Slip and fall in Los Angeles?Talk to a lawyer for free.

Against a store, landlord or other private owner, a lawsuit generally has to be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). For a fall on City, County, Metro or LAUSD property, a written claim is usually due within six months, and if it's rejected, a lawsuit usually has to follow within six months of the notice. Call us early so no deadline slips by.

Generally the City. California law makes owners maintain the sidewalk in front of their property, but that duty is owed to the City, not to people walking by, and the City Controller reported in 2021 that Los Angeles has generally remained liable for sidewalk injuries; its "fix and release" policy didn't change that. Since 1974, the City has also taken on repairs of sidewalks lifted by street tree roots, at no cost to the owners next to them. A claim goes to the City Clerk within six months.

It must have known, or should have known, in time to clean it up or warn people; a store isn't automatically responsible for every fall. In Ortega v. Kmart, a case over spilled milk at a Kmart in Torrance, the California Supreme Court held that a store's failure to inspect its aisles within a reasonable time can be enough to show it should have known.

Being partly at fault doesn't end a claim. Under California's comparative fault rule, your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault instead of erased: at 20% at fault, you keep 80%.

No. A court can decide that a defect was so minor, given everything around it, that it wasn't a dangerous condition at all (Government Code §830.2), and no law sets a height. The size of the lip, the lighting and what was around it all matter. Reports about the same spot before your fall, such as MyLA311 reports, can show the City knew about it, and a lawyer can request them.

Metro, a public agency. The claim goes on Metro's own form, by mail or in person only (emailed claims are rejected), usually within six months. On a bus or train, California holds carriers to the highest standard of care toward their passengers; the California Supreme Court applied that to public transit in a 1985 case involving Los Angeles's own buses, then run by the Southern California Rapid Transit District, which became part of Metro in 1993. A fall in a station can be judged more like a fall on other public property.

We're so sorry. California law lets a spouse or registered domestic partner, children and certain other family members bring a wrongful death claim. Our California wrongful death page explains who can bring one and what it covers. The same deadlines apply: two years, or six months for a claim against a public agency.

Usually the building's owner. In California, everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care in managing their property, landlords included. There's no claim step as with a public agency; the two-year deadline applies. See also our Los Angeles premises liability page.

Yes. Our office is in Woodland Hills, inside Los Angeles city limits, at 22440 Clarendon St, Suite 200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, and our Palmdale office serves the Antelope Valley. Come in if you like, or we'll come to you. Call (800) 985-9565 any time, 24/7.

Nothing upfront. Your consultation is free, and no attorney's fees are owed unless we recover compensation for you. You may be responsible for case-related costs and expenses; we'll explain them before you sign.