Slip and Fall Attorneys

California Premises Liability Accidents

California Slip and Fall Attorney Increases Chances of Successful Recovery

Despite the implicit assertions of cartoons and comedies, slip and fall injuries are no laughing matter. Your pride may not be the only thing that is hurt after a slip and fall accident and depending on a host of various factors, many of our clients are left with one or more of the following injuries:

• Traumatic brain injuries, which can leave you with memory loss, temporary or permanent disabilities, and other limitations;
• Neck and spine injuries capable of leaving you paralyzed or with permanent nerve damage and pain;
• Broken bones – especially broken hips in older individuals – that can cause mobility challenges and require lengthy periods of recuperation;
• Disfiguring injuries; and
• Other serious or catastrophic injuries.

The World Health Organization has some sobering statistics regarding falls across the world:

• Falls are the second-leading cause of unintentional deaths across the globe;
• Approximately 424,000 people are killed as a result of falls, with most of these individuals being over the age of 65 and/or those in low- to middle-income countries suffering the greatest number of fatal falls;
• About 37 million falls each year are of sufficient severity that emergency medical care is required.

A slip and fall in California can significantly impact your ability to provide for yourself and/or your family and enjoy the activities with which you were once occupied. Harrison | Kristopher, LLP is known for helping their clients to obtain the compensation necessary to help pay for medical expenses which allow you to focus on your recovery and health.

Succeeding in a California Slip and Fall Injury Lawsuit

California law requires property owners who allow or invite others to come onto their property – whether for purposes of a social business, to purchase goods and services, or other legitimate reasons – to take reasonable measures to keep their property safe and secure for lawful visitors. Where a hazard or danger cannot be reasonably corrected, the law then requires that the property owner take reasonable steps to warn visitors of the dangers.

When you or a loved one are injured in a slip and fall accident or any other injury that happens while on the property of another and you believe the property owner did not do enough to protect you or warn you of the danger, you may be able to file a premises liability lawsuit. In order to succeed in your lawsuit, you will need to be prepared to show through evidence and testimony that:

• A hazard or danger on the property of another caused you to suffer an injury: The hazard may be a slippery or wet floor, a poorly-lit stairwell or a stairway in poor repair, an uneven walkway, or any other similar danger or hazard. The hazard need not be of a particular type so long as: (1) the condition is not one that is normally encountered on the property of another when the property is kept in a reasonably safe condition; and (2) there is a causal connection between the hazard and your slip and fall and resulting injuries;
• The property owner knew or should have known of the danger or hazard: Undetectable dangers or those hazards present in obscure places that a property owner is not likely to have reason to inspect regularly are not the sort of dangers that result in a successful personal injury lawsuit. You must instead show that the danger or hazard was one that the property owner had actual knowledge of its existence or that a reasonable property owner exercising reasonable care and attention could have discovered.
• The property owner failed to take reasonable steps to address the danger or hazard: Finally, evidence and testimony of witnesses must show that the actions taken by the property owner (if any) were not sufficient to reasonably cure the hazard or warn others of the danger. The property owner is not required to expend great amounts of effort and energy in fixing every hazard, nor is the property owner necessarily required to fix a large or complicated danger within a matter of moments. All that is required is for the property owner to take steps that a reasonable and careful property owner would take under similar circumstances.

While these three propositions may seem like they would be simple to prove, in truth premises liability cases can be rather difficult and complicated to present. Some property owners will go to great lengths to establish that they did nothing wrong or unreasonable, and some premises liability cases cannot be won without first locating and securing the presence of other witnesses who can corroborate your story or evidence that clearly shows what happened. The sooner you act, the easier it is to locate these important witnesses and evidence, so contact Harrison | Kristopher today.

Reach Out to Harrison | Kristopher for Assistance with Your Premises Liability Case

Many California slip and fall injury victims make the mistake of believing that the law will afford them the opportunity to recover compensation no matter how long they may wait before commencing the legal recovery process. Unfortunately, the truth is that if your case is not properly initiated within two years of your slip and fall injury, you may be forever foreclosed from seeking compensation for your losses – no matter how great or severe they might otherwise be.

Do not jeopardize your financial future or your ability to recover compensation you need to address your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages: speak with an experienced and dedicated California slip and fall attorney as soon as possible. Harrison | Kristopher understands the difficulties that are facing following a slip and fall injury and is committed to helping guide you through every step of your premises liability lawsuit. Harrison | Kristopher strives to help you obtain the compensation to which you may be entitled as quickly and efficiently as possible while still respecting your right to be informed of and involved in your lawsuit. Call or contact Harrison | Kristopher today.