Wet Floor Accidents in Los Angeles

Slips and falls on level surfaces are one of the primary causes of injuries in the United States. The risk of injury is heightened when the floor, pathway, or sidewalk is wet.

For individuals injured in wet floor accidents in Los Angeles, the owner or occupier of the property may be liable for your losses. Consult an experienced, local slip and fall attorney to learn about your legal options.

Property Owners’ Responsibility

Property owners must keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. This responsibility also applies to people who control access to property, such as business owners or renters who lease their premises. The obligation to provide reasonably safe premises extends only to legal visitors—there is no duty to protect trespassers.

Preventing visitors from slipping and falling on wet floors requires efforts to dry any wet surfaces as quickly as possible. An owner could erect a barrier to prevent access to the area or post wet floor signs when limiting access is not possible.

The efforts to keep the property safe must be reasonable, not perfect. The owner may not be liable if they do not have sufficient time to clean up the spill or provide warnings. A Los Angeles attorney could investigate any wet floor incident to determine if the owner or manager did not take reasonable steps to prevent it.

Building a Strong Case for Liability

Anyone involved in a wet floor accident should take immediate steps to preserve their rights. You should take pictures of the area where you fell, including photographs of any signs or barriers. You should ensure the property owner or manager is aware of the incident and get contact information for any witnesses.

The most crucial step is to seek a medical evaluation immediately. Sometimes traumatic injuries do not produce immediate symptoms, but a medical professional can screen for likely injuries. The medical record obtained from a health care provider soon after a fall is persuasive evidence an attorney could use to prove that the fall caused the injuries.

If you are injured in a Los Angeles wet floor accident, avoid discussing it with others. A social media break is advisable until a claim is resolved. Investigators for the property owner’s insurance company typically scour an injured person’s social media postings, looking for evidence that the injury existed before the fall or is not as severe as the wounded person claims.

Pursuing a Claim for Damages

When an injured person can demonstrate that a property owner did not take reasonable steps to prevent a wet floor accident, the owner is liable for the injured person’s losses. These include medical expenses, property damage, incidental costs, reduced income, and compensation for pain and suffering.

California Civil Code §1714 makes everyone responsible for the results of their actions. When an injured person is partly responsible for an accident, the amount they could collect is reduced by a percentage equal to their share of the responsibility.

However, a Los Angeles attorney could ensure that the person injured in the wet floor accident does not carry an unfair share of the responsibility. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, a legal professional could present evidence showing that a property owner failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate a wet floor hazard.

Consult a Los Angeles Attorney After a Slip and Fall on a Wet Floor

Wet floors pose serious hazards. Property owners are responsible for preventing you from slipping and falling on a wet floor on their premises.

We encourage individuals injured in wet floor accidents in Los Angeles to schedule a consultation with our team today to review your situation.