Were you injured in a slip-and-fall accident in Escondido, CA? If so, the property owner may owe you compensation for your resulting expenses and pain and suffering. However, obtaining the monetary award you deserve can be an uphill battle.
An Escondido slip and fall accident lawyer at Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help. Our legal team has over 20 years of experience helping injury victims throughout North County, San Diego. Since our founding in 2012, we have acquired over $40 million on behalf of our clients – and we’ll put our skills to work for you.
Call our personal injury law firm today at (619) 344-0360 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We’ll discuss your slip and fall accident in Escondido, evaluate your legal options, and identify all potential sources of compensation.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help After a Slip and Fall Accident in Escondido, CA?
Slip and fall cases can be especially difficult to prove. After all, the property owner may promptly repair the hazardous condition that caused your accident. While it’s always helpful to take a photo of the hazard right after the incident, victims aren’t always able to do so.
Our Escondido personal injury lawyers know how to prove slip and fall accident cases and hold property owners accountable. We’ll do everything possible to obtain a settlement or court award that fully compensates you for your harm.
If you hire Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers after a slip and fall accident in Escondido, California, we’ll:
- Thoroughly investigate how and why your slip and fall occurred and whether it could’ve been avoided
- Gather evidence proving that a dangerous condition existed on the property, causing you to fall
- Help you identify and calculate your damages
- Negotiate with the property owner (or their insurance company or defense attorney) on your behalf
- Take your case to trial in San Diego County if we cannot reach an out-of-court settlement
You don’t have to face a corporation or insurance company alone after a slip-and-fall accident. Let our Escondido personal injury attorneys take on the legal matters while you recover and heal. Schedule your free initial consultation today.
What Causes Most Slip and Fall Accidents?
All sorts of hazards and unsafe conditions can lead to a slip and fall (or trip and fall) accident, including:
- Wet floors and puddles
- Slick floors
- Damaged stairs and railings
- Loose carpeting or mats
- Broken flooring
- Potholes on sidewalks or in parking lots
- Obstacles or debris on the floor or in aisles
- Insufficient lighting
- Lack of handrails
- Defective escalators
- Uneven pavement, flooring, or sidewalks
- Loose wiring or cables
If you slipped and fell due to a hazard on the premises, you may be able to hold the property owner accountable for your resulting injuries.
What Is the Value of My Escondido Slip and Fall Accident Claim?
Because all slip-and-fall accident victims are unique, it’s impossible to give a value without knowing your specific circumstances.
When we’re assessing what your Escondido personal injury claim is worth, we’ll evaluate several factors, such as:
- The medical bills and other reasonable and necessary expenses you’ve incurred due to the accident
- The severity of your injuries and whether they’ve permanently impaired or disabled you
- Whether you contributed to your slip and fall in any way
- Your lost wages and job benefits if you missed time from work
- Whether your earning potential is reduced due to your injuries
- The property owner involved and the liability insurance coverage available
- The pain, suffering, and mental trauma you’ve endured
It can be challenging to put a dollar value on pain and suffering and future damages, like the ongoing need for physical therapy. That’s why it’s essential to get an experienced Escondido slip and fall accident attorney who knows how to accurately value your damages.
What Compensation Can I Pursue After a Slip and Fall in Escondido, California?
Slip and fall victims in Escondido can seek compensation for their economic and non-economic losses.
Economic damages come with a receipt, bill, or statement; they represent the financial losses you incurred due to the fall, including:
- Past medical costs, such as an ER visit, medical care, doctor’s visits, etc.
- Future medical expenses, such as ongoing treatment, physical therapy, etc.
- Out-of-pocket costs, such as travel, in-home assistance, and childcare
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
Non-economic damages don’t come with a price tag and are therefore more difficult to quantify; they may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Embarrassment
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Our slip-and-fall accident lawyers in Escondido will identify and calculate the full extent of your financial and non-financial losses.
Common Injuries Sustained in Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip, trip, and fall accidents can cause an array of injuries.
Our personal injury lawyers in Escondido have helped victims who have suffered:
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Soft tissue injuries
- Back injuries
- Nerve damage
- Wrist and ankle injuries
- Knee injuries
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Facial injuries
- Amputations
In the worst-case scenario, a fall can be fatal. Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers can help you file a wrongful death claim for your loved one’s funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship.
How Do I Prove My Escondido Slip and Fall Accident Case?
Under California premises liability law, property owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition.
They must take reasonable measures to discover unsafe conditions and fix known hazards. If they cannot repair the issue right away, they must adequately warn visitors of the dangers posed (such as putting up a warning sign or restricting access to the area).
To demonstrate an Escondido property owner’s negligence, you’ll need to prove:
- They owed you a duty of care (for example, were you an invitee or licensee? Property owners typically do not owe a duty of care to trespassers)
- The property owner breached their duty of care (e.g., by failing to inspect, repair, or warn of a hazard on the premises)
- The breach of duty directly led to your slip and fall accident (causation)
- You sustained damages due to the incident
The following types of evidence may be useful in a California slip and fall case:
- The incident or accident report
- Surveillance or security camera footage
- Photos and videos of the unsafe condition and your injuries
- Eyewitness statements
- Medical records
- Receipts, bills, and statements
Our Escondido slip and fall attorneys will help you gather the evidence required to prove that the property owner’s negligence caused your accident.
Who Could Be Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident in Escondido?
A fall can happen anywhere: inside a store, outside in a parking lot, and on public or private property.
The following parties can be held liable:
- Property owners
- Landlords
- Property managers
- Negligent third parties
- Businesses
- Government entities
- Any other party that maintains control over the property
These parties may be responsible for falls that occur in:
- Stores
- Shopping centers and malls
- Gyms
- Hotels and motels
- Restaurants, nightclubs, and bars
- Office buildings
- Parking lots
- Parking garages
- Parks
- Government buildings
- Museums
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Construction sites
- Schools and daycare centers
- Entertainment venues
Regardless of where you slipped and fell, Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers can help you prove your claim for damages.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Partially At Fault for My Slip and Fall Accident in California?
Most likely, yes. California uses a pure comparative negligence standard when apportioning fault in a personal injury case. As long as you aren’t 100% responsible, you can potentially recover compensation from another at-fault party.
However, your awarded damages will be reduced proportionately to reflect your level of negligence.
For example, say you were texting while walking, didn’t see a wet spot on the grocery store floor, and slipped. However, the puddle had been there for a significant amount of time, so the owner should’ve taken reasonable steps to inspect and either clean the floor or put up a warning sign.
The court may say you were 45% responsible since you weren’t paying attention to where you were going. In that case, the store’s owner would only be liable for 55% of your damages.
If you’re being blamed for your slip and fall accident, seek legal help. An attorney can protect you from unfair allegations of shared fault and ensure you receive an amount that’s fair.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After I Slip and Fall in Escondido, CA?
California law typically requires you to file a personal injury lawsuit within two years after your slip and fall accident. If it was a fatal fall, you have two years from your loved one’s date of death to take action.
If you miss the statute of limitations that applies to your slip and fall accident lawsuit, you’ll be barred from recovering compensation from the at-fault property owner. Contact our personal injury attorneys in Escondido to preserve your legal right to financial recovery.
Contact Our Escondido Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident in Escondido, CA, Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers can help you hold the property owner financially responsible for their negligent property maintenance.
Contact our Escondido slip and fall lawyers today for a free case evaluation to discuss your potential options for securing compensation.
