Local office in San Jose, CA45 E Julian StDirections

Slip and fall in San Jose?Talk to a lawyer for free.

In San Jose, the owner of the property next to a sidewalk can be responsible for a fall on it, and so can the City. If you fell on a broken sidewalk, a wet floor or a broken step, talk to us before you talk to an insurer.

  • No fee unless we winWe only get paid when you get paid.
  • Zero upfront costYour consultation is free, with no obligation.
  • Hablamos españolNative Spanish speakers. No confusion. No delays.
  • Available 24/7We'll meet you at your home or hospital.
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Call our San Jose office(408) 516-428324/7 line: (800) 985-9565

No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation. Clients may be responsible for case costs. Read the disclaimer

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Letty was great while handling my case. She would always call to make sure everything was going good…
Cesar B.Valero Law Group clientGoogle review

Results that speak.Millions won for injured clients.

We've won over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Recognized for excellence

Avvo Rating: Excellent, Top Rated Personal InjuryTop Rated by Super Lawyers
  • $6.25MPersonal injuryA confidential personal injury settlement.
  • $5MAuto accidentFor a husband and wife after the husband suffered a brachial plexus injury.
  • $2.34MAccident claimA win for a client injured in an accident.
  • $1.5MAuto accidentA win for a client injured in an auto accident.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Here to protect your interests, not the insurance company's

Stores and their insurers have a team.You should have one too.

A store's or property owner's insurer has adjusters and lawyers, and the store may hold the evidence: its security video and any record of when the floor was last checked. After a fall in a San Jose store, parking lot or apartment complex, an adjuster may call within days, and what you say can shape the rest of your claim.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Was the floor wet, the sidewalk lifted or a step broken, with no warning?
  2. Had the hazard been there long enough that someone should have found it?
  3. Will the settlement cover your treatment and lost income months from now, not just today?

From one of our car accident cases

The insurer's best offer$410,000

What we won for our client$4.4M

A car accident that left our client with a neck injury. Most people would have taken the offer. We won more than ten times as much.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

Get my free case review
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Our office in San Jose

Local slip and fall lawyers,right here in San Jose.

Not every firm that advertises in San Jose has an office here. We do.

Our office is on Julian Street downtown, within half a mile of City Hall, where claims against the City are filed. Come in, or we'll come to you anywhere in the Santa Clara Valley, at home or in the hospital.

Nearby officesSalinasStocktonModesto

Why choose Valero Law Group?

We champion every case,big and small.

Whether your case is worth $5,000 or $5 million, we bring the same skill, attention and determination to every client we represent.

So don't let the size of your case keep you from seeking justice: every injury deserves serious representation. Let us fight for the compensation you're owed while you focus on what matters most, your recovery.

They made me feel like a priority, and they put my needs first as a client.

IsabelValero Law Group client

400+five-star Google reviews

Real reviews fromour clients.

  • Samuel M. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $881,000 settlement check
    Samuel M.$881,000
  • Victoria M. smiling in front of the Valero Law Group logo wall with her $625,000 settlement check
    Victoria M.$625,000
  • Karina C. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with her $625,000 settlement check
    Karina C.$625,000
  • Angela M. smiling and pointing to her $625,000 settlement check
    Angela M.$625,000
  • Destiny H. smiling with her $500,000 settlement check
    Destiny H.$500,000
  • Javier P. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $375,000 settlement check
    Javier P.$375,000
After my slip and fall, I reached out to this firm. Leticia was amazing; she was great and understanding. She, along with Kyle, got straight to business.
Marlene M.Google review
Read all 400+ of our reviews
I fell and couldn't get up! Luckily Valero Law Group had my back, and I'd highly recommend this firm to anyone!
Roy H.Google review
Thank you, Valero, for helping me with my slip and fall!
Jonathan R.Google review

What you can recover aftera slip and fall in California.

A store, landlord or property owner that didn't fix, guard against or warn about a hazard it knew about, or should have found, can be held responsible for what your fall cost you. In San Jose, that can include the owner next to a broken sidewalk.

Economic damages

The costs you can add up

  • Emergency care, surgery and hospital bills
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Glasses, a phone or clothing damaged in the fall

Non-economic damages

The harm that has no receipt

  • Pain and physical suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of companionship
  • Lost enjoyment of life
  • 8.9 millionEmergency room visits for falls in the U.S. in 2023Falls are the leading cause of injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms, about three times the next cause (CDC).
  • 6 monthsTo file a claim after a fall on City, County or VTA propertyA claim against the City for a fall on a San Jose sidewalk, in a City park or building or at the airport, or against the County or VTA for a fall on their property, usually has to be made in writing within six months, before any lawsuit.
  • 80%What you keep if you were 20% at faultIf you were partly at fault, for example looking at your phone, California's pure comparative fault rule reduces your award by your share of the blame instead of erasing it.

After a fall in San Jose,what comes next.

