Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident in Encino?
A simple trip to a grocery store, a walk through a shopping center on Ventura Boulevard, or a visit to an apartment complex in Encino can turn into a life-altering event because of a property owner's negligence. A slip, trip, or fall caused by a preventable, unsafe condition can lead to severe injuries and overwhelming medical bills.
Under California law, property owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for visitors, customers, and tenants. When they fail in this duty, they must be held accountable. The Encino slip and fall lawyers at Cohen & Marzban are dedicated to fighting for victims of premises liability and securing the compensation they need to recover.
Proving Negligence in a Slip and Fall Case
Winning a slip and fall case requires more than just proving you were injured on someone else's property. We must prove that the property owner, or their employee, was negligent. This means demonstrating one of the following:
- The owner or their employee caused the dangerous condition (e.g., spilled liquid and failed to clean it up).
- The owner or their employee was aware of the hazard but failed to take corrective action or provide an adequate warning.
- The owner or their employee should have been aware of the hazard through routine and reasonable property inspections and maintenance.
The Critical Evidence We Gather
Evidence in a slip and fall case can disappear in minutes. A spill can be cleaned up, a warning sign can appear, or a broken step can be hastily repaired. Our team takes immediate action to preserve the proof needed to build a winning claim, including:
- Incident reports: Securing the official report you filed with the property manager or business owner at the time of the accident.
- Surveillance footage: Obtaining video from security cameras that may have captured the fall itself or the hazardous condition before the incident occurred.
- Witness statements: Interviewing other customers, employees, or tenants who saw what happened or were aware of the dangerous condition.
- Maintenance logs and records: Demanding a property's inspection and cleaning schedules to prove they failed in their duty of care and did not follow their own safety procedures.
Common Hazards Leading to Slips and Falls
Most slip and fall accidents are preventable and often result from a property owner's failure to maintain a safe environment. We have extensive experience in cases involving:
- Wet or slippery floors without adequate warning signs
- Cracked, broken, or uneven sidewalks and pavement
- Poor lighting in stairwells, hallways, and parking garages
- Loose or torn carpeting, rugs, and mats
- Debris, clutter, or merchandise left in walkways
- Unrepaired potholes or broken stairs
Common Injuries from Slip and Falls
A sudden fall can cause surprisingly severe and debilitating injuries with long-term consequences.
- Hip and pelvic fractures: Especially common and dangerous for older adults, these fractures often require emergency surgery, hospitalization, and extensive rehabilitation.
- Broken bones: Fractures of the wrist, arm, or ankle are common as victims instinctively try to break their fall, leading to significant pain and medical costs.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Striking one's head on a hard floor or surface can cause concussions or more severe brain trauma, even from what seems like a minor fall.
- Spinal cord and back injuries: A hard fall, particularly on stairs, can lead to herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, or catastrophic damage to the spinal cord.
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