Slip and Fall Attorney San Francisco Trip and Fall Elderly Fall Lawyers

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Slip and Fall

"Slip and fall" accidents occur when a person slips on a surface because of, for example, insufficient traction, while "trip and fall" accidents happen when a person trips over an object and falls to the ground. Slip and fall injuries often occur at retail stores, particularly supermarkets. Frequently, another customer will knock something to the floor, such as a piece of fruit or a container of liquid, which causes another unsuspecting shopper to slip on it and fall to the ground, sustaining injuries. A common type of fall in a retail store occurs when the store has advertising displays on the wall or signs on the top of racks that are intended to attract the shopper's attention to them, rather than on the floor where he or she is walking. Homeowners and apartment dwellers have an obligation ("duty") to keep their homes safe for visitors or warn the visitors of any dangers, especially those that are not open and obvious.

Trip and fall accidents often occur on uneven walking surfaces, such as a sidewalk or parking lot. In many of these types of cases, the owner of the property and/or its tenant will claim that the defect is "trivial" and therefore it should not be held to pay for the victim's injury or death. However, the seriousness of a defect is not determined by a tape measure alone. Any and all circumstances surrounding the accident which might have made the defect more dangerous than its mere abstract depth are taken into consideration. Factors that are considered include how long the defect has existed, whether the view of the defect was obstructed, whether the fall occurred at night in an unlighted area, and whether other persons were injured by the defect or notified an owner or employee of the defect.

When a person has been injured in a slip and fall incident, it is generally required that the owner and/or tenant of the establishment or property have "notice" of the existence of the dangerous condition, as well as a sufficient amount of time either to place warnings around the hazard or correct the hazard. Supermarkets and other stores must conduct periodic investigations of its floors to ensure that nothing has spilled onto the floor, creating a danger to its customers. If the dangerous condition was caused by an employee, the landowner or tenant has immediate notice of the danger and must promptly take steps to remove the danger before someone gets hurt.

If you have been injured in a "slip and fall" or "trip and fall" accident, you should promptly consult an experienced personal injury law firm so that the lawyer can begin an immediate investigation of the accident. If the injury occurs on public property (such as an uneven sidewalk), a claim is usually required to be filed with the appropriate governmental agency within six months of the incident. Slip or trip and falls can result in serious injury, such as broken limbs or traumatic brain injury (TBIs) when the head hits the ground, and an experienced lawyer can help to see that you get proper medical care and compensation for your injuries.

For more information visit our slip and fall information center

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Slip and Fall