SLIP & FALL SYNTHESIS: SEVEN STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME

The glory of justice and the majesty of law are created not just by the Constitution - nor by the courts - nor by the officers of the law - nor by the lawyers - but by the men and women who constitute our society - who are the protectors of the law as they are themselves protected by the law.

~ Robert Kennedy ~

An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles ("P.I.") learns a lot over a thirty-year period. The most interesting first thing that comes to mind is the surprising fact that when clients recall slipping, falling and seriously injuring themselves, most of them recall that their very first thought was:

"I hope nobody saw me slip and fall … this is so embarrassing, so humiliating!"

As an experienced P.I. Lawyer, I wish their first thought was the exact opposite: "I hope people witnessed this … I'm going to get their names, phone numbers, and a brief statement right away, before they can leave the scene of my accident!"

With this "dichotomy" in mind, here is a brief Lawyer Outline ("Synthesis") of the SEVEN (7) STEPS to a Successful Outcome:

1. DO NOT GET UP FROM THE GROUND. STAY RIGHT THERE. If someone offers to help you get up, just say, no, please, I'm not ready to move. Give me some time."

2. TELL EVERYONE NEARBY, "CALL 9-1-1" …. and then, YOU call 9-1-1 … the more calls the better, the more certain that an ambulance arrives quickly. Los Angeles emergency services are well trained and very experienced.

3. ASK EVERYONE NEARBY, DID YOU SEE ME FALL? Unless they deny it entirely, request that they write down their names, phone numbers, and in one sentence, a description of what they saw. Even if they deny seeing you fall, nevertheless, request their names and phone numbers. Your Lawyer will be very happy you if did.

4. THEN, ASK EVERYONE NEARBY, DID YOU SEE THE WET FLOOR? DID YOU SEE THE HAZARD? … and then get their names, phone numbers, and in one sentence, a description of the hazard that they saw.

5. DO NOT GET UP OFF THE FLOOR OR SIDEWALK, UNTIL THE AMBULANCE ARRIVES, AND TRAINED PARAMEDICS LIFT YOU UP!

6. INSIST ON BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM ("ER"). Under NO circumstances, if they offer to transport you, should you EVER decline the offer of Ambulance Transportation.

7. CALL SOMEONE, IF POSSIBLE, BEFORE YOU LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS, OR ARE TOO MEDICATED TO CALL. If you have a Husband, Wife, or Significant Other, call them. If you have children, or parents, of an appropriate age, call them. If you have friends, call one of them. If you can, call your Lawyer … you can at least leave a message, saying what happened, and where the Ambulance is taking you.

Next, if you are lifted up by trained Paramedics, and placed on the Ambulance, tell whatever friend or acquaintance you were with, to stay behind and fill out a REPORT … if the location is a Store, Restaurant or other private business, or government agency, where a REPORT is possible. The REPORT need not be complete, exhaustive, 100% perfect, etc. … its main purpose is simply to confirm that something happened there.

If your friend requests a form on which to make the report, and none is provided, then your friend needs to write down themselves, on a plain piece of paper, what happened, and get an employee of the Store, Restaurant or other private business, or government agency, to simply sign or scribble their name, acknowledging that something happened there.

Of course, the procedures vary a bit from place to place, state to state, and depending on whether we are dealing with a private business establishment, or a City or County government.

Slip & Fall Claims Against City of Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles is a dangerous place, in so many ways, even just walking down the street, since many of our sidewalks are poorly-maintained, with a myriad of hazards, which are almost never marked with warnings. Of course, we all love and appreciate trees, the oxygen that they generate, and the shade that they provide, but we - nevertheless - must admit that day-by-day, tree roots "buckle" sidewalks in more and more places, causing thousands of pedestrians to Slip and Fall each year. Every year, thousands of individuals file claims against the City of Los Angeles with thier lawyer. But don't forget there is a SIX (6) MONTH deadline for Personal Injury claims with the City of Los Angeles:

"Claim for Damages: Pursuant to Los Angeles Charter Section 350,

all claims for money or damages against the City must be filed within

six months for personal injury and within one year for property damages

after the occurrence from which the damages arose. Claims for Damages may be

submitted using this online form and are processed by Office of the City

Atto ey. If you have any questions regarding already-filed Claims for

Damages or experience difficulties completing the online form, please phone

the Office of the City Atto ey at (213) 978-7050."