Maison Law represents slip-and-fall victims in Visalia. If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip-and-fall accident at a business or on someone’s property, our experienced slip-and-fall attorneys are here to help.
Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
It’s a great, no-obligation way to find out what your injury should be worth and how to hold a company or corporation fully accountable.
What Our Clients Say
Do I Need an Attorney After a Trip-And-Fall Accident?
If you take a fall in a public place and only receive minor wounds like a cut or some bruising, you may not need the help of a lawyer. It’s when you suffer serious harm, like a broken wrist or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), that you may need the protection of a Visalia Slip-and-Fall Lawyer. If owners and operators could have taken action to prevent your accident, you should be demanding help with your recovery costs.
When medical bills start to build, insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers will fight even harder to get their bosses off the hook. They may say your fall was caused by clumsiness. They may try to convince you to sign off on a “lowball” settlement offer that doesn’t cover all of your recovery costs. Your Maison Law attorney is a safeguard against this treatment. Your lawyer will submit all evidence and can often secure much more for your claim than you could if you handled it yourself.
Who Is Responsible for My Slip-And-Fall Accident?
Anyone who invites customers, clients, tenants, or guests onto their property must also see to a legal “duty of care” and act to prevent accidents. They must remove hazards that could cause someone to get hurt.
If someone comes along and gets hurt, victims could file an injury claim or lawsuit to seek recovery help from business owners and corporate chains. Restaurant owners, landlords, and even a department with the City of Visalia may be responsible if you fall at a government office building or at a park.
Under California premises liability laws, owners and operators can be held financially responsible. Unfortunately, many owners will fight accepting blame. Big companies will also be able to afford corporate lawyers who can work to limit what victims get for their suffering and lost income. Having a skilled attorney can be a necessary safeguard for patients.
Visalia Slip-And-Fall Claims Process
Fall Injury Hazards at Visalia Stores and Offices
The dangers pop up daily along store aisles and in their parking lots and sidewalks. These are just some of the risks that exist around businesses, offices, and residential properties:
- Trip-and-Fall Common Hazards – Messy or cluttered businesses are often the worst places for these accidents. Store aisles become cluttered with stocking boxes or displays that may catch your foot or toe to send you flying forward. A box or product that ends up on the floor may be hard to spot until you trip over it. A folded-up rug at the front door is also a common hazard. In the parking lot, potholes and damaged sidewalks are prime spots to grab your foot and launch you forward.
- Slip-and-Fall Common Hazards: Liquids on shiny floors, or on stairwells pose the most frequent hazard to visitors. A dropped jar, a spilled fountain drink, or leaking water may sit on the floor way too long until you come along and slip. Rainwater left unmopped and left without “wet floor” signs can be a fall risk. A child may dribble a trail of hard candy along several aisles to roll your shoe out from under you. Public bathrooms are also danger zones when soap ends up on the tile.
What to Do After a Trip-and-Fall Accident
- If you are hurt, call 911 and ask for an ambulance. Go to the hospital if necessary.
- If you are able and have a camera or your phone, take pictures of the hazard.
- Get the names and contact information of anyone who saw the incident. Also get the names of the employees around at the time.
- Alert a manager as to what happened. Allow them to fill out an incident report.
- See your personal doctor, even if you’ve already been to the emergency room. Get all injuries and any new pain checked out. Follow the doctor’s recommendations.
- Don’t talk to the store’s insurance company or any of their representatives until you have spoken to an attorney and have been made aware of your rights.
- Document everything so that you can later recall things that you saw, heard or felt.
- Make an appointment with a competent, experienced trip-and-fall attorney. Act quickly so your lawyer can gain access to evidence that might disappear in the months ahead. This can include tracking down witnesses and requesting security footage before it’s erased.
Trip and Fall Injuries
The number one fall injury is a bone fracture. When someone falls, they instantly feel out of control and will brace themselves for the impact. This is natural, but it also causes broke bones. Other injuries happen as well because of the dynamics of a fall. Some of the most common trip-and-fall injuries are:
- Broken Wrists/Forearm
- Broken Hip
- Broken Collarbone
- Broken Ankle/Leg
- Sprains and Strains
- Back Injuries
- Head Injuries/Concussion
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Nerve Damage
Other Premises Hazards
Objects left out in the public walking area are the most typical hazards that lead to a trip-and-fall. Next are structural areas that are either in disrepair or poorly designed. Basically, a trip-and-fall hazard can be just about anything that could lead to someone tripping. Some of the most common of these are:
- Boxes (empty or full of product)
- Uncovered Hoses, Cables
- Drawers left open
- Mops/Cleaning Equipment
- Signs including improperly placed Caution Signs
- Maintenance Equipment
- Uneven Flooring/Sidewalks
- Uneven Mats/Upturned Carpet Corners
- Gaps in Floors like Cracks and Missing Material
- Poorly Maintained Floors
Frequently Asked Questions About Visalia Slip-And-Fall Accidents
Two years. California allows victims up to 24 months from the date of the injury to file a claim for damages. However, waiting months or years to begin your case can make it harder for your attorney to collect evidence and track down the witnesses you’ll need to prove your case.
If you need a lawyer to help secure more for an injury claim, you don’t have to worry about any upfront costs. Maison Law doesn’t charge anything unless we win your case for you. Then, our fee comes out of the settlement money the restaurant must pay you.
Your lawyer will total all of your medical bills and the cost of care that may be necessary down the road and seek full compensation. The time you miss away from work and lost benefits will also need to be reimbursed in an injury settlement check. The physical pain and emotional trauma victims suffer should also be considered.
Do I need an Attorney if I Trip and Fall?
Trips and falls can be terrifying incidents, not to mention painful. When you fall, you should consult a respected Visalia personal injury attorney who can inform you of your rights. These types of claims can be tricky to prove, so it is imperative that you speak with a lawyer who is knowledgeable about premises liability laws.
The insurance companies will use every tool they have to demonstrate that their clients aren’t at fault. Maison Law fully investigates your accident and the business involved so you can prove what really happened.
Talk to an attorney that you can trust to give you trusted advice. Contact Maison Law for your free consultation so that you can start focusing on the important things – like recovering from your injuries.
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