Item: Normandie Law Firm
Rating: 5
Author: Gina Rasmussen

parking lot injury lawyer slip and fall Slip and fall accidents can be incredibly devastating, resulting in injuries that range from minor bumps and bruises to truly life-changing traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. What adds to the threat of slip and fall accidents is the fact that they can happen anywhere at any time, whether at your local restaurant, a corner grocery store, or for the sake of this article, at a nearby parking lot. Fortunately, if you suffer from a slip and fall accident at a parking lot caused by a defect or hazard on the premises, you may be able to file a claim for significant monetary compensation. However, filing these lawsuits can be incredibly tricky without proper legal assistance on your side. At Normandie Law Firm our parking lot slip and fall and trip and fall accident lawyers can guide you through the process of building your case, filing your claim, and reaching a settlement that covers all the damages you endured as a result of the accident. If you have any questions after reading this article, please feel free to reach out to our law offices in Los Angeles, California for a free consultation from one of our well-versed legal advisors.

Parking Lots & The Slip and Fall Accidents that can Occur
Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents at parking lots can be particularly damaging to victims. Often the impact of tripping or falling on concrete or asphalt can result in some truly devastating injuries. These accidents can occur at any parking lot, from your local CVS to a nondescript parking garage. Listed below are some of the popular retail stores in the Los Angeles where slip and fall or trip and fall accidents can occur:

Wal-Mart
Target
CVS
Walgreens
Smart and Final
Albertsons
Home Depot
Costco
In-N-Out
Macy’s
JC Penny
Khol’s
Lowe’s
Best Buy
Sears
Rite Aid
Whole Foods
Trader Joes
Nordstrom
Staples

These are just some of the retail stores and locations where you could suffer a parking lot slip and fall or trip and fall accident. Many who suffer these accidents are unsure of their legal rights regarding whether or not they can sue the store or parking lot owner for the damages. The short answer to this question is, yes, you can, but certain criteria first are met before you can reach a successful claim for compensation. One of the most significant factors in filing your claim against a retail store or parking lot owner is being able to identify what specifically caused your slip and fall accident. Listed below are some of the common causes of slip and fall accidents in parking lots:

Cracked pavement
Potholes
Oil Spills
Uneven pavement
Inadequate parking lot lighting
An accumulation of water
Ice slicks
Debris
Damaged or cracked wheel stops
Cracks in the cement

These are just some of the potential causes of parking lot slip and fall and trip and fall accidents. In truth, you can file a lawsuit against a store or parking lot if your injuries were caused by an apparent defect or hazard in the parking lot that the owners or retail store staff failed to remedy or make patrons aware of. Besides being able to show what caused your accident, another large factor in filing your claim is being able to identify and prove your injuries were caused by accident. To give you an idea of some of the kind of injuries you could endure from a slip and fall or trip and fall accident, we’ve included a list of some of the more common injuries below:

Head Injuries: Head injuries can range from minor contusions (or brain bruising) to more severe traumatic brain injuries or TBIs. Some TBIs can cause ongoing seizures, mood changes, cognitive impairment and other debilitating symptoms. In most cases, head injuries require emergency room treatment, or hospitalization and in more severe cases can result in death.
Hip Fractures: Hip fractures often require surgery and extended hospitalization. In some more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to implant an artificial hip. Out of every five hip fracture patients, one of them dies due to their injuries
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries: Injury to the spinal cord can lead to permanent paralysis, temporary paralysis and other severe neurological and sensory impairments
Shoulder Injuries: slip (trip) and fall accidents can result in shoulder dislocations or more severe forms of shoulder injuries called brachial plexus injuries. The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that connect the shoulder, arm, and hand to the spinal cord. These injuries are often treated with surgery followed by extensive physical therapy
Sprains and Fractures: The force of slipping and falling can cause minor to severe bone injuries. In some cases, the impact of the ground could cause minor sprains, in others; it could cause debilitating bone breakage that may result in temporary disability. Some of the common fractures that victims suffer include hip, spine, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper arm and hand.

Once you have identified the cause of your injuries and the injuries themselves, it is highly recommended that you consult an attorney as soon as possible. The sooner you reach out to an attorney the more likely you will be able to reach a satisfactory outcome of your case.

Accidents Caused by Parking Lot Design Defects

Parking Lots Often Have a Lack of Proper Exit and Entrances

Many times, a parking lot will have an impromptu exit or entrance, especially when there are large events and overflow grassy parking areas that are makeshift to accommodate overflow car spots. In these cases, the lack of a proper exit and entrance is a recipe for disaster in a parking lot. These types of parking areas will be rife with people driving their cars in a crazy and haphazard manner, as there will be no verified and solid stripes to delineate where the parking lot entrance and exits are actually located.

