Handling Slip and Fall Injuries in Greater Los Angeles
Have you been injured in a painful slip and fall accident? These accidents are easily avoidable, and they often result from the inexcusable negligence of a property owner or occupier. A typical slip and fall accident involves slipping on a wet surface and breaking a hip or injuring your spinal cord.
If you have been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, Los Angeles slip and fall injury attorney Michael Ghozland of the Ghozland Law Firm stands ready to roll up his sleeves and fight for your rights so that you can receive the full compensation you deserve.
Slip And Fall Claims And Premises Liability Under California Law
An open storefront is an implied invitation for anyone to come in and shop. Once you enter the property you are considered a guest, and the owner or occupier is legally responsible for making reasonable efforts to ensure your safety. This might mean:
- repairing a weak stairway railing
- assigning an employee to immediately mop up spilled liquids
- erecting a “Caution: Wet Floor” sign after mopping or spills
- repairing potholes in a parking lot; or
- ensuring that elevators are properly maintained
But I Can’t Afford to Hire a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney!
Actually, you can — at least at my firm you can. I am so confident that I can win slip and fall compensation for you, that you will not receive any legal bills from me until I win your case and you are paid. In the unlikely event that you don’t receive any compensation, you will never receive a legal bill from me – my services will be free. Feel free to contact me even if you haven’t a dollar in the bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I win a slip, trip and fall claim if the property owner didn’t know about the dangerous condition but “should have known” about it?
Yes, it is possible. Suppose, for example, that you trip and fall on a stone that was obscured by tall grass that the property owner neglected to mow. Even if the property owner claims that he didn’t know of the existence of the stone because he didn’t see it, it might still be possible to win a slip & fall claim by asserting that the owner should have mowed the grass sooner and therefore “should have known” about the stone.
Can I win a claim against a shop owner if I slip and fall on a wet floor because an employee disobeyed the shop owner’s instruction to clean it up?
It is certainly possible. The shop owner probably cannot be relieved of liability simply because his employee violated his instructions – generally speaking, an employer is considered liable for slip and fall accidents caused by his employee even if the owner was not personally at fault.
Can the IRS tax my slip and fall compensation?
Probably not. The IRS will not tax any amount intended to compensate you for personal injury, unless you have previously taken a deduction on that amount. You can be taxed on any judgment interest paid to you, however, and on any punitive damages you receive (punitive damages are not normally awarded in slip & fall cases).
I slipped down some recently mopped stairs while I was intoxicated. Do I have a slip and fall claim?
Perhaps. Even if you were partly at fault for the slip & fall accident, under California’s “pure comparative negligence” scheme, the owner or occupier of the premises would still owe you at least some slip and fall compensation if the was partly at fault (even one percent at fault. Your damages would be reduced, however, in proportion to your percentage of fault.