Photos, the store's report and video, San Jose's sidewalks, public property and deadlines, explained.

Valero Law Group attorneys meeting around a conference table
  • Photograph it before it's cleaned up
    The spill, the broken step or the lifted slab, with a coin or a tape measure in the shot for scale, and the lighting and any warning signs, or the lack of them. Keep the shoes and clothes you wore, and get the names and phone numbers of anyone who saw you fall.
  • Fell in a store? Ask for a report
    Tell a manager, ask that an incident report be written up and note its number; you may not be given a copy. No law we found makes a private business keep its security video for any set time, so a lawyer can write to the store right away and ask it to save the video, along with any record of when the floor was last checked or cleaned.
  • Tripped on a San Jose sidewalk?
    San Jose's city code makes the owner of the property next to a sidewalk keep it in repair, and an owner who doesn't keep it safe can be responsible to someone injured there. The City can be responsible too, so the claim may go to both. The owner also looks after the street tree in front, so a slab its roots lifted is usually the owner's to fix. Photograph it with something for scale, note the nearest address, then report it to the City at TreesAndSidewalks@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 794-1901.
  • City property, the airport and VTA
    City sidewalks, parks, libraries and community centers belong to the City of San Jose, and so does San José Mineta International Airport, though a business leasing space there may be responsible too. County buildings, parks and hospitals are the County's. On a VTA bus or light rail train, VTA, as a carrier of passengers, owes riders "utmost care". Ask VTA right away to save its video; we can send the request.
  • Get checked the same day
    A fall can cause broken bones, a back or neck injury or a concussion, and some injuries don't show up right away. The two trauma centers serving San Jose are Valley Medical Center, Level I for adults, and Regional Medical Center, Level II. Wherever you're seen, you have a right to copies of your records, which show what the fall did.
  • Two years, or six months
    Most injury lawsuits, including one against a property owner, must be filed within two years. A fall on City property usually needs a written claim within six months, filed with the City Clerk at City Hall, 200 East Santa Clara Street, by mail or in person. County claims go to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 70 West Hedding Street, and VTA has its own claim form.
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Al Barro Foundation: supporting over 400 orphans in Mexico

From the community, for the community.

Hablamos español.

We're a Hispanic-focused firm with native Spanish-speaking attorneys. We understand your family's needs, walk you through every step in your language, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.

Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.
…they speak excellent Spanish, know how to help, and look out for their clients' best interests.
Yesica H.Google review
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Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.

Common questionsafter a fall in San Jose.

How long do I have after a fall in San Jose?
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 or VTA 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.
Who is responsible for a fall on a broken San Jose sidewalk?
It can be the owner of the property next to the sidewalk, the City, or both. State law alone doesn't usually make an owner responsible to someone who trips on the sidewalk in front. San Jose's Municipal Code §14.16.2205 goes further: an owner who fails to keep the sidewalk safe can be liable for the injuries that causes. A California appeals court upheld that rule in Gonzales v. City of San Jose (2004), and said it doesn't take away the City's own responsibility for its sidewalks.
The store says I should have seen the spill. Can I still recover?
Often, yes. If a hazard is truly obvious, a store may not have to warn about it, but it may still have to guard against it when people have no real choice but to walk through it. And if you were partly at fault, California's comparative fault rule reduces your compensation by your share instead of erasing it: at 20% at fault, you keep 80%.
How long did the spill have to be there?
There's no set time. What matters is whether it was there long enough that a store using reasonable care would have found it and cleaned it up, blocked it off or warned people. Stores must inspect the areas open to customers, so if no one had checked the aisle in a reasonable time before you fell, a jury can infer the spill had been there long enough.
Does every crack or bump count?
No. Owners and cities don't have to keep walkways perfect, and small height differences in a sidewalk are often treated as trivial. The size of the lip, the lighting and what was around it all matter. Complaints about the same spot before your fall can show the City knew about it, and a lawyer can request them.
I fell at the airport or on a VTA bus. Who is the claim against?
The airport is owned and run by the City of San Jose, so a fall there usually means a written claim to the City, though a business leasing the space may be responsible too. On a VTA bus or light rail train, VTA owes its riders "the utmost care", so a fall when the bus braked hard or pulled away before you sat down can be its responsibility, and the claim goes to VTA. BART and Caltrain are separate agencies with their own claim forms.
Do you have an office in San Jose?
Yes. Our office is at 45 E Julian St, San Jose, CA 95112, in downtown San Jose. Come in if you like, or we'll come to you, at home or in the hospital. Call (800) 985-9565 any time, 24/7.
What does a slip and fall lawyer cost?
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.
Attorney Kyle Valero
Kyle ValeroAttorney, Valero Law Group

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Have a question about a potential case?Talk to a San Jose slip and fall lawyer today.

Your consultation is always free, with no obligation. We're happy to answer any questions and walk you through your options. No pressure, just honest answers.

(408) 516-4283

24/7 line: (800) 985-9565

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