When there are no proper exit and entrances to a parking area, it can become a free for all in regards to parking and driving of cars in those types of lots. There will be people driving willy-nilly:

On both sides of the lane
Backing up into other cars
Hitting pedestrians
Running too fast over hills or bumps
Spinning out in the mud
Coming too fast on an embankment
Having the driver’s vision obscured
Not watching their mirrors
Passing vehicles on all sides
Not allowing pedestrians the right of way

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in a parking lot without a proper exit and entrance, you need to give our law firm a call.

Improper Design of Pedestrian Walkways in Parking Lots

When there is an improper design of a pedestrian walkway in a parking lot, it can cause a slip and fall risk for a pedestrian. You may have a walkway that is full of hazards for walking, including:

Improperly graded
Full of water and puddles
Full of potholes
Full of gravel and stones
Uneven and pitched wrong
Difficult to navigate by foot

If this situation has occurred, you will need to give our law office a call. Just call the Normandie Law Firm and we will be able to help you right away.

No Stop Signs in Areas Where Pedestrians Walk Across

If there are no stop signs in areas where pedestrians need to walk across, there will be problems with moving safely in those locales. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident where there are no stop signs, just give our law office a call. Cars that speed by pedestrians trying to cross a street will hit a pedestrian more often than not, when there are no properly marked and delineated stop signs.

Lack Of Painted Crosswalks – For Pedestrians

Pedestrian traffic needs to have a painted crosswalk if they are to cross safely across a way where cars are traveling. There will be issues for the pedestrians if they don’t know where they are supposed to walk safely when crossing a street or motorway. Pedestrians who have to guess as to where they can walk across a roadway will be in the path of a car, and may suffer being hit by a car as well. This will always be a dangerous situation for a pedestrian, and personal injuries will be the result of this problem.

Lack Of Speed Bumps – Or Visible Speed Bumps

In the event that there are no speed bumps or visible speed tables, then there may be no way to slow down oncoming traffic for the pedestrians. Pedestrian traffic should have the right of way on the roads, but it often does not work out that way. Some drivers are unaware that there will be or could be traffic from pedestrians on a motorway. For this reason, the traffic is more likely to hit an unassuming pedestrian, when the motorists don’t know that they should be slowing down for people and foot traffic.

If there are pedestrians, the drivers of cars in the area need to know that pedestrians need to use the walking areas adjacent to the roads as well. If there are missing markings that pedestrians are using the walkways, then there will be a high chance of accidents. Pedestrians can be hit by a car easily if the car does not understand that pedestrians are nearby and the car needs to take special care.

Accidents – Injuries – Sexual Assault and Assault and Battery during Tailgating Events and Parties

Many people are sexually assaulted during a tailgating event, which can occur

During games
In stadiums
During tailgating parties
Prepping for the tailgating party
Cleaning up the tailgating party

Some people join tailgate events and do not know anyone at the event. In that case, it is possible that someone can sexually assault the partygoers, and no one will be held accountable for that criminal action.

If you are injured by being sexually assaulted at a tailgate, you need to call us at the law office today. We are able to help you and our attorneys are ready to talk to you about your trauma from the sexual assault, and your personal injuries right now. We can initiate a lawsuit for you, and will get you the personal recovery compensation package that you deserve in this type of case.

How to File A Personal Injury Claim in a Parking Lot Slip and Fall Accident
Many individuals who suffer from parking lot slip and fall and trip and fall accidents are often left in the dark in regards to what their rights are. Usually, there is confusion, which someone else other than the retail store, or parking lot owner, should be held liable for the damages; however, this is the exact opposite case. When clients with parking lot slip and fall accident cases come into our law firm, our skilled attorneys make them well aware of premises liability law and how it influences their case.

Premises liability law essentially states that the owner of a property should be held liable for the damages of an accident caused by a hazard that could have been avoided, or a defect in the property that was not remedied in a reasonable amount of time. While the details for premises liability differ between states, there are some aspects of this legal theory that remain unchanged. Below are the essential elements necessary for filing a case under premises liability:

There was a hazardous condition or potentially dangerous condition on the property, like broken concrete or a hazardous ice slick, that presented an unreasonable risk of harm.
The property owner, or parking lot owner, should have been aware of the dangerous condition
The parking lot owner or property owner failed to either warn guests of a reasonable condition and did not take reasonable action to remedy the issue.
The hazardous condition resulted in the injury of a tenant or patron.

