A slip and fall accident typically causes very different injuries than a trip and fall. Apart from their divergent fact patterns and resulting injuries, both types of cases are based on the same legal standard that assigns liability for an accident victim’s injuries to the owner or manager.
For more than twenty years, Salamati Law has helped slip and fall and trip and fall accident victims in southern California to recover the largest available damages awards. This compensates individuals for injuries they have suffered as a result of a property owner’s negligence.
Our success is based on our guiding philosophy that a personal injury lawyer should focus an accident investigation on the facts and circumstances surrounding the fall.
A Property Owner’s Duty of Care
California property owners owe an obligation to guests and other individuals to keep their premises safe and free from hidden perils. In addition, they must warn visitors of known hazards that could cause them to slip or trip. Apart from the specific facts of the accident itself, a property owner will be liable for breaching their duty of care when:
- the owner did nothing to remove or correct risks that lead to foreseeable injuries
- the uncorrected risk was a direct cause of the victim’s injuries
- the victim did not ignore notices that were erected to warn them of possible dangers; and
- the property owner knew or reasonably should have known about the risks.
Slip and Fall and Trip and Fall Accident Fact Patterns
In a slip and fall accident, a victim loses their footing due to ice, water, or some other substance that causes their foot to slip forward or outward. The slip typically causes the victim to fall backward and to suffer head, neck, or back injuries, as well as broken arms, and potentially hip fractures from an impact with the ground.
In a trip and fall accident, the victim’s foot is caught by loose pavement or some other object that is carelessly left in a walkway. A tripping victim more frequently falls forward and suffers head and face injuries as well as shoulder, arm, wrist, and other bone fractures from the forward impact.
Recording the Facts and Evidence When you Suffer an Accidental Fall
In the aftermath, if possible, you or a companion should collect and record as much evidence about your fall as you can, including:
- the exact location of the fall (this is particularly important if you fall in a large field or parking lot);
- the time of day and, if the accident occurred outdoors, the weather and traffic conditions
- where you were coming from when you fell, and your reasons for being on the property where the accident happened
- names and contact information of anybody who might have witnessed the accident
- photographs of the accident scene, and particularly of the hazards that caused you to slip or trip.
Moreover, even if you do not believe that you suffered a serious injury, you should see a doctor or visit an emergency room as soon as is possible. If you delay a medical appointment, the owner of the property might argue that there were intervening causes for your injuries or that you were hurt someplace else.
Recovering Your Damages for Slip and Fall or Trip and Fall Injuries
A property owner and their liability insurer might offer a quick reimbursement for a slip and fall or trip and fall victim’s medical bills following an accident. However, early settlement offers rarely account for the full scope of injuries. Moreover, quick reimbursements might be paid only in exchange for an individual’s agreement not to pursue further damages.
An accident victim will usually need assistance from a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer to collect the full amount of compensation that they deserve. This amount could include present and future medical bills and expenses, therapy costs, any lost wages while recovering from injuries, and pain and suffering.
Contact us for a free consultation
Please see our website or contact a personal injury lawyer at Salamati Law in Los Angeles for a free consultation about recovering damages for injuries. We will fight to make you whole and to recover your damages from the property owners whose negligence caused your accident.
