SLIP & FALL
Parking Lot Slip and Falls
Slip and falls occur in various places. These falls commonly occur in a parking lot or garage. Falls are caused by unsafe conditions, such as slippery surfaces, raised or uneven floors, inadequate lighting, defective stairways, and snowy or icy conditions. Based on these conditions, slip and falls may result in substantial physical injuries, medical bills, and lost income. The experienced attorneys at Slatter Law Firm will aggressively fight to recover the maximum compensation for your injuries.
Slip and falls are governed by the laws of negligence. Generally, the property owner owes a duty of care to any individuals in the parking lot or garage. This duty requires the property owner to maintain the parking lot in a reasonably safe condition. As such, the owner must conduct routine inspections and repair or clearly warn of any unsafe conditions.
These slip and fall cases often result in disputes regarding which persons are responsible for maintaining the parking lot. The property owner may have contracted with another person that manages the parking lot’s operations. Also, the owner and parking lot manager may have contracted with additional persons for overall maintenance of the lot. An experienced slip and fall attorney will conduct a thorough investigation, including obtaining all contracts relating to the parking lot, to determine all at-fault persons.
In order to establish that these persons are at-fault, your slip and fall attorney must show the following:
- The parking lot was in an unsafe condition;
- The defendants knew or should have known about the unsafe condition;
- The defendants failed to repair or adequately warn of the unsafe condition; and
- The defendants’ failure was the proximate cause of your injuries.
However, the insurance company’s lawyers may argue that your own negligence caused or contributed to your fall and injuries, and therefore, you should be partially or fully liable for your injuries and damages. For example, they may argue that the dangerous condition was “open and obvious” to a reasonable person, and that a reasonable person would have avoided the condition. This is why it is important to hire an experienced slip and fall attorney, who will obtain maintenance records, surveillance videos, incident reports, prior complaints relating to the dangerous condition; and talk to witnesses.
Slip and falls at parking lots often result in significant injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, bone fractures, and spinal cord injuries. Victims of these slip and falls are entitled to compensations for their injuries. If you are injured in a slip and fall, you may recover compensation for the following:
- Medical bills;
- Future medical treatment;
- Loss of income;
- Loss of earning potential;
- Scars or disfigurement; and
- Pain and suffering.
Statute of Limitations
Generally, lawsuits must be filed in Court within the applicable statute of limitations. Slip and fall cases must be filed within two years from the date of injury. If the plaintiff fails to file his or her lawsuit within such period of time, his or her case will be dismissed by the Court. As such, you should immediately contact a slip and fall attorney after your injury occurs.
Contact Us Today
Contact a Los Angeles personal injury attorney today if you or a loved one was involved in an accident involving a dangerous road condition. Slatter Law Firm has been helping individuals injured due to car accidents and slip and falls throughout Los Angeles and Southern California for over four decades. To schedule a free consultation, call our office at (310) 405-0964 or contact us online.
