The Golden City is home to hills galore. It’s not surprising that anyone would slip and fall, and property owners are liable for any injuries that come from slip and falls on their property. The property owners are always responsible for ensuring their property is safe for anyone who could possibly come onto their property. Slippery floors, food or water lefts on the ground, and even missteps on stairs can lead to severe injuries, including hip fractures and more. San Francisco slip and fall lawyers see cases that include restaurants, retail facilities, even city-owned buildings like the courthouse.
Fall safety should take priority for both homeowners, property owners, and workplaces. About 8 million people visit hospitals each year for fall injuries, and 12% of those falls are from slip and fall injuries.
What is a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?
A slip and fall lawsuit can include any injuries which arise from slipping or tripping out of the negligence of another person. Most often, these happened within business environments such as grocery stores or retail establishments. What happens is that an unsuspecting customer turns down an aisle or enters an area the store and falls. Because of that fall, they may experience injuries such as a broken bone, brain injury, and many other severe damages. It is also possible to include property damage such as a broken phone.
When it comes to filing a slip and fall lawsuit, slip and fall are one of the subsections of personal injury. The lawsuit takes place because the victim sustained injuries as a result of carelessness or neglect. That neglect or carelessness comes from the property owner or possibly the manager. In the event that these accidents happen on private property such as within a home, the homeowner or the tenant may take liability.
These lawsuits often go through the insurance process. Meaning that the lawsuit will open against the individual who is responsible, then that person’s insurance company will step in to represent them. The two most common insurance policy providers that appearance slip and fall lawsuits are providers of liability insurance for businesses, and homeowners insurance.
Does California Allow for Slip and Fall Accident Cases?
Yes, under California law, property owners can be subject to liability for accidents that happen within their facility. That can even include accidents that happen in their parking lots. It is even possible for California cities to be responsible for some accidents. For example, If you tripped on an exposed tree root system in Golden Gate Park, you might take your liability claim to the city of San Francisco.
Now the element of liability going to the property owner, or in some cases the tenant of a residence. Makes slip and fall accident cases a little more complicated than other personal injury claims. It adds the additional step of identifying the liable party and also determining if there is an existing insurance policy to cover liability claims.
If a business were to be liable, then their liability insurance provider would likely step in to represent them during the case. For example, if you slipped in a restaurant bathroom and there was no wet floor sign available to warn you of the slippery floors, you would take your claim against the restaurant owners. However, the lawsuit wouldn’t be directly against the owners in a way that their assets would become available for compensation. Instead, the liability insurance that they pay for as a business would step in to protect their assets and still ensure that victims received proper compensation for their damages.
Who is Liable for a Slip and Fall Injury?
The term slip and fall is most often used to describe not only slip and fall injuries but also trip and fall injuries. Unfortunately, in both situations determining who is liable can be a bit tricky. You may have to determine if there was a professional responsible for the negligence which caused your fall. You may also have to investigate if there is a particular owner of the property who is responsible for your fall.
When it comes to professionals being responsible for slips and trips, you will most likely be looking at managers. The question will be whether those managers took all of the necessary precautions to prevent a fall. For example, you may ask the question of whether or not they properly used wet floor signs or if there was a known issue with a constantly folded or overturned rug causing people to trip.
Is It Possible to Pursue Action Against the City with San Francisco Slip and Fall Lawyers
Yes, it is possible to pursue action against the city of San Francisco as well as San Francisco County. Unlike many other city and County offices, San Francisco has actually made it very easy to file a liability claim. Well, you’ll still want the aid of a legal professional as you go through the process they have there are forms easily accessible, which can close some of the questions around where to begin when the city is responsible for your slip and fall.
When Should You Find San Francisco Slip and Fall Lawyers for Your Case?
Slip and falls happen, they’re genuine accidents, but they are always avoidable. If someone saw water on the floor and doesn’t stop to pick it up, they are reasonably responsible for your fall. A faulty staircase or even a chip in a sidewalk that trips you or leads to a slip puts the property owner who was negligent as the liable party. It’s not common that people can recover from these types of injuries and handle the substantial medical bills that come with the surgery and therapy necessary to bounce back.
At TorkLaw, our experienced attorneys have handled slip and fall cases for years. We approach cases that involve slip and fall injuries with the goal of obtaining full compensation for their injuries and the suffering involved. We know that medical bills are not the only damages that you’ve experienced, and we’ll help you build a strong case and seek fair compensation.