Victorville and the surrounding communities of Hesperia and Apple Valley have become a thriving metropolis of over 400,000 residents. Our residents enjoy shopping centers, grocery stores, hotels, bars, movie theaters, and parks. Unfortunately however many of our residents suffer serious injuries in slip/trip and fall accidents due to the negligent conduct of property owners and managers. In a slip and fall accident, injuries can be severe and even life-changing. Victims of accidents are entitled to receive compensation from the parties who were at fault for the accident. Consult with one of our experienced lawyers at the top-rated Normandie Law Firm today. An expert attorney with experience handling slip and fall cases will be able to assist you.

Who We Are – What We Do:

The Normandie Law Firm is built on the bedrock of three principles:

1. Always maintain the highest level of communication with our clients. In the practice of law communication with clients is the key to a successful resolution. Here at Normandie Law our clients are able to reach out to us for any questions or help they need with respect to their case. Our lawyers are able to provide you with the personal cell phone numbers so you can call or text them at any time for an update regarding your case.
2. Maximizing results: Our law firm maintains the resources, knowledge and experience required to maximize the value of your case. As a result we have successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. Don’t let lazy attorneys take advantage of you by getting you a quick and low settlement. Let us work on your case aggressively to get you the maximum compensation that you truly deserve.
3. ZERO FEE GUARANTEE: You will never have to pay out of pocket for any of our legal fees and expenses until your case is resolved successfully. If we are not able to win your case you will not owe us anything for our legal work or any costs associated with your case.

Slip and Fall Lawsuits Explained – Duties of Property Owners and Store Managers

Most premises liability cases with the exception of dog bites establish liability on an at fault party based on a negligence cause of action. In order to prove the negligence of a property owner one must establish four elements. (1) Duty owed by the defendant towards the claimant (the victim of the accident), (2) Breach of the duty of care owed by the property owner to the victim of the harm (3) Whether the breach of the duty of care was a cause of the accident, (4) Whether the accident resulted in diagnosable and identifiable harm to the victim bringing forth the cause of action. A qualified attorney with expertise in slip and fall injury lawsuits in Victorville will be able to help prove these points.

Duties Owed by a Property Owner

Under California premises liability laws the duties of the property owner depend on the status of the injured victim. In other words the relationship between the property owner and the victim will determine the specific type of duty that is owed.

Duties Owed to a Trespasser: A trespasser is a person who enters the property of another without the owner’s consent. For example, if someone sneaks into a club, they would arguably be a trespasser. Property owners who know or have reason to know that their property is being frequently trespassed have a duty to warn of known dangerous conditions on their property. Additionally they have a duty to refrain from willful, wanton misconduct which may include spring traps and entrapment.

Duties Owed to Licensees: A licensee is person who enters the property of another with consent but not for a commercial purpose. Example of a licensee would be a guest in a home (a social guest). Generally property owners owe social geusts the duty to protect them from any known dangers on the property and/or warn guests of such dangers.

Duties Owed to Invitees: Invitees are individuals who enter the property of another for a commercial purpose.  Under California State premises liability laws they are owed the highest level of care by a property owner. Examples of invitees include shoppers at a grocery store, hotel room guests, and patrons at bars or restaurants. On top of the duties owed to licensees property owners owe a duty to timely inspect their property in order to locate potential latent defects and dangers; once the dangers are discovered a property owner will then have a duty to remediate the issues or properly warn invitees of the potential risk of harm associated with the defect.

If you are curious what categorization you or another individual falls under, reach out to a skilled attorney who has experience in slip and fall cases.

Average Case Value – Your Right to Recovery for Slip and Fall Injuries

Our accomplished Victorville slip and fall lawyers get a lot of slip and fall clients and they are familiar with the needs and wants of such clients. Perhaps the most frequently asked question by our clients concerns the settlement they will receive for their injuries. This might sound like a simple question to answer; however, in reality, assessing the value of a personal injury case can be quite complex and challenging. Every case is unique comprising of a set of factors which can play a significant role in establishing the potential value of a claim. Below is a list of these factors. If you have any further questions regarding the potential value of your slip and fall lawsuit feel free to contact our top attorneys with experience in slip and fall cases.

