John Wayne airport (airport code SNA) is a public airport in Santa Ana that serves the Greater Los Angeles area. Formerly known as Orange County Airport, the facility offers flights through multiple airlines, including United Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines. With approximately 10,000 passengers traveling in and out of SNA at any given time, there’s an increased risk of injuries from a slip or fall or trip and fall accident.
Airport owners, operators, and employees have a legal obligation to protect people from dangerous conditions on their property. That means they must take all reasonable actions to resolve hazards that can cause someone to fall, or alert people of the hazard with clear warning signs and barriers. If the airport’s failure to take such measures led you to have an accident, you may have grounds for a lawsuit against Orange County and any other entity that can be blamed for your injuries.
If you are in need of legal advice from a John Wayne airport slip and fall lawyer or SNA trip and fall attorney, contact Normandie Law Firm to schedule a free case review.
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Leading Causes of Fall-Related Incidents at John Wayne Airport
There’s no denying that airports are full of dangerous elements, which can result in a serious accident. Here is a list of the most common hazards that can be blamed for a slip and fall or trip and fall injury:
- Slippery floors – from drinks, water, greasy food, cleaning fluids, etc.
- Water leaks in bathrooms and around public fountains
- Broken hand rails on stairs and in bathroom handicap stalls
- Poor lighting
- Defects with the flooring – uneven flooring, missing tiles, worn carpeting.
- Outdoor hazards – broken pavement, debris in the parking lot, snow and ice
- No Wet Floor signs
- Slippery steps on escalators
Normally, it’s the airport that’s responsible for an accident on their property under California’s law of premises liability. However, you will need to prove that your accident was caused by negligence, i.e., the airport failed to take care of a situation that had the potential to cause an accident. For example, if you fell off the escalators from slipping on a drink that was spilled on the steps, that could be the basis for a slip and fall lawsuit. For more information on the legal basis for an accident claim against John Wayne Airport, please take some time to speak with a SNA slip and fall lawyer at our law firm.
Common SNA Airport Slip and Fall Injuries
Now that we’ve talked about an airport’s duty of care to you as a guest on their premises, let’s look at the injuries that you can end up with from slipping on or tripping over something at John Wayne airport:
- Broken bones
- Deep lacerations
- Infections from cuts and puncture wounds
- Hip fracture
- Traumatic brain injury
- Injuries to the knee – fractured kneecap, torn ligaments and tendons
- Dislocated joints
- Spinal cord damage
- Neck injury
- Disfigurement
- Ankle fracture or sprain
- Ruptured spleen
- Paralysis / loss of function
- Chronic pain
- Mental health disorders (PTSD, depression, insomnia, etc.)
- Death
Sometimes, a victim can sustain severe injuries that they are unable to recover from. A common example involves complications from a broken hip, which is a common cause of death among the elderly. As someone that lost a loved one to an accident at Orange County Airport, you may have grounds to sue the county for wrongful death compensation. This type of lawsuit will compensate you for medical costs, funeral expenses, and other losses you are left with after your loved one’s passing. For a free consultation with a wrongful death attorney, please contact our office.
What Should I Do if I was Injured at an Airport?
Taking the right steps after your accident is the best way to protect your rights if you’ve sustained airport slip and fall injuries at John Wayne Airport. Below are some tips on what you can do in the moments after a trip and fall or slip and fall incident:
Notify airport staff that you’ve been injured.
Get the attention of a security guard or another staff member right away and make it clear that you’ve been injured, which will initiate the process for an accident claim. When you are asked questions about the incident, avoid saying “I’m sorry” or any other statements that can make it seem like you are at fault
Use your phone to take pictures of your injuries and the condition that caused you to fall.
Try to capture images of your injuries and the hazardous condition right away, before airport employees have a chance to clean up the scene. Also, look around for security cameras in the area, which are likely to contain valuable footage.
Obtain contact information from any witnesses.
If there are people that saw what happened to you, ask for their phone number, email, etc., so that they can be contacted for a witness statement.
Go to a hospital for medical treatment.
Don’t put off going to a hospital, since you will need medical records to prove that you were harmed from a slip and fall or trip and fall at John Wayne Airport. In addition to your medical records, keep any other forms of evidence that can help your case, like proof of missing days from work, witness statements, and what you were wearing at the time of the accident.
Seek legal advice from a law firm that’s experienced in airport accident liability cases.
Contact us for guidance on your rights and legal options from a SNA airport slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible. Our legal team will take immediate action to investigate your accident and ensure that you receive justice from a fall accident injury claim.
