Sidewalk Slip And Fall Accident In Los Angeles

Our Los Angeles accident attorneys have decades of experience representing slip-and-fall accidents, contact us today to see how you can get the justice you deserve.

There are around 15,000 miles of sidewalk area in Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles is considered to be very pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and has dedicated pedestrian and bicycle lanes on the side of several streets. This is to prevent any extreme accidents resulting in severe injuries since car congestion on the roads increases the likelihood of accidents. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city put a pause on sidewalk repairs that had to be done. Currently, the city of Los Angeles is trying to catch up on all those repair orders from a couple years ago. This means that there are several thousands of miles of sidewalks that have not been repaired, and pose an injury threat to pedestrians on the street.

Slip and fall accidents on sidewalks are bound to happen, especially to older adults and younger children. Uneven sidewalks can pose a very risky threat to several thousands of people who walk on sidewalks each day in Los Angeles.

What causes trip and fall sidewalk accidents in Los Angeles?

There are several different reasons as to why someone may trip and fall on the sidewalk in Los Angeles. Reasons for this may include:

Icy surfaces: Sidewalks that have icy surfaces can pose a slip risk to pedestrians who pass by. This type of accident most likely happens during the early morning hours after a night of rain. The cold can freeze the rain, causing an icy surface on the sidewalk.
Wet surfaces: this most likely occurs when a house is watering their front yard, and the sprinkler system gets the sidewalk wet. When this occurs, there is a high likelihood of slipping and falling on the sidewalk.
Potholes: potholes are more likely to be visible after rain showers. A pedestrian who was walking on the sidewalk could have their entire foot caught in the pot hole, or could have the front of their shoe caught in the pothole, causing them to fall over.
Uneven cement: one of the most common causes for uneven pavement on the sidewalk are roots grown from large older trees. The city of Los Angeles has several different kinds of trees and shrubbery that are specifically native to the city. However, many of them are known to have thick roots that could get very complicated and difficult to maintain.
Items on sidewalks: sometimes, many people choose to place their unwanted objects on the sidewalk for trash pickup, or for passersbys to pick up for free. When this happens, it could be a barrier in the sidewalk where many must be weary of.
Bicycles: it is not uncommon for bicycles to be left on the sidewalk unattended in the city of Los Angeles. Many people use bicycles each day to get to work and school. When bicyclists try to stop by a restaurant, they may place their bicycle on the sidewalk. This could cause trip and fall accidents to passerbys.

Can you sue if you trip and fall on a sidewalk in Los Angeles?

If you have been injured while walking on a sidewalk, you are able to hold the responsible party liable for your injuries. In California, you do have the right to hold negligent parties responsible. But, you must meet all the criteria required. For example, there are time limits that you must have to meet. If you do not meet these time limits, you will lose the right to file the lawsuit.

Who is liable in a sidewalk trip and fall accident?

Each case is different, especially when it is a trip and fall accident. It is important that you have an experienced trip and fall attorney from the beginning to research and look into how the accident occurred. After the accident is determined, you will then be able to decide which party should be held liable for your Los Angeles trip and fall accident. Examples of different parties we have seen include:

The city: the city could be held responsible for accidents that occur on public sidewalks. Reasons for this may be because they negligently repaired the sidewalk, or field to repair the sidewalk in a vast amount of time.
Third-party contractors: The city usually has a contract with third-party contractors to repair and maintain the sidewalks. If you were to trip and fall on a sidewalk and hold the city responsible, the city will most likely try to point the finger at other third-party contractors they gave the job to.
Bicyclists: bicyclists driving on the sidewalks can cause trip and fall accidents.
Homeowners or property owners adjacent to the sidewalk: if homeowners are responsible for the sidewalk, and caused the negligent condition for the sidewalk, they could be held responsible.
Businesses: sometimes, businesses place signs or banners out on the sidewalk. When this happens, they could potentially ruin the flow of traffic, and pose a safety risk to pedestrians. Businesses could also be held responsible for any injuries caused in a trip and fall sidewalk accident.

What kind of compensation can I recover for my sidewalk trip and fall accident?

Past lost wages
Future lost income
Impact on your life, such as your loss of enjoyment end loss of comfort
Future medical care
Past medical care
Imaging done for your injuries
Emotional distress as you heal from your injuries

When should I file my slip-and-fall sidewalk claim?

One of the most important things you should remember when filing a sidewalk claim is that there are time limits on when you must file a lawsuit. If you filed a lawsuit after this time limit, you could potentially lose your lawsuit, and the right to ever file a lawsuit against the party for compensation. In California, it is 2 years from the date of the injury. Meaning that if you were to file the lawsuit after two years, you could risk losing your case.

But, the most common party that is a defendant in a lawsuit is the city in sidewalk accidents. When you are to file a lawsuit against the city, you have six months from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. Those 6 months can pass by very fast, especially if you are going from one medical provider to another medical provider just to get help for your injuries. Call us today as soon as possible after an accident.

Have you been injured on a sidewalk in Los Angeles?

Call us today. Our accident attorneys are contingency-fee lawyers. This means that our contingency fee does not require you to pay for our accident attorneys upfront. We will do all the work associated with your trip and fall lawsuits. When we collect compensation in your favor, we will then deduct a portion from that compensation for our fees. This means that if a settlement is not decided, or you have not won a monetary judgment, you do not owe us anything.

Call our trip and fall accident attorneys today to see how we can help you get the care you deserve. Get in touch with us today.