The Frustration of Glendale Parking Lot and Sidewalk Fall Accidents
You love your home and are proud of it. You keep it well maintained and safe and secure for your family and loved ones. However, it’s not just your home that you should stay safe.
As a Glendale property owner, you also must keep your visitors secure by keeping your premises safe. And this includes parking lots, sidewalks, and other outdoor areas.
It’s important because negligent property owners will be held liable for any fall that causes injuries. For example, water-slicked surfaces, loose paving stones, potholes, and poor lighting can trigger potential sidewalk and parking lot falls and injuries.
Your Responsibilities as a Property Owner
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls are the leading cause of more than eight million hospital emergency room visits. And most of the time, these accidents occur for no reason of the victim’s.
Home, business, local government, and other property owners have a general obligation to ensure their property is free from hazards. They should at least ensure visitors are aware of any existing threats. Property owners may be responsible if visitors get injured on their property.
This area of law is called ‘premises liability and extends to parking lots and sidewalks.
It’s the owner’s responsibility to:
- Maintain and repair their premises and keep them safe for visitors’ use.
- At least post warnings if they cannot remove any sidewalk or parking lot hazards in time.
- Use fencing or some barrier to safeguard the area.
Potential sidewalk and parking lot fall hazards include:
- Potholes or any depressions caused by settling or broken pavement
- Any spills like drinks, antifreeze, engine oil, or dropped groceries
- Water, mud, sleet, ice, or snow
- Shifted or uneven surfaces caused by loose or broken paving stones
- Poor lighting that hides surface changes like speed bumps, tire stops, and curbs
- Shifting turfs like gravel, sand, mulch, or crushed stones
- Debris and other clutter like equipment, trash, and tools
You have a valid personal injury case if you trip and fall on a property because of any one of these dangerous conditions.
How Do You Decide If You Have a Slip-and-Fall Claim?
You need to ensure you have a claim because all slips and falls don’t lead to lawsuits.
Furthermore, you are entailed to financial help if you got seriously injured after slipping and falling on a property. You can claim if you fell because of the property owner’s or their management or staff’s negligence.
So, you can claim the property owner’s liability insurance. While most cases involve negotiations or litigations, it’s better to investigate to prove the claim’s validity and value.
You can claim compensation for:
- Lost wages
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Existing and future projected expenses
- Damaged property like broken mobile phones or torn clothes
- Punitive damages
Hire a Glendale Personal Injury Attorney If You Are a Slip-and-Fall Victim
An initial investigation helps determine your sidewalk slip-and-fall claim validity and value. This is where your injury lawyer in Glendale can help. They will assess your case to determine how much you can claim for the property owner’s negligence.
They have the experience to handle all the confusing paperwork involved in filing a claim. There are deadlines to be met to file legal claims, called the statute of limitations. Your lawyer knows about it and will ensure you file your claim on time.
Most importantly, you needn’t worry about paying them. Most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. In this case, you needn’t spend your attorney upfront. You may at the most have to pay for any paper.