How much do you know about premises accidents in California, such as slip and fall accidents? When a person is injured on someone else’s property, or someone is injured on their property, they often realize that they did not know much about these cases at all. Take this quiz to see how your knowledge holds up. If you need a legal opinion of the accident you were injured in, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
True or False: You Can Recover Damages if You Were Partially at Fault for an Accident
True. If you slip and fall on someone’s property, and it was partially your fault, are you out of luck, or can you still file a personal injury claim? This varies from state to state but in California, it is true that you can still recover damages if you were partially at fault. However, your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if it is determined that you were 10% at fault for your accident, then your damages would be reduced by 10%.
True or False: A Property Owner Cannot Be Held Responsible for a Danger They Did Not Know Existed
True. If a property owner does not know that there is a hazard or danger on or in their property, then they cannot be held responsible for injuries that result from that hazard or danger – can they? They can. If the plaintiff can show that the danger was serious enough or obvious enough that the property owner should have known about it, then they do not need to prove that the owner did know about it.
True or False: It is Smart to Exaggerate Your Injuries if You Are Suing a Large Corporation
False. Sometimes people believe that if they are suing a large company, that company is more likely to offer a large settlement just to make the case go away. As a result, they claim they have suffered serious, catastrophic injuries when they have not. Sometimes they do this because they assume the insurance company will counter their claim, so it is best to start higher than what they believe their case is worth.
This is a huge mistake. Large corporations are often more likely than smaller companies to fight a premises accident because they generally have lawyers working for them. If you exaggerate your injury in your initial claim, and that claim ends up before a judge or jury, this can be used as evidence that your entire claim is false.
How did you do on the quiz? Regardless of your score, if you have suffered an injury on someone else’s property, it is worth contacting Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
