Every year, about a million people across the U.S. visit the Emergency Room due to slip-and-fall accidents. These most common accidents can have serious consequences, including fractures, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and even loss of life.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, call our team at The Dominguez Firm, top-rated slip-and-fall attorneys with law offices in Oxnard, Ventura County, and across Southern California.
What Causes Slip-and-Fall Accidents?
Slip-and-fall accidents can occur in different locations, including office buildings, schools, restaurants, and shopping malls. Some dangerous conditions that may lead to slip-and-fall accidents on a person’s property include:
- Uneven stairs
- Uneven floors
- Loose carpeting
- Lack of warning signs in wet or slippery areas
- Poor lighting
- Potholes and rutted pavements
- Misplaced electrical cords
- Grease or food debris
Nearly all slip-and-fall incidents are preventable. To obtain compensation for a plaintiff’s injuries, our slip-and-fall lawyers must prove negligence: that is, demonstrate that another party’s carelessness caused the dangerous condition that led to the accident.
Who Is Legally Responsible for Slip-and-Fall Accidents?
California’s civil laws generally hold the property owner liable for slip-and-fall incidents that occur on their property. This principle, legally known as premises liability, states that property owners may have to pay damages if someone suffers injuries on their premises.
Premises Liability Claims
In premises liability claims, it is important to understand that an accident or injury does not automatically confirm negligence. To win the claim, the injured person and their attorney must prove that:
- The defendant owned or had responsibility for maintaining the property when the accident occurred
- The defendant had known or should reasonably have been aware of the dangerous condition
- The defendant acted negligently or carelessly in failing to remove the dangerous condition within a reasonable period
- The dangerous condition led to the plaintiff’s injury
- The plaintiff sustained compensable losses (e.g., medical bills, loss of days at work, etc.)
Gathering Evidence
Often, proving the property owner’s awareness of the danger is the trickiest aspect in slip-and-fall cases and may involve gathering relevant evidence. For example, if the victim tripped over loose carpeting in a store, we can look at surveillance footage, take photographs of the scene, and talk to the store’s employees, other visitors, or maintenance personnel who might have seen the hazard.
At The Dominguez Firm, we know how to connect the dots in slip-and-fall claims. If someone’s negligence caused your injuries, our personal injury lawyers will find and showcase the proof.
What to Do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
1 – Seek Medical Treatment
After a slip-and-fall incident, the first thing to do is to seek medical treatment. Even if you don’t think you were seriously injured, make sure you see a doctor and keep copies of all medical records. These records may serve as important evidence if you decide to file a claim.
2 – Obtain Documentation
Notify the property owner of the accident and document everything, including dates, names, the exact address, and any relevant facts. Take multiple photos and video records of the incident scene. Get the contact details of people who witnessed the incident.
3 – Retain a Slip-and-Fall Lawyer
Stay calm, stick to the facts, and keep communication brief until you talk to a lawyer. In some cases, an unprincipled property owner can blame you for the incident or even threaten you with a property damage lawsuit.
Per California’s statute of limitations, you can file a slip-and-fall claim within two years of the accident. However, we recommend that you contact us at The Dominguez Firm as soon as possible to improve your odds of winning the claim and achieving an acceptable settlement.
What Compensation Can You Expect?
Every slip-and-fall case is different. The worth of each claim may depend on several factors, chiefly on the extent of the victim’s injuries. Usually, the plaintiff may expect to collect compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Disability costs
- Pain and suffering (both past and future)
- Loss of income
- Legal fees
- Emotional trauma
- Various related expenses
Additional Damages
In some cases, if we can prove especially gross negligence or willful carelessness on the defendant’s part, a California court can also award punitive damages to the victim. This may occur if, for instance, we show beyond any reasonable doubt that the property owner was aware of the hazardous condition but knowingly delayed fixing it.
Why You Need an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Even in apparently straightforward slip-and-fall cases, the party responsible and their insurance company may try to avoid compensating the accident victim. Besides a valid claim, you need the legal support of experienced lawyers who will help you achieve a fair settlement.
Here is why so many clients are glad they have chosen to work with us at The Dominguez Firm:
- Extensive experience. Our personal law firm has over 30 years of legal experience. We have represented countless slip-and-fall cases in Southern California.
- Stellar track record. To date, our law firm has helped injured people and their families recover more than $750 million in damages.
- Trusted attorney-client relationship. We are here to gather evidence, build a powerful case, and do everything possible to help you obtain full compensation for your injuries. Contact us at any time with any questions or concerns.
Don’t wait. Call us at The Dominguez Firm today so we can start working on your slip and fall claim.
The Dominguez Firm: Contact a Top Personal Injury Attorney in Oxnard, CA
If you’ve suffered a slip-and-fall accident, you may be able to collect compensation for medical bills, losses of income, pain and suffering, and more.
Contact us at The Dominguez Firm, the best law firm in Oxnard, CA, to maximize your chances of obtaining fair compensation in your personal injury case. Since 1987, our award-winning legal team has recovered over $750 million in damages for slip-and-fall, car accidents, workplace injuries, and other types of injury claims.
To talk to an Oxnard slip-and-fall attorney, call our law offices at (800) 818-1818, 24/7. Unless we win your case, you pay no fee, so call for an initial consultation.
My experience was good. They made sure to kept me in the loop and made sure to let me know what was going on the whole time. My mom has used other attorneys and this experience was beyond better. I would definitely recommend them!
— Ashley Magana
The attorneys were always available and answered my questions. I would recommend them to anyone. Zoe is the best!
— Janet Salazar
My experience with The Dominguez Firm and the attorneys was really good. They were very informative and always returned my calls.
— Jocelyn Gonzalez