Los Angeles Premises Liability Attorney
Don’t Let A Serious Injury Ruin Your Future
Property owners and landlords are legally responsible for ensuring that the property is reasonably safe for visitors, residents, and employees. If an injury or accident occurs on someone else’s property due to negligent maintenance or a failure to warn others about hazards, the property owner can be held responsible through a premises liability claim. These accidents can result in severe injuries and financial burdens, including permanent disabilities such as brain damage, paralysis, amputation injuries, and other serious afflictions that significantly impact their lives.
If you or a loved one recently suffered injuries in a premises-related accident, please contact us to schedule a free initial consultation with a qualified Los Angeles premises liability lawyer at Zakaryan Law Group. During this consultation, we can discuss your case and the types of damages you may be entitled to. Simply call (818) 399-7922 or contact us online today. One or more parties could owe you and your family financial compensation for your losses.
Property owners, from residential homes to businesses, can be held liable if some hazard on their premises causes injury to someone. Premises liability law encompasses many different types of accidents in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, these accidents are relatively common. Slip and fall cases alone send over one million people to emergency departments throughout the U.S., according to the National Floor Safety Institute.
The Los Angeles premises liability attorneys at Zakaryan Law Group have the experience representing those injured by property owner negligence. We handle many types of premises liability cases throughout California:
Some of the most common types of premises liability lawsuits involve:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Animal attacks and dog bites
- Workplace accidents
- Amusement park accidents
- Store or restaurant accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Child injuries
- Elevator and escalator accidents
- Negligent security
- Structural collapses
- Fires
- Exposure to toxic substances
However, merely getting hurt on someone else’s property isn’t enough to maintain a premises liability case. It’s important to understand the necessary elements of these claims and what type of visitor the victim was. Whether you or a loved one have experienced any of the above mishaps, or perhaps you have suffered from an accident not listed here, call Zakaryan Law Group today for a free consultation so that you can fully understand your legal rights and know what your case is worth.
Premises liability injuries can range from minor cuts and scrapes to wrongful death. The type of injury a victim suffers depends on the circumstances and cause of the harm. Our lawyers have experience representing those who have suffered catastrophic, serious, and minor injuries.
However, the most common minor injuries victims suffer include:
- Severe Burns
- Neck and Head Injury
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Ligament Injuries
- Electric Shock
- Bone Fractures
- Soft tissue Injuries
- Fall Injuries/Slip-and-Fall Incidents
- Disfigurement and Disability
- Psychological Injury
- Wrongful Death
If you’ve been hurt on someone else’s property, quick action is essential to preserving your legal rights. First, document as much about the injury – and the hazardous property condition – as you can. Take pictures, record video, and save your medical bills. This documentation will be necessary when it comes time to calculate your damages. That includes keeping records about missed work and any other expenses or losses associated with your injury.
Next, regardless of the specific circumstances of your accident, if it took place on someone else’s property, once your medical needs have been met, do not delay in contacting a skilled Zakaryan Law Group Los Angeles premises liability lawyer. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can analyze and preserve evidence of your accident (and any other accidents that may have occurred at the same location) which can be helpful in building your case and negotiating the maximum compensation you deserve.
According to California Civil Code 1714 all parties are legally responsible for the results of their want of ordinary care or skill in the management of a property, as well as their willful acts. This means that property owners must keep their premises in reasonably safe conditions. In most cases, they must also warn visitors about hazards on the property they know about but cannot remedy. When a property owner fails this duty and the failure results in another party’s injuries, the property owner may be liable for the injured party’s damages.
The duty a property owner owes a party depends on the party’s classification. There are three classifications of visitors. They are:
- Invitees—These are people invited to the property for business or commercial reasons, for example, restaurant or grocery store patrons. Property owners owe invitees the highest duty of care.
- Licensees—These are people the property owner knows are on the property but did not expressly invite, for example, a mailman or neighbors.
- Trespassers—With some exceptions (e.g., the trespasser was a minor and was drawn to the property by an attractive nuisance), the only duty a property owner owes trespassers is to refrain from causing willful or wanton injury or injury through gross negligence.
Once an injured party establishes that they belong to one of these three classes, they must prove that the property owner acted negligently and was thus responsible for their injuries.
An important law called a statute of limitations presides over all premises liability cases in California. This is the maximum amount of time a victim has to bring a cause of action. It is critical to obey your statute of limitations, as almost all cases brought after the deadline are rejected by the courts. Only a few rare exceptions to the rule exist.
In California, the statute of limitations on a premises liability case is two years from the date of the accident (California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1). You must file your claim within two years of the accident if you wish to have a valid lawsuit, in most cases. If you didn’t notice your injury until a date after that of the accident, the clock will start on the date of discovery. Discuss your accident with an attorney as soon as possible to make sure you meet your filing deadline
However, California does have a few exceptions that may allow for an extension, such as:
This includes the plaintiff being:
- A Minor
- Out-of-state
- Incarcerated
- Legally Insane
- Incapacitated
With only some exceptions, the courts in California will refuse to hear an injury claim that is filed after the expiration of the statute of limitations. This is why it is important to consult with a experienced premises liability attorney in Los Angeles as soon as possible after the event. An attorney can quickly go to work on your case to make sure that your lawsuit is filed before the deadline.
A property owner’s specific duties of care will depend on your status as a visitor and the circumstances of your accident. Some of the most common premises liability accidents we see at Zakaryan Law Group are slip and fall accidents, escalator/elevator accidents, dog bites, swimming pool accidents, exposure to hazardous substances, burns from fires, electrocutions, and structural collapses.
If you suffered an injury in any of these types of accidents, you could have a case against the property owner and/or tenant of a rented property for negligence.
Compensation available may include:
- Economic damages. These are the tangible, financial or out-of-pocket costs connected to your premises liability accident. They can include existing medical bills, future medical treatments, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medications, lost wages, property repairs, legal fees and travel costs.
- Noneconomic damages. These are the intangible physical and emotional losses suffered in the accident. You could recover compensation for your pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, trauma, inconvenience, lost quality of life, loss of consortium, scarring or disfigurement, and more.
- Punitive damages. In rare cases, a premises liability lawsuit may result in a punitive damage award. Rather than making the victim whole again, punitive damages serve to punish a defendant for especially wrongful or negligent acts, such as gross negligence. It is up to a judge’s discretion whether or not you receive punitive damages in a premises liability case.
If you lost a loved one in a premises liability accident in Los Angeles, you could be eligible for other types of compensation, such as the costs of a funeral or burial, the loved one’s lost future income and inheritance, and compensation for the loss of the victim’s love, support and companionship.
The values of premises liability claims vary significantly depending on their unique factors. Some of the factors that may affect how much you receive in compensation are injury severity, recovery time, income, age, health, available insurance, and the actions or behaviors of the defendant. To learn more about your rights and recover money for your injuries in a personal injury claim, call us for a free consultation at (818) 399-7922 to speak with a Los Angeles premises liability attorney at Zakaryan Law Group.
At Zakaryan Law Group we handle all types of premises liability injury claims. We know how the negligence of a property owner – whether an individual, corporation, or government entity – can cause serious injury, permanent disability, and even death. When you choose Zakaryan Law Group, you can be confident knowing someone will always be available to discuss your case. We offer a free, no obligation consultation to answer your questions and explain your legal rights and options.
To learn more about the amount and types of damages available after a Premises Liability Injury, please feel free to call us at (818) 399-7922 or contact us online for a free consultation today. Serving the greater Los Angeles area.
