Slip and Fall Lawyer — Los Angeles & Southern California

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property in Los Angeles, California law gives you the right to hold that property owner accountable. Premises liability cases — including slip and falls at grocery stores, apartment complexes, restaurants, hotels, retail chains, and public sidewalks — are among the most aggressively defended personal injury claims in California. Property owners and their insurers deploy experienced adjusters and defense attorneys from the moment an incident is reported. You need a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer who has been fighting these cases for decades on your side — from day one.

Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC has recovered millions of dollars for slip and fall victims throughout Los Angeles and Southern California over more than 30 years of practice. We handle all slip and fall cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Why Los Angeles Slip and Fall Victims Choose Steven M. Sweat

Steven has been recognized as a California Super Lawyers honoree continuously since 2012 — a peer-reviewed designation awarded to fewer than 5% of attorneys in the state. His AVVO 10.0 “Superb” rating is the platform’s highest. He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group limited to attorneys who have obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Bilingual services available in English and Spanish.

Representative Slip and Fall Case Results

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its specific facts and circumstances.

For a complete breakdown of slip and fall settlement values by injury type, see our guide to slip and fall settlement values in California.

What You Must Prove in a California Slip and Fall Case

Under California Civil Code Section 1714 and California Civil Jury Instruction (CACI) 1000, winning a slip and fall claim requires establishing four specific elements. This is not simply a matter of showing you fell — you must prove that the property owner’s negligence caused your injury. For a deep analysis of each element and the evidence required, see our deep legal guide to slip and fall claims.

1. Duty of Care

The property owner, tenant, or manager owed you a duty of reasonable care as a lawful visitor. Under Civil Code §1714, this duty applies to owners, lessees, occupiers, and controllers of property — and extends to all lawfully present visitors: tenants, customers, guests, delivery personnel, and others.

2. Breach of Duty

The property owner failed to meet that standard of care — meaning they knew, or reasonably should have known, about the dangerous condition and failed to repair it or provide adequate warning within a reasonable time. This element is where most of the legal contest occurs. “Constructive notice” — whether the owner should have discovered the hazard through reasonable inspection — is often the decisive issue.

3. Causation

The property owner’s breach of duty directly caused your fall and your injuries. Insurance companies frequently argue that pre-existing conditions, inattention, or other factors — not the hazard — caused your injuries. Strong medical documentation and expert testimony are essential to establishing causation.

4. Damages

You suffered actual, compensable losses as a result of the fall — medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other documented harm.

Common Locations for Slip and Fall Accidents in Los Angeles

Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

Wet floors near refrigeration units, produce sections, and entrances are the most frequently cited hazard. California law requires stores to maintain inspection logs — obtaining these records is often critical to proving how long a hazard existed before your fall.

Apartment Complexes

Stairwells, lobbies, laundry rooms, and parking structures are common sites of serious falls in LA’s aging multifamily housing stock. Landlords who receive written notice of a hazard and fail to act face direct liability. See our dedicated guide for Los Angeles apartment slip and fall attorney claims.

Retail Stores and Big Box Retailers

Merchandise on the floor, recently mopped aisles without adequate warning signs, and worn entry mats are common causes of retail store falls. For a detailed overview of the legal framework governing these claims, see our retail store accident claims page.

Restaurants and Hotels

Grease near kitchen areas, improperly maintained pool decks, worn lobby flooring, and inadequately lit stairwells are frequently cited in restaurant and hotel slip and fall claims. The hotel industry in particular maintains comprehensive incident records that can be subpoenaed to establish prior knowledge of a hazard.

Public Sidewalks and Government Property

Cracked or uneven sidewalks maintained by the City of Los Angeles, Caltrans, or another government entity create unique procedural requirements. Under California Government Code §911.2, you must file a government tort claim within six months of your injury — not two years. Missing this deadline permanently bars your claim regardless of how strong your case is. Contact our office immediately if your fall occurred on a public sidewalk, in a public park, or on any government-controlled property.

