If you are recovering from serious injuries after a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you have a limited amount of time to take legal action. While you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other resulting damages, you will lose the chance to file a lawsuit if you let the applicable deadline pass. California’s standard statute of limitations for slip and fall lawsuits is two years. That means most plaintiffs have two years from the date on which they were … [Read more...]
7 FAQs About Slips and Falls Caused by Spilled Liquids
Slips and falls have the potential to cause serious injuries including bone fractures, head trauma, and spinal cord damage. When a facility that caters to customers in-house—a bar, restaurant, or grocery store, for example—fails to clean up spilled liquids in a timely manner, they expose everyone on site to an injury risk. Thankfully, those who do get hurt may have legal recourse. If you slipped at a business establishment because employees failed to mop up or mark off a spill, here’s what … [Read more...]
6 FAQs About Slips & Falls Caused by Inadequate Lighting
If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property because the lighting was inadequate, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim. Property owners and occupiers have a legal obligation to maintain their premises to a reasonably safe standard, and failing to ensure adequate lighting often constitutes a breach of this duty. Serious injuries can happen when property owners fail to provide sufficient lighting in parking lots, entranceways, hallways, stairwells, and other high-traffic … [Read more...]
Can I Sue After Falling on a Dangerous Stairway?
When people are injured while walking up or down a staircase, they often blame themselves. The truth, however, is that negligent maintenance or faulty construction can make a stairway unreasonably dangerous. If you or someone you love was hurt while traversing a staircase, the property owner or another party may be liable for the resulting medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. At the end of the day, if the injuries happened due to a hazard that could have been reasonably … [Read more...]
If someone gets hurt on your property can they sue?
Business owners’ associations often hear the question “If someone gets hurt on your property can they sue?” The answer is yes, if the elements of a premises liability case exist. While people get hurt every day, they can only sue if someone else’s negligence caused their injuries. Elements of a premises liability claim Premises liability law answers the question “If someone gets hurt on your property can they sue?” It does this by explaining when a claim for compensation can be made, and when it … [Read more...]
What Evidence Should I Gather After a Slip and Fall?
Every slip and fall claim is unique, but in all such cases, the strength of the available evidence is the primary factor in determining whether the victim obtains a financial award. There are three elements you’ll have to prove to win a settlement or verdict: negligence, causation, and damages. Some of the most valuable evidence can be gathered at the scene, but your premises liability attorney can help you collect evidence that you’ve overlooked or that’s difficult to access. If the property … [Read more...]
Slips, Trips & Falls in Parking Lots & Garages: What You Need to Know
Slip and fall injuries are typically associated with spilled beverages and freshly mopped floors. But the truth is that a serious fall can happen anywhere, which is why property owners have a duty to inspect their premises for invitees—and that includes parking lots and garages. If a property owner fails to take reasonable measures to ensure their premises are reasonably safe, they may be held liable for any accidents that result. Poor lighting, slick surfaces, cracked concrete, inadequate … [Read more...]
5 FAQs About Trips, Slips & Falls Caused by Uneven Floor Surfaces
There are all sorts of reasons why a person might slip, fall, and suffer an injury. Often these unfortunate events can be traced back to the negligence of the property owner, occupier, or one of their employees. In this scenario, the injured party (or their surviving family) may be able to recover compensation for various economic and non-economic damages. If you or someone you love tripped or slipped and fell due to an uneven floor surface, you may be wondering if you even have grounds for a … [Read more...]
What Circumstances Might Warrant a Premises Liability Claim?
If you or a member of your family was injured while on another person’s property, you may have grounds for a premises liability claim. Property owners—and sometimes their tenants—have a duty to maintain their premises to a reasonable standard for both invitees and licensees. Even trespassers who suffer injuries may have grounds for a claim depending on the circumstances. Property owners and possessors who allow invitees onto their premises have a duty to conduct periodic inspections for … [Read more...]
Invitees, Licensees & Trespassers: What’s the Difference?
Property owners and possessors owe a duty of care to everyone who enters their premises. The specific duty of care, however, varies depending on whether the entrant is an invitee, licensee, or trespasser. If you or a member of your family was injured on someone else’s premises because the property owner, possessor, or one of their employees breached the duty of care, you may be entitled to damages. Read on to learn the key differences between invitees, licensees, and trespassers: What Is an … [Read more...]