Proving the liability of the parking lot owner can be nearly impossible without sufficient evidence to back up your claims. This evidence can take the form of photographic evidence of the hazard which caused the accident, parking lot security cam footage detailing the incident, eyewitness accounts, or medical bills that detail your injuries. It is also highly recommended that you report the accident to the managerial staff as soon as possible. The sooner you report the accident, the less likely the property owners will be able to dispute your claims.

In court, the evidence previously collected can be used to prove a claim of negligence. Claims of negligence can play a crucial role in the outcome of a personal injury case, as it is required that you can show the defendant’s negligent actions directly led to your injuries. While every claim of negligence is different, there is a fundamental structure to every claim of negligence that should be followed. This structure is bulleted below for your reference:

Duty: The plaintiff (injured or damaged party) must be able to show that the defendant (property owner or parking lot owner) owed a legal duty to the plaintiff under the particular circumstances of the case.
Breach: The plaintiff must be able to show that the defendant breached said legal duty through specific actions or failure to act appropriately
Causation: The plaintiff must be able to show that the defendant’s actions or lack thereof caused the plaintiff’s injuries
Damages: The plaintiff must be able to show that they endured some specific damages. This aspect can usually be shown through the presentation of medical records, a loss of wages, or a loss of potential income.

parking lot injury accident attorney for slip and fall When clients seek assistance for their parking lot slip and fall and trip and fall cases, we recommend they adhere to the statute of limitations that influence every personal injury case. The statute of limitations is the period in which an injured party has to bring their case to court. If they fail to bring their case forward within this determined period, their case could be removed from court entirely. The statute of limitations changes from state to state, and there are some exceptions to the statute that may or may not be present in your case. For example, in the state of California, victims of personal injury have two years from the date of their accident to bring their case to court. When bringing your case forward, it is in your best interest that you seek legal guidance from an attorney that is well-versed on the statute of limitation laws in your state and the potential exceptions to this ruling. Having the right attorney by your side can make all the difference in your slip and fall parking lot accident case. While every individual has a right to represent themselves in court, the best way to guarantee a satisfactory settlement is through the consultation of a skilled and experienced attorney.

How Normandie Law Firm Can Help
If you or a loved one have suffered injury after a slip and fall accident at a parking lot as a result of a defect in the lot, or the negligence of the parking lot owners, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the party responsible for your damages. However, when filing these kinds of lawsuits it, is in your best interest to seek assistance from an attorney who can sue the parking lot. At Normandie Law Firm our Los Angeles lawyers experienced in parking lot slip and fall accidents are committed to ensuring our clients receive all the resources they require to earn the compensation that they deserve their damages. If you file a claim with our law firm, you could find some if not all of the following damages compensable to you:

All of you medical and hospitalization costs
All of your future medical care and treatment
A loss of income and loss of future earnings due to long-term recovery or permanent disability due to the accident
Compensable economic damages include loss of property or damaged property.
Compensable non-economic damages include emotional distress, trauma, PTSD resulting from the accident, pain and suffering and anxiety.

Victims of parking lot slip and fall accidents can contact our law offices to learn more about how to receive compensation for their injuries. While our law firm is based in Los Angeles, our attorneys also practice in Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange County, Riverside, Fresno, and throughout the state of California.

Free Second Opinions
Other attorneys will sign you up for their firm but will disappear once your name is on the paper as they are busy signing up more cases. In these instances, their business is based more on volume and will attempt to sign up as many cases as possible. In turn, they will spend less time on cases resulting in severely reduced settlements. Our firm will not treat you like a number. We will be in communication with you throughout our lawsuit and will treat you like family. So if you already have an attorney don’t worry, we’ll give you a second review of your case 100% free of charge.

Zero Fee Guarantee-No Upfront Fees Ever
If you contact our law offices today, we can walk you through the complicated process of filing your claim completely free of charge. As a show this commitment to you and your case we offer our clients the benefits of a zero fee guarantee policy. Under our zero fee policy, all clients don’t pay for our services until their case is won. If you feel in need of a second opinion, second opinion case reviews are also free under this policy. Please, feel free to give us a call, and we can guide you down the path of receiving proper compensation for your damages.

Premises Verdicts and Settlements

Our experienced injury lawyers have successfully recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. Below, we present to you a brief list of our more recent slip and fall, and premises liability verdicts and settlements. If you have any questions regarding your slip and fall case, feel free to contact our law office.

$305,000