Stairways and Handrail Failures

Broken, uneven, or improperly constructed stairways and missing or defective handrails cause some of the most serious slip and fall injuries. For more information, see our stairway accident claims page.

Injuries Our Firm Handles

Slip and fall accidents cause a wide range of injuries — from fractures that heal over months to permanent conditions that alter the course of a person’s life. Our firm has extensive experience representing victims with:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) — including concussions, diffuse axonal injury, and severe TBI requiring neurosurgical intervention, frequently resulting from head contact with hard flooring surfaces.
• Spinal cord and back injuries — herniated discs, lumbar fractures, and spinal cord injuries requiring surgery, rehabilitation, and often lifetime medical management.
• Hip fractures — among the most serious fall-related injuries, particularly for older adults, often requiring surgical repair and extended rehabilitation.
• Knee injuries — torn meniscus, ACL tears, and patellar fractures, frequently requiring arthroscopic or reconstructive surgery.
• Shoulder injuries — torn rotator cuff and labral tears from impact or from reaching out to break a fall.
• Wrist and hand fractures — a natural protective response when falling forward causes the wrist to absorb impact.
• Ankle fractures and ligament tears — common when the foot rolls or twists on an uneven surface.
• Wrongful death — our firm represents the families of individuals who died as a result of a fall caused by property owner negligence.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

A successful slip and fall claim in California can include compensation for all of the following:

• Medical expenses — all past and future costs of treatment, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, medications, and medical equipment.
• Lost wages — income already lost during your recovery, including self-employment income.
• Lost earning capacity — future earnings you will be unable to generate if your injuries prevent you from returning to your prior occupation.
• Pain and suffering — California does not cap pain and suffering damages in premises liability cases. Our guide to slip and fall settlement values in California provides detailed ranges by injury type.
• Emotional distress — anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological consequences of the accident.
• Loss of enjoyment of life — the inability to participate in activities, hobbies, or relationships you enjoyed before the accident.
• Wrongful death damages — if a family member was killed: funeral costs, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship.

California’s pure comparative fault rule (Civil Code §1714) means you can recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the fall — your recovery is simply reduced by your percentage of fault.

What to Do After a Slip and Fall in Los Angeles

The steps you take in the hours and days following a slip and fall accident directly affect the strength of your claim. For a complete step-by-step breakdown, see our what to do after a slip and fall accident checklist. In summary:

1. Seek medical care immediately. Even if symptoms seem minor. Many serious injuries — spinal damage, TBI — do not produce clear symptoms for hours or days. A gap in treatment is the single most common argument insurers use to reduce claims.
2. Report the accident to the property owner or manager. Request that an incident report be created and get a copy before you leave. Do not sign any statement prepared by the manager.
3. Photograph everything. The hazard, the surrounding area, any warning signs (or lack of them), and your injuries — using your smartphone before the scene is changed or cleaned.
4. Collect witness information. Names and contact details of anyone who saw the fall or who can testify that the hazard existed before your fall.
5. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer. Not to the property owner’s insurer, not to your own insurer, and not to any adjuster who contacts you — before consulting an attorney.
6. Contact a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer immediately. Surveillance footage is overwritten within 24–72 hours at most commercial properties. Maintenance logs and incident records can be altered or lost. An attorney can send a legal hold demand to preserve this evidence the moment they are retained.

How Our Firm Handles Your Slip and Fall Case

When you retain Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC as your Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer, here is exactly what happens:

• Immediate evidence preservation. We send spoliation letters to the property owner, their insurer, and any third parties within hours of being retained — preserving surveillance footage, maintenance logs, inspection records, and prior incident reports before they disappear.
• Independent investigation. We inspect the scene, retain slip and fall forensic experts where needed, and obtain the full incident documentation file maintained by the property owner.
• Medical coordination. We connect you with experienced medical providers who can treat you on a lien basis — no out-of-pocket cost while your case is pending. Consistent, well-documented medical care is essential to the full value of your claim.
• Full damages calculation. We calculate not just your current medical bills but your future medical needs, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and all other compensable losses. Most victims significantly underestimate the full value of their claim.
• Aggressive negotiation and trial preparation. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial. Property owners and their insurers take significantly more seriously those attorneys who will actually litigate — and our willingness to go to a jury is one of the most powerful settlement tools we have.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I sue a grocery store if I slipped on a wet floor in Los Angeles?