Compensation for John Wayne Airport Accident Victims
If you fall and injure yourself at John Wayne Airport, you may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages, which are meant to compensate you for the losses you’ve suffered. Here are some of the damages that may be available to you:
- Medical expense
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Attorney’s fees
- Punitive damages
Don’t worry if you don’t recognize some of the categories listed above. An attorney for slip and fall accidents at Orange County Airport will educate you on each of these damages during a free consultation. Then, they will explain the methods we can take to bring you the highest possible settlement if you tripped over something or slipped and fell at the airport.
Case Settlement Value for a Fall Accident Claim at John Wayne Airport
Understanding how much you can receive from an injury claim is critical when you have suffered an unexpected accident. But calculating the amount of compensation you are entitled to is a complex matter, which requires us to examine various factors, such as:
- How serious are your injuries, i.e., are there lasting complications that will impact your life for many years to come?
- Aside from the airport, are there other parties that you can go after in a SNA airport slip and fall lawsuit?
- Were the actions by the defendant that led to your injuries especially careless or reckless (which may allow you to seek punitive damages)?
- What is your level of pain and suffering from the accident?
- Have you developed mental health symptoms, such as post-traumatic stress, phobias, depression, and sleep disorders?
Based on our many years of representing injury victims, a SNA slip and fall lawsuit is probably worth around $200,000 to $2.5 million. An Orange County Airport trip and fall lawsuit, on the other hand, would likely fall within the range of $175,000 to $2.75 million. Your own case value may be lower or higher than these ranges, as it’s all based on the unique circumstances surrounding your accident. We have John Wayne Airport trip and fall attorneys and slip and fall experts who can help you determine what your own lawsuit is worth, so call us today and schedule a free case review.
How Long Does it Take to Get Paid on These Cases?
Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed amount of time in which these cases are settled, as personal injury lawsuits involve many complications that can come up during the legal process. In general, it takes longer to bring closure to severe injury and wrongful death cases. However, even relatively minor injury claims can take longer than expected, depending on the county’s actions and willingness to admit liability. No matter what, it’s our goal to recover your settlement within 6 months from the filing of your claim, but the process can actually take 2 years or longer if a trial is required. If you’d like to learn more about the factors that can affect the timeline to settle your case, contact us to speak with a lawyer experienced in slip and fall accidents at John Wayne Airport.
Is There a Deadline to File a Lawsuit against John Wayne Airport?
All lawsuits in California are subject to a statute of limitations, which is the amount of time you have to seek monetary damages from an at-fault party. Normally, the SOL is 2 years if you are suing a private individual or entity, but John Wayne Airport is owned and managed by Orange County. That means you will need to file a government claim within 6 months from the date you fell and got injured at Orange County Airport.
From the date of receipt, the county has 45 days to approve your payment request or send you a denial notice. If your claim is denied in writing, you can proceed with a lawsuit, which must be filed within 6 months of receiving the denial notice. If it turns out the agency fails to send you a response of any kind in 45 days, your deadline for a lawsuit is two years from the date of your accident.
It’s crucial to understand the timelines that apply to your case, as the courts rarely approve extensions once you exceed the statute of limitations. To ensure that your SNA trip and fall lawsuit or slip and fall accident claim is filed in a timely manner, don’t wait to speak with a fall accident injury lawyer at our office.
Take Advantage of a Free Second Opinion
Our law firm provides second opinion consultations if you have an active John Wayne airport slip and fall lawsuit or trip and fall case. Many people end up in situations where they are not happy with their lawyer or feel like their case is on the wrong track. Those are just some of the issues we can address during a free second opinion, which you can schedule immediately by giving us a call. You have nothing to lose, since there is no fee for this consultation. If you have questions or concerns about your case that you would like to discuss with one of our attorneys, please contact us at your earliest convenience.
Representation from a California Airport Accident Injury Lawyer
Negligence at an airport can lead to life-altering injuries, especially when they involve an unexpected fall. Slip and fall and trip and fall accident victims must seek advice immediately to learn about their legal options, which may include a lawsuit against John Wayne Airport. The lawyers of Normandie are more than ready to represent you and fight for the compensation you deserve under the law.
All you have to do is contact us for a free case evaluation, where you can learn about your legal rights from an experienced premises liability lawyer. If you decide to hire us, you pay nothing under the Zero Fee Guarantee. All legal fees are covered by Orange County and paid to us at the same time you receive your settlement. If we fail to secure payment on your behalf, you will be charged $0, since the only way we get paid is if you get paid.
We are standing by to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you were injured from falling down at Orange County Airport.
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