The Anaheim slip and fall attorneys of Bisnar Chase have been representing slip and fall clients for over three decades. We’ve taken on some of the toughest cases and have held a 99% success rate. Our attorneys are trial lawyers who have been serving in the Anaheim and Orange County area for over 39 years.
We have built a reputation on trust, passion and results. Our team has collected over $700 million in verdicts and settlements and we may be able to help you too.
If you’ve been injured in a premise liability accident, contact our Anaheim slip and fall lawyers for a free case review. Call 949-203-3814.
Proving Fault in a Slip and Fall Case
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 2.8 million people have been hospitalized because of a slip and fall incident. Injuries from slip and fall accidents can range from broken hips to traumatic brain injuries. Physical pain and suffering can lead to an individual losing the ability to work or even perform daily tasks.
Someone should be held responsible for your injury.
There are important factors that a slip and fall victim must consider when proving fault.
5 important questions to ask to prove fault in a slip and fall accident:
- Were there procedures in place where the slip and fall could have been prevented?
- Did the property owner know about the dangerous conditions that caused the accident?
- How long had the error been present before the slip and fall incident?
- Was there a legitimate reason for the error not to have been fixed?
- How often are safety inspections conducted?
Trip & Fall Accidents
While you may not think of slip, trip & fall accidents as being a major financial problem in our society, the fact is that these accidents cost everyone millions of dollars per year. Of the millions of Americans each year that fall victim to a slip trip, 15 percent are reported to be compensation claims. This means that employers and taxpayers are all affected by the number of slip and fall accidents occurring all around us. Of course, this does not mean that the victims of these accidents are being paid a just settlement for the sum of their injuries.
Particularly in Anaheim, we see a lot of slip, trip, and fall cases because it is a top tourist destination with a huge number of visitors. Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm for example can pose many premise liability injuries.
What to Do If You Slip and Fall in a Store
Many victims of slip and fall accidents do not know where to begin. From the emergency room to being bombarded by insurance adjusters, the aftermath of the event can seem overwhelming.
The following are guidelines to help you navigate through a slip and fall case:
Seek medical Attention Promptly
The first step to take after you have been in a slip and fall incident is to immediately receive medical attention. Although injuries can stem to be minor, there are cases where you could be left with bone fractures or a severe head injury. It is also wise to seek professional medical help right away to begin collecting medical documents associated with the incident. This medical evidence will prove to strengthen your case.
Follow protocol
The necessary action you must take after the accident is to fill out a slip and fall incident report and also inform the manager of the store. The sooner the manager is aware of it, the sooner you can find out if the incident could have been prevented. Take note; if the manager uses phrases such as “this always happens” you can use this as a way to support your claim of negligence.
Be cautious around insurance adjusters
After the incident insurance adjusters and attorneys will be approaching you. It is important to be aware that these individuals want to give you the least amount of money possible. You do not need to be defensive or rude but you do need to watch what you say. Also never downplay your injuries, that would only hurt your case in the long run.
What is Different About Slip and Fall Litigation?
Slip & fall lawyers work with the victims of these accidents to recover a fair amount from the employer, company, or individual that caused the conditions that led to the accident.
Slip and fall litigation is different from some other types of personal injury litigation in that the at-fault party may not have been at the scene when the accident happened, or may not have even been in the same location as the victim.
The victim and the at-fault party may never have met. All that is necessary for a person or company to be liable for a slip, trip, or fall case is to create a condition that leads to the accident itself.
For example, an employee might mop a floor in a store and forget to put out a ‘wet floor’ sign. If an elderly lady is shopping and slips on the wet floor, falling and breaking her hip, the employee and the company may both be liable for her injuries.
Slip & Fall Liability
This situation actually arises frequently and points out another reason that consulting slip & fall attorneys may be a good idea for victims. The liability question in an injury case like this can be complex, as when one person causes the dangerous conditions that lead to a fall, another person is a supervisor of the at-fault party, and still another person owns the property on which the accident occurred.
It takes the knowledge and expertise of a professional slip and fall lawyer to navigate the sometimes complex relationships between at-fault parties and those who are responsible for the maintenance of the accident site.
Further, there may be a question of exactly how much fault each person bears under the circumstances. Sometimes employees are only following orders – does this mean they are not liable for creating the dangerous situation that led to your fall? An expert injury and accident attorney can help you answer that question and determine who is really responsible.
3 Common Slip and Fall Questions
Navigating through a slip and fall case can be difficult. If you fall on someone else’s property there is a great chance that you can be compensated for your injuries. It is best to collect basic information in order to move forward legally with your case.
Who is responsible if I am a victim to a slip and fall accident? The property owner is legally responsible for a slip and fall incident. If a property owner does not meet the necessary standards for its customers or entrants it is strongly suggested to follow through with a slip and fall injury claim.
What if a slip and fall incident occurs at somebody’s house? If you find yourself hurt at someone’s place of residence, the owner of the house is legally responsible for your injuries. Homeowners insurance is set in place so that if a slip and fall does take place your medical bills or other accumulated cost are covered.
What if the property owner claims to not be at fault? This is unfortunately very common. There have been incidents where a property owner does not want to take responsibility for your injury. Even if the property owner denies responsibility, you are still advised to move forward with a case.
Slip and Fall Compensation
Compensation for a slip and fall depends on many variables. The type of injuries you obtained, the amount of time to recover, and any long-lasting medical issues as a result. Compensation doesn’t depend on whether you are in Anaheim or another California city, but rather the extent of the injuries and the culpability behind it.
Many slip and fall claims are settled early on and reimburse your medical bills and time off work which can be a few thousand dollars — but more serious injuries can lead to a jury trial if the premise owner isn’t willing to pay you fairly. Those cases can go into the hundreds of thousands.
If you have been the victim of a slip, trip & fall, be sure to talk to an Anaheim slip and fall attorney that understands these injuries thoroughly and has the experience to handle your case well. Please call us at 949-203-3814 for a free case consultation.
