Slip and Fall Attorney in Covina, CA
People owe a duty of care to those who visit their shops or homes. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall due to a property owner, tenant, or property manager’s failure to uphold that duty, you can work with a Covina slip and fall lawyer to recover damages.
Trust Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor
You can trust the team here at Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor to assist you with every aspect of your slip and fall case, from filing paperwork to representing you in trial should it go to court. We have been practicing personal injury law for years, and in that time, we’ve helped countless clients get the representation they deserve. We can help you, too.
Reasons to Hire a Covina Slip and Fall Lawyer
Every year, around three million older Americans visit emergency departments around the country seeking medical attention for falls. Many of these falls occurred due to negligent conditions on other people’s properties. Older people aren’t the only ones who can hurt themselves during serious falls, either. People of all ages can become the victims of slip and fall accidents.
If you’ve fallen on another person’s or a company’s property and hurt yourself, you can hire a slip and fall lawyer in Covina to help you file a claim against the liable party. Filing a claim with the help of an attorney can both hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence and help you get access to the money you need to pay medical bills and make up for lost wages while you heal. Let your attorney handle the details of your case so you can focus on healing from your injuries.
Common Hazards for Slipping and Tripping
While cases involving falls on other people’s property are colloquially referred to as slip and falls, many of them involve not slipping but tripping on objects. Some of the most common hazards for slipping and tripping indoors include:
- Torn carpets
- Changes in flooring
- Poor lighting
- Narrow stairs
- Wet floors
- Objects on the floor
Outdoor conditions can also pose hazards that can contribute to slip and fall risks. Wet walkways, potholes, and broken or cracked public sidewalks are the most common sources of outdoor slip and fall injuries. Other ground obstructions can also play a role.
Proving Fault in a Slip and Fall Case in Covina
Premises liability cases, such as slip and falls, follow a formula of negligence. You can prove negligence by showing that there was a non-obvious slip or trip hazard the property owner should have been aware of and that it directly caused you to fall and injure yourself, leading to compensable damages.
In some cases, accident victims are partially at fault for their falls. In California, which is a pure comparative negligence state, they’re still allowed to seek compensation from the parties that held the majority of the blame. You can file a claim even if you were more than 50% to blame in the Golden State. Your final settlement amount will simply be reduced by an amount commensurate with the percentage of fault you are assigned.
Identifying the Responsible Party
To recover damages for a slip and fall injury, you must identify the responsible party. Typical defendants include:
- Property owners
- Landlords
- Tenants
- Businesses controlling the premises
- Property management companies
Slips and falls often occur at local grocery stores such as Vons or Superior Grocers, restaurants like Lincoln House, and hotels, including Pacific Stay Hotel and Best Western Plus.
Statutes of Limitations
The statute of limitations for slip and fall claims is two years. You shouldn’t wait until this deadline is approaching to file your claim, though. Seek legal help right away while all the details of the case are still clear in your mind and witnesses to the accident can still remember exactly what happened and offer accurate testimony.
FAQs
What Is the Average Settlement for a Slip and Fall Case in California?
There is no average settlement for a slip and fall case in California. Every case is different, and your final settlement amount will depend on factors such as how severe your injuries were, whether you’re facing permanent disability, and how much fault you were assigned for the accident. Your lawyer’s skill at negotiating with insurance companies can also impact your final settlement amount.
What Are the Four Things Required to Prove Negligence?
The four things required to prove negligence are duty, meaning that the property owner owed visitors a duty of care to keep the property in a state of good repair; breach, meaning that the person failed to live up to that duty of care; causation, meaning that the failure led directly to your accident; and damages, meaning you suffered compensable harm due to the accident.
How Much Do Lawyers Charge for Slip and Fall Cases?
How much lawyers charge for slip and fall cases depends on the complexity of the case, whether it goes to trial, and how much experience your lawyer has. More experienced lawyers typically charge more for their services, and any attorney will charge more for a particularly complex case that requires more of their time. Cases that go to trial also take longer to resolve, leading to higher legal fees.
Are Slip and Fall Claims Hard to File Successfully?
Slip and fall claims can be hard to file successfully because you need to prove that the property owner either was aware of the potential hazard that caused your accident or should reasonably have been aware of it. Your Covina slip and fall attorney can help you gather the evidence required to prove your case.
Contact Your Covina Slip and Fall Lawyer
Slip and fall accidents can have devastating consequences, including broken bones and head injuries. If you’ve sustained serious injuries on another person’s property due to a preventable fall, a Covina slip and fall lawyer can help you recover compensation.
The team here at Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor is here to help. We’ve taken on countless slip and fall cases in our years of experience as personal injury lawyers. We can tackle yours, too. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.