California Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

A selection of our slip and fall settlements across California:

• $4.4 million (2024, Redondo Beach): a visitor fell while walking down the stairs at a waterfront restaurant and suffered permanent catastrophic injuries.
• $4.3 million (2026, Bakersfield): a customer tripped and fell just outside a pharmacy entrance, injuring the neck, lower back, and leg.
• $4 million (2023, Los Angeles): a shopper slipped on unmarked water in a grocery store and fell forward into a cart, suffering head and other injuries.
• $2 million (2025, Hemet): a person crossing a county facility's parking lot tripped over an unpainted speed bump and suffered a serious arm injury.
• $1.5 million (2026, Fontana): a shopper slipped on a wet floor near a supermarket's meat section, where no warning signs were posted, injuring the back and arm.

See more on our settlements and verdicts page.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different.

Slip and fall cases are often decided by evidence the property owner controls, and that evidence doesn't last. When you hire us, we investigate how long the hazard was there and who was responsible for the area, handle the insurance companies, and keep you informed. We may ask the owner in writing to preserve security video, inspection logs, and the incident report. When a stair, ramp, or walkway defect caused the fall, we may also work with a safety engineer. Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team that has handled tens of thousands of cases.

Many falls trace back to a hazard the owner should have fixed or warned about. Each kind leaves different evidence of how long it was there:

• Spills and wet floors in grocery aisles, near freezers and produce, or at entrances on rainy days: sweep logs, video, and whether a warning cone was out.
• Trip hazards such as pallets, boxes, or cords in a walkway, torn carpet, and loose mats: whether an employee left them there or walked past them.
• Uneven surfaces such as broken tile, raised sidewalk slabs, potholes in parking lots, and unpainted speed bumps or curbs: repair requests, earlier complaints, and photos with a measurement.
• Stairs and handrails with uneven steps, loose railings, or worn treads: maintenance records and the stairway's condition over time.
• Poor lighting in stairwells, hallways, and parking areas: photos taken at the same time of day and records of burned-out fixtures.

Trip and fall claims follow the same rules: the question is whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Proving that is the core of a premises liability claim, and our attorneys handle that investigation for you.

If you can do it safely, take these steps before you leave:

1. Photograph the exact spot, the spill or defect, any warning signs (or the lack of them), the lighting, and your shoes.
2. Report the fall to a manager or the property owner, and ask for a copy of the incident report.
3. Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses and of the employees you spoke with.
4. Note any cameras that could have recorded the area.
5. Get medical care the same day, even if the injury seems minor.
6. Keep the shoes and clothes you were wearing.
7. Don't sign anything or give a recorded statement to the owner's insurer before you get legal advice.

If you fell on public property, write down exactly where, such as the address or the nearest cross street, because a government claim has to state the date, place, and circumstances of the fall (Gov. Code §910(c)).

Slip and fall accidents frequently cause serious, long-lasting injuries. Common ones include broken bones and fractures, head and traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, back and neck injuries, and cuts, bruises, and soft tissue damage. Even a fall that seems minor can lead to lasting harm, so it is important to seek medical attention right away and document your injuries.

No average figure tells you what a slip and fall case is worth. The value depends on the injury, the treatment, the time away from work, and how clearly the evidence shows the owner should have caught the hazard. California law sorts damages into two kinds (Civ. Code §1431.2(b)):

• Economic damages: objectively verifiable money losses, such as medical expenses (current and future), lost earnings and earning capacity, and the cost of paying for household help you can no longer manage.
• Non-economic damages: losses such as pain, suffering, inconvenience, emotional distress, and loss of companionship or consortium.

A fracture that keeps you from going back to physical work can make lost earning capacity a large part of the claim. During a free case review, a legal professional can go over your losses with you.

Two years is the usual deadline, but a fall on public property starts a much shorter clock. The deadlines at a glance:

• Lawsuit for your injuries: generally two years from the fall to file a personal injury lawsuit (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1). A wrongful death lawsuit has a two-year limit under the same statute.
• Claim against a public entity: six months from the fall to present a written claim to the city, county, school district, or state agency (Gov. Code §911.2).
• If the six months has passed: you can apply to the agency for leave to present a late claim, stating the reason for the delay, within a reasonable time and no later than one year after the fall (§911.4).
• After the agency rejects your claim: six months from the date the written rejection notice is delivered or mailed to file suit, or two years from the fall if no written notice is given (§945.6).
• Injured child: in a case against a private owner, the time before the child turns 18 generally isn't counted toward the two years (Code Civ. Proc. §352(a)). That rule doesn't apply to claims against a public entity (§352(b)), so the six-month claim deadline still runs.

Exceptions can move these dates, so confirm yours as soon as you can.

It depends on who owns or controls the spot where you fell, and the six-month deadline applies either way (Gov. Code §911.2):

• City of Los Angeles (for example, a city sidewalk, park, or building): the Office of the City Clerk takes claims online, by mail, or in person at 200 N. Spring St., Room 395, City Hall. It doesn't accept emailed or faxed claims. After filing, the City Attorney's office handles the claim.
• County of Los Angeles (for example, a county building or park): a signed, written claim goes by mail or in person to the Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors, Attention: Claims, 500 W. Temple St., Room 383.
• Other cities, school districts, and transit agencies: the claim goes to the agency that owns or controls the property.

Our Los Angeles office is at 660 S. Figueroa Street downtown. In 2025 we resolved a Temple City case for $550,000 after a visitor tripped over a raised lip on a park stair; the defendants were public agencies. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.