Los Angeles Dangerous Conditions on Public Property Attorneys

Los Angeles Dangerous Conditions on Public Property Lawyers Fighting for the Injured

Every day, Angelenos walk city sidewalks, drive public roads, and visit parks, libraries, and transit stops they trust to be reasonably safe. When a poorly maintained walkway, an unmarked pothole, or a defective public structure causes serious injury, the government agency responsible often has powerful legal protections and a team of lawyers ready to deny your claim.

Cohen & Marzban has recovered more than $2 billion for injured clients across Southern California. With 40-plus years of experience and the Litigator Award, an honor reserved for the top 1% of trial attorneys nationwide, our Los Angeles dangerous conditions on public property attorneys have deep knowledge and experience taking on cities, counties, Caltrans, and other public agencies and pursue full compensation.

What Counts as a Dangerous Condition of Public Property

Under California law, a public entity can be held responsible when its property is unsafe, and that hazard injures someone using the property with reasonable care. The California Government Code defines a "dangerous condition" as a condition that creates a substantial, rather than a minor or trivial, risk of injury when the property is used in a reasonably foreseeable manner.

Our public property injury lawyers in Los Angeles handle claims involving a wide range of government-controlled hazards, including:

• Broken, uneven, or raised sidewalks that create trip-and-fall hazards;
• Large potholes, roadway defects, and sudden drop-offs on public streets and highways;
• Missing or obscured traffic signs, signals, and crosswalk markings;
• Poorly designed intersections and inadequate roadway lighting;
• Defective stairs, loose or missing handrails, and unsafe ramps at public buildings;
• Broken playground equipment and unfenced public pools;
• Missing guardrails and dangerous shoulder conditions;
• Negligent security and inadequate warnings in public facilities.

If a hazard on public property caused your injury, our skilled team can identify the responsible agency and build the evidence needed to prove your claim.

Common Injuries Caused by Dangerous Conditions on Public Property

The injuries our clients suffer from hazards on public property range from painful and temporary to permanent and life-altering. A single fall on a broken sidewalk or a crash caused by a roadway defect can lead to months of treatment, lost income, and lasting disability. Our Los Angeles public property injury attorneys regularly represent people harmed by:

• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions from falls or impacts;
• Spinal cord injuries that can result in partial or complete paralysis;
• Back injuries that cause chronic pain and limited mobility;
• Broken bones and fractures, especially of the hip, wrist, and ankle;
• Torn ligaments, sprains, and other soft-tissue injuries;
• Facial injuries, lacerations, and dental damage;
• Internal injuries and, in the most tragic cases, wrongful death.

No matter how serious your injury, our team will connect the hazard to the harm it caused and pursue the full compensation you're owed.

Premises Liability on Public Property

Premises liability is the legal principle that holds a property owner or controller responsible when unsafe conditions on their property injure someone. Everyone who controls property, from a private business to a state agency, owes a duty of care to keep it reasonably safe and to warn visitors of known hazards. When a government entity ignores that duty and a dangerous condition harms someone, the injured person may bring a public property premises liability claim in Los Angeles.

The key difference is the legal path. A premises liability case against a private owner proceeds under ordinary negligence law, whereas a claim against a public entity must satisfy the California Government Claims Act, which imposes stricter proof requirements, formal notice rules, and shorter filing deadlines. Our experienced attorneys have worked under both frameworks for years and know how to hold public agencies to the same standard of safety the public deserves.

Compensation Available in a Dangerous Conditions on Public Property Claim

A serious injury on public property can affect every part of your life, and California law allows you to pursue compensation for the full scope of your losses. Our Los Angeles public property injury attorneys recover both economic and non-economic damages, covering the financial and personal harm you have suffered.

When a dangerous condition on public property causes a death, surviving family members may pursue wrongful death damages for funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship.

Who Is Liable for Injuries on Public Property

Holding a government agency accountable is far more complex than a standard premises liability case against a private owner, because public entities enjoy broad immunity unless a specific statute allows a lawsuit. Government Code Section 835 is that statute, and it requires an injured person to establish four things:

• A dangerous condition existed on the public property at the time of the injury.
• The condition proximately caused the injury.
• The condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of the kind of injury that occurred.
• A public employee negligently created the hazard, or the agency had actual or constructive notice of it in time to fix it.

The issue of notice is where most public property injury claims are won or lost. Our experienced Los Angeles dangerous conditions on public property attorneys move quickly to request maintenance logs, inspection records, video evidence, and prior complaint histories that show the agency knew, or should have known, about the hazard and failed to act.

The Six-Month Deadline to File a Government Claim

The most important rule in any public property injury case is the strict deadline for taking action, which is far shorter than most people expect. Under the California Government Claims Act, injured victims must clear procedural hurdles that do not apply to claims and lawsuits against private parties.

Rather than the standard two-year statute of limitations, Government Code Section 911.2 requires that a formal written claim be presented to the responsible public entity within six months of the date of the injury. The agency then has 45 days to accept or reject the claim. Only after a rejection can a personal injury lawsuit be filed against the responsible agency, typically within 6 months of the denial.

Missing the six-month formal notice window almost always ends a case permanently, which is why contacting our Los Angeles dangerous conditions on public property attorney as soon as possible is critical to protecting your rights.