A slip and fall accident in California can change your future in a heartbeat, but what if you’re injured on someone else’s property in a preventable accident? Where can you go to get the help you need?

If this situation sounds familiar, you should consider speaking to the California personal injury attorneys of OnderLaw about filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit to obtain compensation for your losses. We’ve helped thousands of clients get the fair compensation they’re owed after a preventable accident, and we want to help you do the same. Call us today for a free consultation, and let us review your case to determine your eligibility. There is no obligation, and we charge no fees upfront. Call today.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer for My Slip and Fall Accident?

Compensation for a slip and fall accident usually comes from the responsible party’s insurance company. Your lawyer will help you submit a claim to the insurance company for monetary compensation, and in some cases, will help you file suit against the responsible party directly.

Your lawyer will take charge of the entire process for you. We will investigate your slip and fall accident to determine who was liable and guide you through the process of building and submitting your claim. We will gather evidence and documentation, speak to eyewitnesses or engage expert witnesses to support your recollection of events, and make sure your claim is error-free. We will work hard on your behalf, leaving you the time you need to recover from your injuries.

The amount of money you may be able to get varies depending on the losses you sustained in the accident. The steeper your losses, the more compensation you should be entitled to, but you must be able to prove these losses with documentation or witness testimony. Understanding how to define them and how they apply to your claim is critical. Without the help of a qualified lawyer, you may be leaving some of the compensation you’re owed on the table.

Dealing with insurance claims adjusters can be a challenging experience. They seek to protect their customer and their company’s bottom line by denying payment for claims just like yours. They may employ tactics and methods that aren’t entirely honest to do so, such as attempting to convince you not to hire an attorney or offering you a settlement below what your injury is worth because they hope you won’t hire a lawyer to review it before accepting. It’s essential to hire a lawyer before you sign any documents from the insurance company to make sure you get all the compensation due to you.

Why Hire OnderLaw to Represent Me?

When it comes to personal injury firms in California, you’re spoiled for choice, but there are several reasons why OnderLaw is the best choice for your legal needs.

We’ve spent the last two decades building a solid reputation as a firm that gets the job done and treats our clients as they deserve to be treated. We are not a settlement farm. We are a group of dedicated legal professionals that genuinely wish to help those in need.

This wish to help extends beyond our clients to the communities and organizations that have helped us grow. We provide donations of time and money to charitable causes such as Toys for Tots, MADD, and the Lupus Foundation of America.

We understand that legal help is expensive, and we don’t wish for finances to be a barrier to those who need quality legal representation. That’s why we operate on contingency at OnderLaw . Payment of any fees for our services is contingent on us getting the results you need. If we aren’t successful in obtaining some form of compensation for you, we don’t get paid. There are no upfront costs to our clients.

Although we’ve seen our share of success, if you visit our Testimonials page, you won’t see many mentions of the amount of money we were able to get. You’ll see notes from our clients praising our honesty, integrity, professionalism, and openness. Although we’ve successfully obtained over $4 billion in settlements and awards, it’s the way we treat our clients that they remember.

Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents cover a wide range of possible accidents and injuries and are the single largest cause of emergency room visits in the United States. Though people over age 65 are at the highest risk of a slip and fall accident, falls occur every day and affect people of all ages. Some causes of slip and fall accidents include:

  • Cluttered floors
  • Wet or uneven walking surfaces
  • Inclement weather
  • Unsafe stairs or escalators
  • Loose rugs
  • Bunched or torn carpet
  • Low light conditions
  • Lack of handrails
  • Damaged sidewalks or floors
  • Insufficient workplace training
  • Loose floorboards
  • Nursing home abuse
  • Potholes

Property Owner/Manager Responsibilities in California

If you’re injured in a preventable slip and fall accident on someone else’s property in California, responsibility for the injury usually comes down to premises liability law. Premises liability is the body of law that describes a property owner or manager’s responsibility to people visiting or occupying their property. California Civil Code 1714 states that everyone is responsible for themselves and the injuries they cause by not exercising ordinary care in managing the properties they control.

This means that a property owner or manager is usually responsible for any injuries which occur on their property, especially if they are negligent in their duty to keep a property free of hazards. If we can gather enough evidence to show the owner of the property on which the accident occurred either knew or should have known about the hazard that caused it, we should be able to get compensation for your provable losses.

Many different parties can be held responsible in premises liability cases, depending on the circumstances. For example, a landlord could be held accountable for a fall in a stairwell if they neglected to install proper handrails, and a business owner could be held liable for a fall on the sidewalk in front of their business if they failed to clear away ice and snow for their customers.

Some parties that may be held responsible in a slip and fall case include the following:

  • Business owners
  • Managers
  • Owners
  • Landlords
  • Homeowners
  • Property management companies
  • Tenants or renters

Common Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents

The injuries from slip and fall accidents vary depending on the circumstances. The height of the fall, age of the victim, and floor or ground conditions all play a part in determining the severity of the injury.

Some common injuries we see in slip and fall accidents include:

  • Hip fractures
  • Knee damage
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Sprains/Strains
  • Concussion
  • Whiplash
  • Abrasions
  • Lacerations
  • Internal injuries
  • Coma
  • Death

Compensation for Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

Compensation for any personal injury claim depends on the amount you’ve lost as a result of the injury. Though it’s nearly impossible to estimate the amount you may obtain, the more severe your injury or financial losses, the more compensation you should demand.

Determining the amount to demand is best done with the help of your attorney. There are two main categories of losses, or damages, that apply to personal injury claims: economic and noneconomic damages.

Economic damages are any losses with a monetary value. These relate to the financial toll of the accident and injury. There are several types, such as:

  • Lost wages
  • Medical bills
  • Property damage
  • Lost opportunity
  • Household expenses

Noneconomic damages are losses without a monetary value relating to the experience of the accident and injury. They are subjective and vary widely depending on the circumstances. Some examples include:

  • Loss of enjoyment
  • Loss of consortium
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish

A third category applies to accidents involving malice, oppression, or fraud, called exemplary damages. Exemplary damages are usually paid by the responsible party directly, though some insurance policies in California do cover them. They are intended to punish the person or entity responsible for the accident and deter them from ever acting in the same manner again. Ask your lawyer whether exemplary damages may be available for your claim.

What To Do if You’re Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident

  • Seek medical attention. If your injury is severe, get medical help immediately. Make sure to record as much information as you can and retain a copy of any treatment records.
  • Notify the owner/manager in writing. Let the property owner/manager know about the incident in a dated and signed letter. Keep a copy for your records.
  • Keep all the evidence. Any photos, accident reports, even the clothes you were wearing the day of the accident will be invaluable evidence to support your claim. Don’t throw anything away that might help your case.
  • Get a lawyer. Hire a lawyer to assist with your claim as soon as possible.

Call OnderLaw Today

California’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims is two years from the date of injury, so it’s imperative to act quickly. Call for a free, no-obligation consultation and let us review your case. We can help you get the fair compensation you’re owed. Call OnderLaw today.