pylon. The injuries can threaten lives and also cause memory loss and seizures.
- Damage to the back and spinal cord can lead to permanent mobility issues.
- Dislocations and fractures can lead to partial disability. Hip fractures are especially dangerous for the elderly because they can take so long to heal, leaving victims bedridden for weeks at a time.
What Our Clients Say
What Is My Slip and Fall Case Worth?
A long recovery can leave you with a pile of medical bills and you may wonder how much support the at-fault party in your case should be providing you with. Each slip-and-fall accident involves many different and unique factors and it’s hard to assign value to an insurance claim until all the damages and injury diagnoses are fully examined.
There are several factors that can impact the amount you’ll receive:
Severity of injury: An injury that causes long-term hardship in your life or causes a permanent disability can require a massive financial commitment on the part of an insurance company. It’s not just the cost of care to this point, but the expense of care expected to be needed in the future will have to be estimated and compensated for by insurance adjusters.
Missed time from work: The valuable time you are away from work while you are healing can also factor into your award. In the case of a disability, you may not be able to return to your former job. This can require a lifetime of financial support for you and your family. Job training may also be necessary if you can find a new career you can physically handle.
Insurance limits: Insurance limits are another concern when you consider what you might earn through a settlement. At-fault parties will have limits on what their insurance policies will provide to injured victims. The party may only carry the bare minimum in coverage and that can leave you short on funds when you try to pay off your medical expenses. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will help you find any other possible sources for financial support.
Your legal representation: Once you sign a settlement agreement, you cannot reopen your case to ask for additional money. You need to make sure it is done right the first time. That is why it is critical to choose legal representation that will account for every financial expense you will likely experience. Maison Law diligently evaluates each case. Our experience with trip and slip accidents in California guides our legal strategy so that you can receive the highest financial award possible.
Damages You Can Receive Money for in a Slip and Fall Case
A slip-and-fall can send victims falling backwards and a trip-and-fall can launch victims forward. A hard landing can break bones, cause back, spine, and hip injuries, and lead to traumatic brain injuries.
A serious injury can lead to weeks or months of medical recovery. The costs of that care may reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Each medical bill that arrives and those expected in the future must fall to the insurance company representing at-fault parties.
Some of the damages that you can include in your slip-and-fall claim in California include:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical bills
- Missed time from work
- Pain and suffering
- Travel to and from doctors
How Can a California Slip and Fall Lawyer Help My Case?
Simply speaking with a slip-and-fall attorney in a free consultation is a wise move even if you don’t decide to move your case forward. You’ll learn what your case could potentially be worth and how to avoid getting robbed of compensation by insurance companies and corporate lawyers.
If you decide to allow a personal injury attorney to work to get you the maximum compensation available, your attorney starts preparing your case immediately.
Your attorney will be investigating your fall and securing any accident reports the property owner or business proprietor may have written up. They’ll also talk with witnesses and secure testimony to strengthen your case.
Your case will also include reports from medical specialists attesting to the serious nature of your injuries. All of this preparation and more will make it difficult for an insurance company to deny your claim or try to send a “lowball” offer your way.
Remember that your attorney doesn’t get paid unless your case is won. You can rely on the benefits of a legal representative even if an accident has depleted your savings.
Frequent Questions About California Trip and Fall Cases
Compensation amounts are hard to predict. The amount you may receive can depend on the severity of your injury and the level of negligence shown by the guilty party. Having an attorney investigating your case can also encourage an insurance firm to treat you more fairly and offer you full coverage for your expenses.
In California, most slip and fall cases are settled rather than going to court.
Take photos and video of the scene. Using your phone to capture images of the obstacle that sent you to the ground can be the best evidence. This can show how the business was negligent. You should also make sure a manager fills out an accident report and you should talk to any witnesses.
Contact a California Trip and Fall Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one are hurt in a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident in California, don’t expect property owners and their insurance agents to offer you the help you need. You may not be responsible for your accident, but unfortunately, you’ll probably have to fight to get what’s fair to cover your hardships suffered since your traumatic fall.
Contact an experienced California Slip-And-Fall Lawyer such as Martin Gasparian for a no-obligation consultation that comes with no charge to you. Mr. Gasparian firmly believes that every victim should be informed and protected from the tricks used by the insurance industry. As you heal you should be focused on your recovery and not be left to worry about going into financial bankruptcy trying to keep up with your expenses.
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