Every year, approximately 3 million people are injured due to slip and fall accidents while on another’s property, with roughly 800,000 of those being hospitalized with serious injuries, including various personal injuries, spine injuries, and brain injuries.
In California, owners, lessors, and occupants owe a “basic duty of care” to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition to prevent injuries to others while on their property. California enforces an affirmative duty to discover unsafe conditions, to repair such conditions, or to provide adequate warnings of anything on their property that could cause harm to others. Unfortunately, insurance companies will attempt to shift the blame for premises liability/slip and fall injuries to the victim for being inattentive and not paying attention to their surroundings. It is important to contact a Folsom and Orange County premises liability lawyer at Shaaban & Biedgoly as soon as possible to protect your legal rights, to hold the parties liable for breaching their duties owed, and to seek the maximum compensation you and your family are entitled to.
Common Causes of Slip and Falls
Typically, people think of slip and falls in connection with situations such as wet floors in a business. However, injuries can result from a slew of situations, including:
- Wet and unmarked floors
- Uneven flooring
- Potholes
- Inadequate lighting
- Ice/snow buildup on public walkways
- Tree roots
- Slippery and dangerous flooring
- Defectively designed steps/stairs
- Uncovered manholes /hazardous construction areas
- Inadequate warnings
- Cluttered floors
What To Do After An Injury
- Take pictures: Take as many clear pictures as possible of the area and circumstances surrounding your fall before the property owner is able to repair or correct any potential defects that led to your injuries.
- Report the incident: File some form of a report of the incident. This could include notifying the property owner/manager and memorializing an internal report, or even filing an incident report with the local authorities.
- Journal the circumstances: Try to write down everything you can recall about the events leading up to your injuries, the property features, the incident causing your injuries, and what happened after you sustained injuries.
- Seek medical care: Seek medical care as soon as possible following your fall in order to ensure your medical records are dated shortly after you sustained your injuries.
- Gather contact of witnesses: If anyone was on the property with you and/or witnessed your injuries, make sure to gather their information.
- Contact Shaaban & Biedgoly: Contact a Folsom and Orange County premises liability lawyer at Shaaban & Biedgoly as soon as possible to ensure your legal rights are protected and to obtain your free case evaluation and consultation.