Yes, in most cases — if the store knew or reasonably should have known about the wet floor and failed to clean it up or post adequate warning signs within a reasonable time. The critical evidence is how long the hazard existed before your fall. Surveillance footage, employee inspection logs, and maintenance records can establish this. Most major grocery chains in California conduct routine floor inspections and maintain logs that can be subpoenaed. If those logs show no inspection occurred for an extended period before your fall, that is powerful evidence of negligence.

Q2: How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in California?

Under California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1, you generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit against a private property owner. However, if your fall occurred on government property — a city sidewalk, a public park, a school, or any property controlled by a public entity — you must file a government tort claim within six months of the injury under California Government Code §911.2. Missing this six-month deadline typically eliminates your right to recover compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your case would otherwise be. Do not wait to contact an attorney.

Q3: What if I was partly at fault for my slip and fall accident?

You can still recover compensation under California’s pure comparative fault system (Civil Code §1714). Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault — but you are not barred from recovery even if you were 50% or more at fault. Property owners and their insurers routinely attempt to assign fault to injured parties to reduce their exposure. Common arguments include: the hazard was “open and obvious,” you were not paying attention, or you were wearing inappropriate footwear. An experienced slip and fall attorney can challenge these arguments with evidence and counter them effectively at trial if needed.

Q4: How much is a slip and fall case worth in Los Angeles?

Settlement values in Los Angeles slip and fall cases range widely depending on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the liability evidence, the property owner’s insurance coverage, and your comparative fault percentage. Minor soft tissue cases may settle in the $15,000–$50,000 range. Cases involving surgeries, fractures, or significant recovery periods typically settle between $75,000 and $400,000. Catastrophic injuries — spinal cord damage, severe TBI, permanent disability — can produce six- or seven-figure recoveries. For case-specific estimates by injury type, see our detailed guide to slip and fall settlement values in California.

Q5: Does it matter if the property owner posted a “wet floor” sign?

It matters — but it does not automatically defeat your claim. A warning sign is one factor in the analysis of whether the property owner acted with reasonable care. However, signs can be inadequate (positioned after you already passed the hazard), insufficient (a single sign in a large wet area), or improperly placed. If the floor was dangerously slippery because of a structural defect or chronic maintenance failure rather than a temporary spill, a warning sign does not excuse the owner’s failure to fix the underlying condition. Whether a sign was present is a fact question — the adequacy of the warning is also contested in many slip and fall cases.

Q6: How much does it cost to hire a slip and fall lawyer in Los Angeles?

Nothing upfront. Our firm handles all slip and fall cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay no attorney fees unless and until we recover compensation for you. We also advance all case costs, including investigation expenses, expert witness fees, and court filing fees. If we do not recover, you owe nothing. Your initial consultation is completely free. There is no financial barrier to getting experienced legal representation from the first day after your accident.

Areas Served Throughout Los Angeles and Southern California

Our firm represents slip and fall victims throughout the greater Los Angeles area and across California, including:

Contact a Los Angeles Slip and Fall Lawyer Today

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident anywhere in Los Angeles or Southern California, do not wait. Surveillance footage is overwritten within days. Maintenance records can be altered. The property owner’s insurer is already building their defense. You need an experienced Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer in your corner immediately.

Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC has spent over 30 years fighting for injured people against property owners and their insurers across California. We know the evidence, the defenses, and the tactics insurers use to deny legitimate claims. We prepare every case for trial — and we win.