California Pizza Kitchen is a popular choice for diners of all ages, thanks to their wide selection of innovative pizzas, pastas, and salads. The company currently has over 250 locations in 32 states, making them one of America’s most popular casual-dining franchises.
Dining at a California Pizza Kitchen should be a relaxing and pleasant experience. But there are many ways that customer can be injured at these restaurants, and it’s up to the owners to ensure the safety of their premises. When owners fail to keep up reasonable safety standards, a customer may be injured from a slip and fall accident.
The dangerous consequences of a slip and fall should not be underestimated. Around 8 million people require emergency medical treatment every year due to a fall-related accident. Over 800,000 of those patients are hospitalized for serious injuries like hip fractures and spinal cord damage. Slip and falls can even result in death, especially for adults over the age of 60.
Have you been injured by a slip and fall while you were at a California Pizza Kitchen? If so, speak with the lawyers of Normandie as soon as possible. You may have a claim for monetary compensation, but you must act quickly to ensure that your lawsuit is filed on time. Contact our office and schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
Common Causes for Slip and Falls
The world is full of slippery or unstable things that can cause us to fall, but the possibility for a slip and fall are that much higher when you’re at a restaurant. Common causes for slip and falls at a California Pizza Kitchen include:
- Ice or spilled beverage on the floor
- Food spills
- Grease spills
- Failure to wipe off cleaning products
- Water leaks (especially in bathrooms)
- Mopping without a wet floor sign
- Worn carpeting
- Lack of or insufficient anti-slip mats
- Poor lighting
- Broken or slippery tiles
- Napkins / paper towels on the floor
Owners, by the way, are responsible for their entire property, which can include walkways, sidewalks, and parking lots. Here are some outdoor hazards that can lead to a slip and fall:
- Icy sidewalks and walkways
- Snow, ice, and debris in the parking lot
- Grease near or around the dumpster area
- Sap and juice from trees
- Puddles from water or improper disposal of cleaning products
- Worn astroturf
California’s premises liability laws require restaurant owners to fix or remove such hazards. Additionally, owners are also responsible for hazards they would have known about through routine maintenance and cleaning. For example, the restaurant should have known about the worn carpeting in their entryway and how that can cause an accident. If they fail to replace the carpet and a customer has a slip and fall, the restaurant is liable for the customer’s injuries.
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Slip and Fall Accident Injuries
Slip and fall accidents are taken very seriously by doctors, as they are the cause of many long-term or permanent injuries. These injuries include paralysis and death, which is why it’s essential to seek medical attention right away. Here is a list of the most common injuries you can sustain in a slip and fall accident:
- Hip fracture
- Dislocated knee
- Soft tissue damage
- Sprained ankle or wrist
- Concussion
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken collarbone
- Dislocated shoulder
- Cracked ribs
- Neck injuries (whiplash)
- Spinal cord damage
- Broken nose
- Eye injury
- Deep cuts / permanent scarring
Again, this is a just a list of the most common injuries that are associated with slip and falls. These accidents can also cause “invisible” injuries, like chronic pain, which victims will have to live with for life. Other injuries, like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, can result from the emotional ordeal of a slip and fall accident. Compensation is essential to recover from or manage these conditions, which is why you must start an injury claim without delay. To get started on a compensation claim, contact our office and speak to a slip and fall injury lawsuit attorney.
Filing a Lawsuit against the California Pizza Kitchen
To sue a restaurant for a slip and fall accident, you must prove the following elements:
- Duty
You were a customer, delivery worker, or some other person who had a legitimate reason to be on the premises. Therefore, the business owed you a duty of care.
- Breach
The business breached their duty of care through an act of negligence, like not cleaning up a spill or failing to fix tiles that were coming off the floor.
- Causation
The restaurant’s act of negligence created a hazard that led to your accident.
- Damages
The accident caused you compensable injuries, which allows you to sue for damages.
Some accidents are more complex than others, and you may be wondering if these factors apply to your slip and fall at a California Pizza Kitchen. Our lawyers can speak with you during a free case evaluation and advise you of your available legal options.
Damages from a Slip and Fall Injury Lawsuit
When we file a slip and fall lawsuit on a client’s behalf, we must consider the full range of damages they’ve suffered as a result of their accident. These damages vary depending on the client’s injuries, and how those injuries impact their life. However, a slip and fall injury lawsuit generally includes the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages or lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Property damage
- Legal fees
Some cases also quality for punitive damages, which you may have heard of in lawsuits involving 6 to 7 figure settlements. This is a special form of compensation that’s awarded by the court in cases of gross negligence. Essentially, if a defendant’s actions that caused the plaintiff’s injuries were especially outrageous, the defendant will be ordered to pay punitive damages as a form of punishment. Punitive damages can also set an example and deter other businesses from engaging in similar conduct.
However, punitive damages do not apply in most cases and even if they do, they are exceptionally difficult to win in the state of California. Our lawyers have many years of experience recovering punitive damages for qualifying clients, and will be happy to advise you of your rights during a free consultation. However, even if punitive damages are not applicable in your case, you can be sure that our lawyers will fight for every penny you deserve.
Wrongful Death Compensation for Family and Loved Ones
According to the National Safety Council, there were approximately 35,000 fatalities resulting from slip and fall accidents in 2019. An unexpected death brings many losses that loved ones and family members will struggle with. If you lost a family member or loved one to a slip and fall accident, you may entitled to wrongful death compensation. A wrongful death lawsuit against the California Pizza Kitchen can help you recover:
- Funeral expenses
- Medical bills
- Loss of expected wages / benefits
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Legal fees
Our attorneys can advise you on each of these damages and help you figure out a fair amount to ask for. Monetary compensation cannot make up for your suffering, but the party responsible for your loved one’s passing should be held accountable for their negligence. A settlement award can provide you with a sense of justice, while ensuring that you will not struggle from the losses left behind by the decedent.
For more information on your right to wrongful death compensation, contact us today and schedule a free consultation.
The Slip and Fall Attorneys of Normandie Law Firm
We trust that the restaurants we frequent are safe and well-maintained. That means they should be free of dangerous conditions that can lead to an accident. Sadly, some California Pizza Kitchens are not managed as well as they should be, and it’s often the customer that pays the price for their negligence.
As a slip and fall accident victim, you have the right to demand compensation from the responsible party. But getting the settlement you deserve can be difficult if the restaurant denies liability, or tries to blame you for the accident. That’s when you need the lawyers of Normandie, with our many years of experience in slip and fall accident lawsuits. We know the games insurance companies play, especially when they’re representing a major corporation like the California Pizza Kitchen. You can count on us to take the necessary actions on your claim and fight aggressively to recover the full value of your damages.
Another thing you can count is our Zero fee guarantee, which promises that you will never pay upfront for any of our services. Our lawyers work on contingency, so the only way we get paid is if you get paid. In the event that we don’t win your case, you owe us absolutely nothing under the terms of our contingency fee agreement.
To learn more about the legal actions you can take as a slip and fall injury victim, please give us a call at our office.
