If you’ve recently been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, your life might feel completely disrupted. Beyond the physical pain and emotional distress, you may be facing the burden of medical expenses, and taking time off work could make it hard to support your family.
The weight of these challenges can be overwhelming, but a compassionate and experienced Los Angeles slip-and-fall lawyer from Venerable Injury Law can help lift some of that burden.
Our skilled team is here to guide you through the legal process and ensure you take the right steps to maximize your compensation. With over 30 years of experience and having served over 3,000 clients, you can trust that we’re committed to bringing justice to those responsible for your injuries.
Slip-and-Fall Injury Overview
We all find ourselves in various places each day, from stores to office buildings, and sometimes, those trips end in accidents. A slip-and-fall injury often occurs when you least expect it—perhaps while running errands, and suddenly, you’re hurt by a fall that catches you off guard.
But figuring out who’s at fault isn’t always straightforward. In these cases, it’s not always clear who is responsible for the injury. The legal aspects aren’t simple either.
Slip-and-fall incidents fall under premises liability, which means that liability isn’t automatic. Simply slipping and falling doesn’t automatically mean the property owner is at fault. Here’s more on how liability works in slip-and-fall cases.
Who is Responsible for Your Injuries?
In slip-and-fall accidents, the burden of proof is on the victim. According to the Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions, we must show there’s a preponderance of evidence that the defendant was negligent and that negligence caused your injury.
For a property owner—whether it’s a store or a landlord—to be liable for your injuries, the following must be true:
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The party responsible owned the property where the injury happened.
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They were negligent in how they maintained the property.
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You were harmed as a result.
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Their negligence directly caused your harm.
Building a Case for Your Slip-and-Fall Injury
For a slip-and-fall claim to hold weight, we must prove that the property owner either did something—or failed to do something—that directly led to your injury.
For instance, imagine a restaurant mops the hallway leading to the bathroom but doesn’t put up any wet floor signs. If a guest slips on the wet floor and gets injured, they might have grounds for a claim against the restaurant’s owner.
Similarly, if a supermarket has a spill in one of its aisles and leaves it unattended for hours, without any caution signs, a slip-and-fall accident could result. In such a case, the supermarket may be held responsible.
But it’s important to remember that not every slip-and-fall incident leads to a valid claim. Sometimes, the actions or lack of action by a property owner may be reasonable under the circumstances, in which case there may be no negligence and no claim.
Knowledge of the Hazard
Take the supermarket spill example further: if the liquid spilled only moments before the accident occurred, the store may not have had a chance to address the hazard. In such cases, it may be difficult to prove negligence and, as a result, harder to claim compensation.
The two key issues in these cases are:
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Did the property owner know about the hazard?
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Did they act reasonably to fix or warn about the hazard?
Signs of Negligence in Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Determining negligence is central to any slip-and-fall claim. Without negligence, there is no liability, and without liability, there is no valid claim. Some questions your Los Angeles slip-and-fall attorney might ask include:
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Did the store have a cleaning log to track when aisles were checked or cleaned? Was the log completed?
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Did the property owner use warnings like signs or cones to alert guests to a slippery condition?
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How long did the property owner know about the hazard?
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Did they act quickly enough to address it?
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How likely was it that someone would come into contact with the hazardous area?
We understand that this process can feel overwhelming, which is why we’ll treat you with the care and respect you deserve. We are committed to helping you recover the compensation needed to move forward with your life. You’re not just another case to us—you’re our top priority.
Get Help from a Skilled Slip-and-Fall Lawyer in Los Angeles Today
If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall or another type of accident, you need professionals who can investigate the facts, demand compensation, and hold the liable parties accountable. Failing to do this properly could affect your ability to recover or claim losses.
At Venerable Injury Law, our experienced Los Angeles slip-and-fall attorneys are ready to guide you on the path to justice. Don’t let this opportunity slip away. Fill out our online form or call us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
We believe that our experience, dedication, and personalized approach set us apart from the rest.