• The type and severity of the injuries you have suffered due to the accident: For example a case involving a hip fracture resulting in a hip transplant will likely result in a higher settlement in comparison to a bruised hip.
• The medical treatment and costs required: In many cases victims of personal injury will refrain from seeking medical attention because of high costs associated with the care they need to lack of access to the right medical facilities in their community. However the proper documentation of your injuries and medical treatment reports can play a vital role in establishing the fact that you suffered harm.
• The level of economic damages – including loss of income and future reduction in earning potential.
• The level of non-economic damages – including mental anguish, pain and suffering. In the state of California victims of personal injury have a right to seek recovery for the mental anguish and physical pain they have had to endure because of an accident. This category also includes anxiety, stress, loss of one’s enjoyment of life and loss of consortium.
• Whether punitive damages are available: Punitive damages can be awarded in cases where the at fault party acted intentionally to harm another individual or in cases where there was a reckless disregard for the life and health of others.
• The proportion of fault attributed to the defendant.
• The insurance coverage limits of the at fault property owner.
• The attorney that you choose to hire.

Getting the Medical Attention Required

Unfortunately many injured individuals do not have access to medical care required for the proper treatment of injuries associated with slip and fall accidents. In order to alleviate this issue our law firm has established a network of doctors across the state with the intended goal of providing the highest level of medical attention for our clients. Additionally, the medical doctors in our network provide medical care on a medical lien basis meaning that you will not have to pay out of pocket for any of your medical care until there is a successful resolution of your case. For more information on receiving medical care for your injuries feel free to contact our law offices.  Some of the most common injuries caused by slip trip and fall accidents include the following.

• Spinal cord damage resulting in back and neck pain and nerve damage.
• Brain injury – concussion and TBI (traumatic brain injury). Common signs of brain damage include loss of consciousness, extreme sensitivity to light, short term memory loss, nausea and vomiting.
• Hand and wrist damage including fractures, ligament damage and nerve injury.
• Foot and ankle fractures.
• Other orthopedics injuries – including cracked ribs, shoulder dislocations, tears to the rotator cuff, knee damage and hip fractures.
• Nerve injuries – including neuropathy, radiculopathy, and CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome).
• Injuries to the face – including broken nose, broken teeth and other dental damage, jaw fractures, TMJ injuries, tinnitus (chronic ringing caused by ear damage), facial lacerations, and ocular damage.

Statute of Limitations – Deadline to Filing a Slip and Fall Lawsuit

Statute of limitations is the legally established time limit that an individual has to file a civil claim in the court of law. The time limit will vary based on the type of case being brought forth and the jurisdiction where the injury took place. In the state of California victims of personal injury including premises liability claims typically have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in the court of law. Victims under the age of 18 have two years from the date of their 18^th birthday to file a civil lawsuit for personal injury in a California court. An experiened attorney will be able to give you more information.

Why You Should Consult With an Attorney Regarding Your Case Immediately

Property owners, managers and insurance adjusters are not on your side. In fact their goal is to get away with paying you the least amount of money for the injuries you have suffered. They know you are injured, but they will not feel bad if you walk away with nothing because their goal is to keep their profits at a maximum level. As such they will use every trick in the book to reduce or eliminate your right to recovery. An experienced personal injury attorney will be aware of these pitfalls and will work tirelessly to protect you from them. Some of the most common tactics used by insurance adjusters to reduce or eliminate your right to recovery is provided below.

• Argue that your injuries are pre-existing: In many instances insurance adjusters will argue that you were already injured before the accident and the injuries were not caused by this current accident.
• Deny liability – fault for the accident: sometimes insurance adjusters will argue that their client was not at fault and you were at fault for the accident and deny you compensation.
• Lie to you about your rights: Insurance adjusters will tell you that your injuries are not covered under the law. This would not be correct.
• Lie to your about insurance coverage limits: They might also tell you that their client (the person responsible for your injuries) does not have enough coverage to cover your damages, or that their policy was not active at the time of the accident.
• Deny Insurance Coverage: Many property owners will falsely state that they have insurance; or will deny access to their insurance information. In the state of California owners of commercial establishments are required to purchase injury insurance.
• Destroy Evidence Required to Prove Liability: In many instances owners and managers of stores will destroy evidence including video footage of the incident. It is vital to send the store in questions a preservation of evidence letter informing them of your right to have access to the video footage. In that way defendants will not be able to destroy evidence without serious legal repercussions.

Attorney Consultation Available Free of Charge

If you have suffered an injury due to a slip and fall or a trip and fall, you can contact our slip and fall lawyers in Victorville and Hesperia. You will speak with a lawyer expereinced in slip and fall cases who will conduct a thorough review of your case and determine the optimal course of action in order to maximize your recovery. All legal consultations and case reviews are conducted by our attorneys 100% free of charge.