Torrance Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer
Unintentional falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits in the United States. Among older adults, these falls are often fatal. In fact, falls are the leading cause of unintentional death among folks over 85. Falls are especially common in nursing homes, Over half of nursing home residents experience a serious Torrance injury every year.
A compassionate Torrance slip and fall accident attorney from the Soofer Law Group understands the physical and emotional pain and suffering that a serious fall causes not only to the victim but also to the victim’s family. So, we approach every case with the same simple commitment. We promise to give our best effort every day. Furthermore, we always keep the lines of communication open, so victims and their families are never in the dark.
Contact us now at (310) 478-5090 to get our dedicated team on your side, because you have a limited amount of time to act. Call today for a free consultation!
Why Choose a Torrance Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer?
- Soofer Law Group gives it their all, providing the most aggressive yet compassionate legal representation and case evaluation for all of our clients.
- Every Torrance slip and fall lawyer at the firm will fight to protect the best interests and financial well-being of our clients.
- Ramin Soofer, the founding attorney, he has a proven track record achieving a favorable financial income for clients since 1993.
What Are Common Slip and Fall Accident Injuries?
If you are a victim of a slip and fall accident, there’s a chance you’ll suffer injuries to the body. Unfortunately, slip, trip, and fall accidents are more common than we may think. According to the CDC, more than one million Americans suffer from a slip and fall annually. Common injuries include:
- Cuts
- Bruising
- Sprained ankle or wrist
- Broken bones
- Spine and nerve damage
- Traumatic brain injury
How is Legal Responsibility in California Determined?
To determine legal responsibility, many states use a common-law classification system which is based on the landowner’s relationship to the victim. This system works well in many cases, but in other cases, it is very confusing.
So, California lawmakers recently did away with the common-law classification system and instead adopted a blanket duty of care for all landowners. This duty applies if:
- The defendant controlled (usually owned or operated) the land or facility
- The defendant was negligent
- That negligence substantially caused a Torrance injury.
However, not every landowner has the same duty of care. The level of responsibility varies according to several different factors, including:
- Property location,
- Likelihood of injury,
- Burden of reducing the risk of injury,
- Owner’s degree of control,
- Probable severity of injury,and
- Owner’s knowledge of the hazardous condition.
That last bullet point may be the most important factor of all, as outlined below.
How Do I Establish Slip and Fall Damages?
Owners are only responsible for damages if they knew, or should have known, about a hazardous condition that caused a serious fall. Legally, these two kinds of knowledge are called actual and constructive knowledge.
Actual Knowledge
Evidence of actual knowledge includes things like internal warning emails and restroom cleaning reports. These smoking guns usually emerge during a lawsuit’s discovery process. That’s one reason it is often necessary for a Torrance slip-and-fall attorney to file legal paperwork, even though the claim will probably settle out of court.
Constructive Knowledge
Constructive knowledge evidence usually involves the time-notice rule, which comes from a legendary case called Anjou v. Boston Elevated Railway Company. While she was at a busy Boston train station, Ms. Anjou slipped and fell on a banana peel. Witnesses said the peel was black and gritty, as though many people had walked on it.
The company denied responsibility for Ms. Anjou’s injuries, claiming that it did not know about the banana peel. The court eventually concluded that, since the peel was black and gritty, it had been on the floor for a while, and someone should have picked it up. However, if the peel had been yellow, knowledge would probably not attach, because the peel had probably just fallen on the floor.
Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to banana peels and other hazards. These victims often cannot see obstacles in their paths and they cannot dance around them if they see them.
What Are the Damages in a Slip and Fall Claim?
Damages in a slip and fall claim usually include compensation for economic losses, such as medical expenses, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Talk to a premises liability attorney in Torrance for more information.
Find the Best Professional Torrance Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
Slip-and-falls may be unintentional, but they often cause serious injuries in Torrance. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Torrance, contact the Soofer Law Group if you have a premises liability case. We do not charge upfront legal fees in injury cases. Choose the right, reliable slip and fall lawyer, call us today at (310) 478-5090.
We have offices in Torrance and Los Angeles, CA. However, we proudly serve all areas of Southern California.