Have you ever walked on a sidewalk in Los Angeles? If so, you have probably noticed that some of the city’s sidewalks are in substandard shape. Many Los Angeles sidewalks are in deteriorated states and can pose a risk of injury to unsuspecting pedestrians. Were you recently injured in a trip and fall accident on a city sidewalk? Did the city’s negligence lead to your accident? Could your trip and fall accident have been avoided if the city of Los Angeles had addressed the hazards present in the sidewalk?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you must seek legal assistance as soon as possible with the attorneys at Normandie Law Firm. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury firm dedicated to fighting for the rights of all parties affected by unfortunate city sidewalk trip and fall accidents. If you would like to speak with our lawyers, you must contact our firm immediately.
The City’s Liability for Sidewalk Incidents
Can you sue the city for personal injury? If you suffered a personal injury because of the negligence or recklessness of the city, you could sue the city for personal injury. You can sue the city whenever the city has liability for your accident and your injuries. Does city liability apply to sidewalk trip and fall accidents? If you suffered a trip and fall or a slip and fall on a city street, the city could be found liable. Certain sidewalks are owned and managed by the city. The city is responsible for repairing and maintaining sidewalks. If a city is notified of a sidewalk trip hazard but fails to take action to address the hazard, a pedestrian could suffer a trip and fall accident and suffer injuries. If the harm suffered is a direct result of the city’s failure to address the hazard, the city could be liable for the victim’s injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of our experience handling sidewalk trip and fall accident claims, our law firm is often approached by recent victims of sidewalk trip and fall accidents with many questions. Unfortunately, information about the rights of victims after being involved in sidewalk accidents is not readily available; therefore, many victims are left with doubts and confusion after suffering accidents. Below, you will find some of the most common questions our attorneys encounter along with the appropriate answers.
Can I file a claim for falling because of a cracked sidewalk?
If you fell because of a cracked sidewalk, you could file a claim. However, you could only be eligible to receive compensation if you suffer injuries. If you fell because of a cracked sidewalk but did not suffer injuries, you might be ineligible to be compensated. The party or entity who you file the claim against depends on who is liable for the sidewalk that caused your fall.
Can you sue if you trip on a sidewalk?
Yes, you can sue the city if you trip on a sidewalk. If you tripped on a city sidewalk and sustained injuries, you could sue the city. However, you can only sue and pursue legal action if you suffered injuries after you tripped and fell on the defective sidewalk. If the sidewalk is not found to be defective, you might not have the right to sue.
Can I file a claim against the City of Los Angeles for falling because of a cracked sidewalk?
Yes, you can file a claim against the city of Los Angeles. If your fall was caused by a sidewalk defect, such as a cracked sidewalk, you could file a claim against Los Angeles. Since the city is liable for keeping city-owned and -managed sidewalks free of hazards, you have the right to sue after a trip and fall accident because of a defective city sidewalk.
Can I sue the city of Los Angeles if I fell and got injured because of a crack in the sidewalk?
Yes, you might have grounds to sue the city. If your foot got stuck in the crack and you fell, you might have grounds to sue the city of Los Angeles. If the city failed to address the hazards present in city sidewalks, they could be held accountable for trip and fall accidents.
Potential Hazards
Any pedestrian can identify a sidewalk that is in good condition and a sidewalk that is in need of repair. Unfortunately, not all pedestrians can identify hazards—especially if the hazard is hidden or not blatantly obvious. Below, you will find a short list of some of the most common types of sidewalk hazards that could cause trip and fall accidents:
- Broken concrete
- Crack in the sidewalk
- Holes in the sidewalk
- Lose concrete
- Missing concrete pieces
- Uneven sidewalk
If you suspect that your accident and your injuries were caused by a defective sidewalk that was not properly maintained by the city, you might have the right to file a lawsuit. For more information in regards to your right to sue after tripping on sidewalk, you must contact the sidewalk trip and fall lawyers at Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.
