No one expects to be injured when running errands at the neighborhood grocery store, taking their child to the park, or passing by a construction site.
Unfortunately, premises liability injuries occur more often than you might think.
California law requires that property owners keep their property reasonably safe for visitors.
If you suffered slip-and-fall injuries, a property owner could be legally liable for your damages.
Read on to learn more about common injuries associated with premises liability cases and how a personal injury attorney can help you.
What Is Premises Liability?
You may be wondering, what Is premises liability? Premises liability laws permit persons injured by unsafe conditions on someone else’s property to recover compensation for their losses.
When a person suffers injuries due to a dangerous condition the owner of the property knew or should have known existed the owner can be held responsible.
Potentially liable parties in premises liability cases include:
- Private homeowners;
- Small and commercial business owners;
- Vacation rental property owners;
- Apartment, condo, and housing development owners; and
- Government entities responsible for public spaces such as parks, sidewalks, and post offices.
The injured victim must establish the property owner’s negligence to recover compensation for a premises liability claim.
The required elements of negligence include:
- Duty—the property owner owed a duty of care to the injured victim;
- Breach—the property owner breached the duty of care owed to the injured victim;
- Causation—the victim’s injuries would not have occurred but for this breach; and
- Damages—the victim suffered injuries they can be compensated for.
A personal injury attorney can assist you in gathering evidence to help prove the elements of negligence.
Your attorney can also investigate your injury to determine its cause, negotiate a settlement, and represent you at trial.
What Are Common Premises Liability Injuries?
Premises liability injuries can range in severity from minor to catastrophic. You may be entitled to compensation for any catastrophic, serious, or even minor injury.
The most common premises liability injuries include the following:
- Back, neck, and shoulder injuries;
- Head injuries;
- Lacerations;
- Bone fractures;
- Scarring and disfigurement;
- Soft tissue injuries;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Burns;
- Exposure to toxic chemicals;
- Loss of limb or extremities; and
- Internal organ injury.
Many of these injuries carry a risk of long-term or permanent consequences.
Even if you don’t suffer permanent injuries, you may have a long recovery ahead of you, disrupting your ability to work, your family life, and your mental health.
What Damages Can I Recover?
When your attorney calculates the value of your claim, they consider how each aspect of your life has been affected by your injuries.
California law permits injured victims to recover compensatory damages in the form of economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages represent tangible, monetary losses directly related to your physical injuries and include the following:
- Medical expenses,
- Loss of future wages,
- Lost wages, and
- Property damage.
Keep a copy of all receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and other evidence of your expenses to help your attorney calculate and prove your damages.
Noneconomic damages include psychological and emotional losses related to slip-and-fall injuries and other premises liability injuries.
These damages include the following:
- Emotional distress,
- Pain and suffering,
- Loss of enjoyment of life,
- Loss of consortium,
- Permanent injury or disability, and
- Scarring or disfigurement.
These damages represent actual losses resulting from personal injury and reflect an injury’s impact on their lives and relationships with loved ones.
Because noneconomic damages are not monetary losses, they can be difficult to prove without the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Contact Our San Francisco Premises Liability Lawyer Today
When you retain the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart for your premises liability case, you benefit from the wealth of Chuck’s three decades of experience helping injured clients.
The Law Office of Chuck Geerhart has successfully negotiated and tried multi-million dollar cases on behalf of our clients.
Well-versed in the tricks and tactics of insurance companies and opposing counsel, Chuck will fight tirelessly for you and ensure your rights are protected.
Premises liability injuries have the potential to change your life and your family’s life.
Our San Francisco premises liability lawyer at The Law Office of Chuck Geerhart is here to help you pursue the compensation you need to heal.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation to find out how we can assist you.