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Premises Liability


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Premises Liability

San Francisco Premises Liability Attorneys

Each year thousands of people are injured when they slip, trip or fall on the property of another such as garages, supermarkets, etc. If you have fallen, you may be entitled to recover damages for your injury if the defect that caused your fall was more than trivial and the owner or person responsible for maintaining the property knew, or should have known, of the condition.

Cases in which property owners are found liable for injuries are known as “premises liability cases.” One particularly common type of premises liability case in San Francisco and surrounding areas is stairway collapse. The high moisture conditions in the California Bay Area cause wood rot, which causes frequent stairway collapses. Around a dozen Bay Area people each year die in stairway collapses, and the property owners who do not maintain their buildings are fully responsible for these tragedies.

At the Dolan Law Firm of San Francisco, our premises liability attorneys take on cases involving:

  • Balcony and stairway collapse
  • Potholes
  • Slippery marble or other floor coverings
  • Uneven concrete squares
  • Uneven or rotten stairs, inadequate stair rails
  • Poor lighting
  • Oil or grease on floor of garage or ramp
  • Slippery sidewalks
  • Tree roots
  • Water on the floor
  • Food or spilled milk on supermarket floors
  • Blocked isles
  • Falling objects
  • Loose, frayed and worn, carpet
  • Uneven cobblestones
  • Sloping driveways
  • Cords, string, or wires on the ground
  • Balcony collapse

Premises liability law covers both public and private property owners. To read about cases involving injuries occurring on sidewalks, roadways, and other publicly owned land, please visit our Dangerous Roadways / Sidewalks page.

Private Property Owners Are Responsible for Hazards on Their Property

The owner of a business or property has an obligation to keep their property safe and well lit for people using the property, and to warn of any risks of injury. That is why Home Depot must close aisles when they move products. Likewise, when a floor is wet or being cleaned, a business owner should put out a caution / wet floor sign to warn people. Store aisles should be clean and clear of debris. Stairways should be level, even, and well lit. Parking lots should be well lit and free of debris, oil accumulation, and potholes. Accidents are preventable by careful property owners.

The San Francisco premises liability attorneys of the Dolan Law Firm has some of the highest verdicts for plaintiffs who have been injured because a dangerous condition of property (called premises liability ). Lead attorney Christopher B. Dolan has published articles on dangerous sidewalks in legal journals and lectures on governmental liability. In one case, our lawyers gained a $175,000 settlement on behalf of a San Francisco renter who was injured when a stair gave way as she descended an old staircase. (Visit our verdicts and settlements page to read about other cases handled by Chris Dolan and his team of lawyers.)

Document the Injury Carefully

If you have been injured because of a condition of someone’s property, it is important to document the condition in a way that will show the physical characteristics of the height, width, depth, nature of the substance, etc. before someone goes out and repairs the condition. There are a few things you should do:

  • Use a ruler to photograph the dimensions of the defect.
  • Get pictures showing the approach that you made to the defect, including what direction you were walking in. Many defects are not visible to even the most careful pedestrians.
  • After you fall, do not wear the shoes that you had on again at the time of your fall again. They may have evidence of oil or other debris on the bottom that can be lost by continued wear. We need to have these examined by an expert. The available traction on the bottom of your shoes at the time of your fall is also often a subject for expert review.

Many times the owner of property, learning of an injury, will go out and conduct a repair. They do this for two reasons, to eliminate evidence and so no one else gets injured. In California you can’t introduce evidence subsequent of a repair to show that the condition was dangerous at the time of a fall. This promotes repairs so others don’t get injured.

If you are injured on public property, YOU MUST FILE A CLAIM WITH THE GOVERNMENT WITHIN A SIX-MONTH PERIOD, KNOWN AS THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. Private property injuries provide for a longer period to take action.

Contact the Dolan Law Firm for a free evaluation of any prospective premises liability matter. Our San Francisco premises liability lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, with no charge if there is no recovery.

From our offices in San Francisco, our premises liability attorneys represent clients throughout the California Bay Area, including Oakland, San Jose, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Hayward, Richmond, Marin, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Fremont, Santa Clara County, Alameda County, Marin County, Contra Costa County, and San Mateo County.

The Dolan Law Firm
1438 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94102

Phone: 415.421.2800
Toll Free: 888.424.5352
Fax: 415.421.2830
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San Francisco Premises Liability Attorneys

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