Possible Injuries Sustained
If a sidewalk trip hazard caused you to trip and fall, you might have suffered injuries. Sidewalk trip and fall accidents are often associated with insignificant surface injuries, such as scrapes and mild bruising. However, sidewalk trip and fall accidents have the potential to leave victims suffering from a variety of injuries. Some of the injuries that victims could suffer after falling on city sidewalks are listed below:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Torn ligaments
- Strains and sprains
- Shoulder injuries
- Rib injuries
- Punctured organs
- Nerve damage
- Neck injuries
- Lacerations
- Hip injuries
- Head injuries
- Fractured hand
- Fractured elbow
- Dislocated knee
- Broken wrists
- Broken leg
- Broken kneecap
- Broken arm
- Broken ankle
- Back injuries
As you can see, there are many injuries that unsuspecting pedestrians could suffer after sidewalk trip and fall accidents. The type of injuries suffered depend on many factors, such as the type of fall, the cause of the fall, and whether the victim attempts to break his or her fall. If you suffered injuries after your trip and fall on uneven sidewalk, you must contact a lawyer with experience in suing the city for broken sidewalk injuries as soon as possible.
The Compensation Available for Recovery
If you suffered an uneven city sidewalk injury, you might have the right to be compensated. Speaking with a trip and fall attorney in Los Angeles with experience in broken sidewalks is necessary to begin your legal process and start working on recovering the compensation that you deserve. The broken sidewalk injury attorneys at Normandie Law Firm will help you recover some of the following categories of compensation:
- Medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Death benefits
- Punitive damages
There are many categories of compensation available for recovery; however, the specific type and amount of compensation you recover depends on the specific details of your claim. Our sidewalk trip and fall attorneys are committed to helping all victims of trip and fall accidents on city sidewalks to recover the maximum amount of compensation for their claims. If you allow our experienced lawyers to handle your uneven sidewalk injury claim, you can be certain that our attorneys will tirelessly fight for your right to be compensated after your sidewalk trip and fall accident.
The Statute of Limitations to Sue Los Angeles
All claims are subject to statutes of limitations. A statute of limitations is a deadline to sue; it establishes the length of time that the parties affected by personal injury accidents have to file their lawsuits. Many claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. However, if you are interested in filing a claim against the city of Los Angeles, the generic two-year statute of limitations does not apply. An injury claim against the city of Los Angeles or any other city is considered a government claim. Government claims are subject to stricter deadlines; if you are unfamiliar with the deadlines that apply to your claim, you might lose the right to sue. Government claims are often subject to a six-month statute of limitations. If you would like to learn more about the total time you have to file your claim against the city of Los Angeles, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible. The city sidewalk trip and fall accident attorneys at Normandie Law Firm are ready to provide you with information about the time you have to file your claim against the city.
Steps to Take after Your Accident
What do I do if I fell on an uneven sidewalk? If you were injured after tripping and falling because of a defective sidewalk, there are some steps you should follow to preserve your right to file a claim against the city. You should do all of the following:
- Take photographs of the hazard that caused your accident
- Take photographs of your injuries
- Collect witness information
- Identify surveillance cameras that might have captured your accident
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible
- Seek legal assistance immediately
If you are ready to file your personal injury claim against the city of Los Angeles, you must contact the attorneys at Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible. Our sidewalk trip and fall attorneys will provide you with the guidance necessary to help you reach a successful claim outcome.
Normandie Law Firm
Normandie Law Firm is based on the foundation that all parties should have access to legal assistance. Because of that, our law firm provides free legal services, allowing all affected parties to seek legal assistance without having to worry about expensive fees. Our firm offers free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our experienced sidewalk trip and fall accident attorneys will be available to answer your questions and address your concerns. It does not matter if you and your claim have been previously affected by the incompetence of another attorney, our attorneys will provide you with all the information you need to pursue your claim against Los Angeles.
These free consultations and free second opinions are available through our Zero-Fee guarantee, a guarantee which ensures that our clients never have to pay any upfront legal fees. Our firm is also strictly based on a contingency-fee structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay any legal fees until after our attorneys win their claims. If you are ready to file your lawsuit against Los Angeles, you must contact the attorneys at Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience.
