LOS ANGELES PREMISES LIABILITY ATTORNEY

Property owners and managers who have control over real property in Southern California can be held liable for injuries that happen on their premises.

This is why owners, managers, and occupiers are supposed to have periodic inspections to make sure no unsafe conditions exist on the premises. They should then fix any hazards they discover or, at a minimum, warn visitors so that they can avoid them.

Normally the property owner is ultimately responsible for the injuries on his/her premises despite whoever is managing the property. This means that even if the property is managed by another entity such as a hired property manager or a management company, the responsibility for safe conditions still lies within the owner of such real property.

Most common injuries in premises liability cases arise from broken stairs, broken sidewalks, uneven floors, damaged sidewalks and other poorly maintained infrastructure and or hazardous conditions.

Why Contact Premises Liability Lawyers?

When you are injured in an accident on someone’s premises due to existing hazardous conditions, the first thing that’s on your mind is your own well-being. Depending on your injury you may not even think about holding the real property owner responsible for your injuries because you are simply too preoccupied with physical and emotional pain and concerns. However, you should be aware that you may be eligible to file a premises liability claim if you’ve been injured by:

Dog Bites
Insufficient Security
Fires
Misplaced Electrical Cords
Poor Lighting
Exposure to Chemicals
Construction Materials
Spilled Liquids
Uneven Floors
Swimming Pool Accident
Falling Merchandise

Accident injuries make a significant impact on many different facets of our lives. Our Los Angeles premises liability attorney has worked with injury victims extensively and understands the circumstances people are faced with after injuries. We can examine your circumstances and come up with a workable plan to recover the maximum compensation possible for your inconvenience, pain, and suffering.

What Should You Do after an Accident?

The first order of business is to obtain medical care if you are suffering from a life-threatening injury. Go to the hospital and tell the doctor about how you were hurt. For example, if you are bitten by a dog, you do not want to get rabies, so a doctor can give you a shot. Receiving medical attention also creates a “paper trail,” which is helpful if a dispute breaks out later about whether you are really injured.

If your injuries are serious but not life-threatening, you should begin gathering evidence at the accident scene. You can also ask a friend or bystander to collect evidence:

Identify witnesses. Someone who saw the incident could testify later in court about what happened, but the odds are high you’ll never see them again. Get their names and contact information so an attorney can interview them.
Photograph any hazard that contributed to the accident. If the floorboards are uneven or a liquid spill caused you to fall, you’ll want a picture. This evidence won’t exist in six months when it comes time to settle a claim. The last thing you want is a defendant to claim you injured yourself by being clumsy.
Ask for the name of who owns the property where you were injured. This might be the party you sue. You might also seek any surveillance video which recorded the incident.

If you were attacked on the premises, you should report the incident to the police. This is a public safety issue and people must be notified.

Is the Property Owner Liable for Compensation?

The key issue will be whether the owner used reasonable care to keep the property safe. “Reasonable,” of course, is a vague standard. California doesn’t make property owners automatically responsible for every injury on the property. The law is subtler than that.

At base, this is a facts-and-circumstances analysis which looks at a variety of factors, such as where the property is located and the risk of injury. A court will also consider how expensive or burdensome it would have been to fix the hazard that injured you, and how difficult it would have been to avoid the hazard in the first place.

For example, a child might have been injured after wandering onto a neighbor’s property and falling into a swimming pool. A judge would consider how likely it would be whether children would trespass and whether the owner knew. The judge will also consider how expensive it would be to put up a fence around the pool or install a pool cover so that no one would get injured.

An experienced Los Angeles premises liability lawyer can review the facts for you and decide whether the owner used reasonable care. The defendant might also claim that your own negligent or reckless conduct is to blame, and we will counter that accusation.

Our Premises Liability Attorneys Are Here to Help You

After you receive medical treatment for your injuries, you should consider speaking with our Los Angeles premises liability attorney to see if negligence had a role in your injury on real property premises. We will examine your claim and let you know if you have a case.

Other Los Angeles Practice Areas