How to File an Incident Claim against the City of South Lake Tahoe

Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, South Lake Tahoe is the most populous city in El Dorado County. The city’s economy largely depends on tourism in the Lake Tahoe area, where you will find numerous ski resorts, restaurants, shops, and hotels. The east end of the city is also a short distance away from the California-Nevada state line, where all the casinos are.

Due to the high volume of traffic and visitors flowing in and out of the city, it’s essential that the government of South Lake Tahoe upholds their duty of care to the public. There are many agencies that provide essential services within city borders, like the Fire Department, Public Works, Police, and the Airport division.

If, for any reason, the city is lax in their duties or engages in reckless conduct, innocent people may be injured or end up with significant damage to their property. Perhaps you or your loved one was involved in an accident that resulted from negligence by the city of South Lake Tahoe. If so, you have the right to seek payment for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages associated with the harm you suffered. Contact Normandie Law Firm today and schedule a free consultation to learn about your rights and legal options. Our legal experts can help you with a City of South Lake Tahoe claim for any type of incident, including:

• Slip and falls on city property, especially city-owned buildings
• Trip and falls on city sidewalks and streets
• Struck by a falling object
• Pedestrian and motor vehicles accidents with firetrucks, police cars, and other city vehicles
• Accidents at Lake Tahoe Airport due to black ice, airline negligence, pilot error, wet floors, etc.
• Injured due to a collapsing roof, ceiling, or building
• Assault and battery / sexual assault

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How to File an Accident Claim against the City of South Lake Tahoe

If you are interested in seeking compensation from South Lake Tahoe, you must begin the process by obtaining a Liability Claim Form. You can download a copy of the forms here or stop by the City Administration office at 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. Upon completing the form, you can drop it off in person or mail it to: City of South Lake Tahoe Attn: City Clerk’s Office, 1901 Lisa Maloff Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.

The form (including the instructions) is only 2 pages, so you will need to attach additional pages to answer some of the questions. In addition, you must supply documentation to prove that the city is liable for the incident and that you have incurred specific damages as a result of your injuries. There are other aspects of the form that you will have questions about, but if you ask the city offices for help, they will tell you to speak with a lawyer.

This is good advice, as you should obtain representation from someone that’s looking out for your interests, just like the city is looking out for its own interests. The members of our legal team have decades of experience in filing city and county government claims, so we know exactly the type of information that’s needed to prove how the city is at fault. You can also depend on us to fight for maximum payment and bring you the compensation you deserve from the city of South Lake Tahoe.

Once your paperwork is filed by the City Clerk, there is a deadline of 45 days for the city to investigate your case and make a decision on whether to approve or reject your claim. Should you receive a rejection notice, which can happen by email or postal mail, you have the choice to file a personal injury lawsuit against the city within 6 months. If you have not done so already, please ask for help from an accident injury lawyer, who can help you navigate the legal system and negotiate a payment amount that will cover all your current and future expenses.

Filing a Claim for Accidents at Lake Tahoe

Because Lake Tahoe is a major tourist destination, there are many accidents that can happen in and around this location. Lawsuits can be complicated if you are injured at Lake Tahoe, since some of the property is owned / operated by the city, while others are owned by private companies. For example, Lake Tahoe is known for its ski resorts, including the famous Heavenly Mountain Resort. The resort is privately owned by a company called Vail Resorts, so this is the party you would sue as opposed to the city of South Lake Tahoe.

The process to sue a private entity is different than filing a claim against a public entity, like a city government. To ensure that you are following the correct procedures, please take a moment to speak with a City of South Lake Tahoe accident claims attorney.

I Didn’t get Anything from the City and It’s been 45 Days – What Do I Do?

Don’t panic if you didn’t receive a letter or email from the city notifying you whether your claim was approved or denied. This doesn’t happen too often, but yes, it’s possible that the city will fail to issue a response within the timeframe of 45 days. At this point, you can still seek payment by filing a lawsuit with the civil court system. But in this case, the statute of limitations for a lawsuit is 2 years of the accident date, since you can’t go by the date of rejection notice.

Statute of Limitations to File a City of South Lake Tahoe Claim for Damages

Please note that the deadline to seek compensation for negligence by the city of South Lake Tahoe is

6 months from the date of injury. This deadline cannot be waived, so if you are more than 6 months from when the accident occurred, you will not be able to proceed with a claim, even if the evidence clearly shows that the city is at fault.
Please don’t wait to contact our office and schedule a free case evaluation with one of our attorneys. That way, we can get to work on investigating your accident, building a strong case, and ensuring that your claim is filed by the deadline of 6 months.

Average Settlement Amount from a City of South Lake Tahoe Claim

Victims of an accident caused by the city of South Lake Tahoe can end up with payments ranging from $5,000 to $3,000,000 or more. The degree of injury (or multiple injuries) is the most important factor, especially for those who end up with disability or another permanent health condition. However, there are numerous issues we have to consider before we can say what your lawsuit is worth. With that in mind, the focus should not be on the average value of a City of South Lake Tahoe injury case. Instead, you should speak with one of our legal experts to figure out how much you can receive from an accident claim.

How Long Does it Take to Settle a Claim against South Lake Tahoe?

Overall, claims for injuries resulting from negligence by the government take anywhere from 1 to 2 years. Of course, we do have instances where a settlement is reached much faster (within the first few months), but a timeframe of 6 months or less is unlikely if your claim is rejected and you need to file a lawsuit through the court system. This is often the case, which is why a city of South Lake Tahoe claim can take at least 12 months to settle. In the event that your lawsuit goes to trial, 3 or more years may be needed to recover the compensation you are owed. However, we want to stress that trials are very rare, and in our experience, less than 5% of all accident claims are tried before a judge and jury.

Pay $0 in Legal Fees

Victims of an accident should not be burdened by the expense of hiring a qualified attorney. Here at Normandie Law Firm, we have a policy known as the Zero Fee Guarantee. Essentially, you pay $0 to hire a personal injury attorney, since we ask the city of South Lake Tahoe to pay for legal fees. The city pays us on the condition that we win your lawsuit, and if we don’t recover your payment, you walk away without spending a penny.

As you can see, there is nothing to hold you back from contacting our law firm and talking to a lawyer that can sue for accidents caused by the city of South Lake Tahoe. Please give us a call to schedule a free case review.

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