Orange County Slip & Fall Accident Lawyer
Orange County Slip & Fall Accident Lawyer
Falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits every year. Over 1 million of these visits are due to slip and falls. Falls are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and the third leading cause in California, according to the National Safety Council.
The reality is that all fall accidents, whether slip & falls, trip & falls, or any others, are preventable. If you or a loved one have been involved in a fall accident, call us at (949) 771-4188 for a free consultation.
Do I Have A Slip & Fall Case?
In California, there are 4 essential elements for a successful slip & fall claim (or any claim for premises liability):
- The Defendant must have owned, leased, occupied or controlled the property at the time of the accident,
- Defendant was negligent in the use or maintenance of the property,
- You were harmed, and
- The Defendant’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing your harm.
An essential factor in slip & fall cases is “negligence”. Negligence is simply the failure to use due care as a reasonable person would use. Examples of negligence include:
- Wet Floors With No Hazard Signs – any establishment or public place must display a sign warning individuals of a wet floor. This includes cases where staff is mopping the floors, and when there is a spill of a watery substance. If the establishment or its employees knew of (or should know of) the wet floor and failed to have a proper warning sign, there is negligence.
- Defective Flooring (Slick Floors, Loose Rugs or Floorboards, etc.) – Property owners are required to maintain a safe environment for the public, which includes providing safe flooring. If floors are slippery, or if a floorboard is protruding from the ground and the owner fails to correct the defect, there is negligence.
- Poor Lighting – Owners must provide proper lighting on their property to prevent accidents. Inadequate lighting can lead to tripping, slipping, and other serious accidents that could be prevented in properly lit environments.
- Defective Sidewalks – A common cause of slip & falls are defective, or poorly maintained sidewalks. As a part of the property owner’s legal duty of care, they must properly maintain a safe sidewalk. Cracks or gaps in the concrete and uneven surfaces may cause injury. These defects can help show that the property owner was negligent to your safety.
If you or a loved one have been involved in a fall accident, call us at (949) 771-4188 for a free consultation.