Los Angeles Premises Liability Lawyers

Holding Negligent Landlords, Property Owners, and Companies Accountable for Serious Injuries

At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, our Los Angeles premises liability attorneys help injured victims hold negligent property owners, companies, and government entities fully liable for catastrophic injuries. 

We accept cases involving life-threatening, disabling, or fatal injuries caused by hazardous property conditions. Our attorneys only commit themselves to clients who are facing long, hard roads ahead and devastating losses, either due to their severe injuries or a tragic loss in the family. 

We take on these cases because we know these clients need the highest quality representation, which we are prepared to provide. We also understand that every premises liability case is unique, which is why we take the time to fully investigate every claim and determine who may be liable for your losses.

Our Case Results

• $9.9 million: Client suffered a brain injury on dangerous public property
• $8.6 million: Client suffered severe injuries after being hit by a tree
• $7.675 million: Client was paralyzed due to a reckless police pursuit
• $6.7 million: Client was paralyzed after falling over an unguarded curb
• $5.4 million: Client suffered a brain injury due to a reckless police pursuit
• $2.3 million: Client was struck by electric pallet jack at Home Depot

If you or someone you love suffered catastrophic injuries on property owned by another person, government body, or business, call (866) 634-4525 to schedule a free consultation.

Types of Premises Liability Claims

If you were injured while spending time on someone else's property, you may have a premises liability claim. Property owners and operators have a duty of care to ensure that their guests and visitors are safe while on the property.

This means that they must take steps to fix any hazardous conditions and warn guests about any potential dangers. If the property owner fails to meet this duty, and someone is injured as a result, then they may be liable for damages.

Here are some examples of premises liability cases we can handle:

Proving Premises Liability

To succeed in a premises liability lawsuit in California, a plaintiff (the injured party) must prove four main legal elements. These are grounded in negligence law, and the plaintiff must establish each element by a preponderance of the evidence (i.e., more likely than not):

Duty of Care

The property owner or occupier must have owed a legal duty to keep the premises reasonably safe. In California, this duty generally extends to anyone lawfully on the property, such as customers, guests, and sometimes even foreseeable trespassers. The duty includes maintaining, inspecting, and repairing the property as needed.

Breach of Duty

The property owner must have failed to act with reasonable care in maintaining the premises. This can include not fixing a dangerous condition, failing to inspect the area, or not providing warnings about known hazards. A breach occurs when the property owner doesn’t take steps that a reasonably careful person would.

Causation

There must be a direct link between the unsafe condition and the plaintiff’s injury. The plaintiff must show that the injury would not have happened if the property owner had acted responsibly. The harm also needs to be a foreseeable result of the dangerous condition.

Damages

The plaintiff must have suffered real harm, such as physical injuries, medical bills, or lost wages. Without actual damages, there is no legal claim—even if the property was unsafe. Emotional distress, pain and suffering can also count as compensable damages.

Property Hazards Can Cause Extreme Injuries

Many properties can contain hazards that result in catastrophic injuries to customers and visitors. At Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, we handle a wide range of premises liability cases involving dangerous floors, inadequately maintained buildings, failure to warn of possible risks, inadequate security, and more.

Any of these conditions have the potential to result in extreme and life-changing injuries, including:

• Spinal cord injuries and permanent paralysis
• Severe traumatic brain injuries
• Amputations of limbs or extremities
• Third and fourth-degree burns
• Internal organ damage and internal hemorrhaging
• Electrical injuries and electrocution

All of the above injuries can result in permanent disabilities, permanent disfigurement, and death. Victims have their lives completely changed in an instant—all because someone else did not take proper care to ensure a property was in a reasonably safe condition.

You Must Act Quickly in a Premises Liability Claim

If you have been injured on someone else's property, it is critical to take action quickly. The reason for this is twofold: first, evidence can be lost or destroyed if not collected promptly; and second, there is a statute of limitations in place that limits the amount of time you have to file a claim.

Evidence Collection

It is critical that evidence is swiftly collected and preserved to avoid damage or destruction in any way. The first step is to take pictures or videos of the scene, if possible. This will document the conditions that led to your accident. It is also important to get the contact information of any witnesses who saw what happened. These people can provide valuable testimony about what occurred and how it happened.

The second step is to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Contemporaneous medical records documenting complaints and treatment can be strong evidence in your case.

You or your attorney will also want to send out a letter to preserve evidence as soon as possible. For example, in a slip and fall case the best evidence of what happened is often from store surveillance video that may be erased if steps are not taken to preserve it. Video can often be useful to show not only the actual slip, but whether a dangerous condition existed for a time period beforehand that would put the store on notice.

Statute of Limitations

In the state of California, the statute of limitations for premises liability claims is two years from the date of the accident. The statute of limitations refers to the length of time you are legally allowed to submit a case. If you fail to file a case for your injuries within the two-year deadline, you likely won’t be able to recover any compensation for your losses.

Premises Liability FAQs

Does it matter if I was trespassing at the time of the injury?

Yes, it can matter. Property owners owe the highest duty of care to invited guests and customers. Trespassers generally have less legal protection, though there are exceptions, such as for children or in cases of willful or malicious conduct by the owner.

What if I was partially at fault for my injury?

California follows a comparative negligence rule. This means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault, but your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

Should I talk to the property owner or their insurance company?

It’s best to avoid making any statements or signing anything without speaking to a personal injury attorney. Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts or shift blame.

Can I sue a business if I slipped and fell on their property?

Yes. If a business failed to clean up a spill, fix a hazard, or warn customers about a known danger, and that negligence caused your injury, you may have a valid premises liability claim against the business.

Are landlords responsible for injuries on rental properties in Los Angeles?

Landlords may be held liable if the injury was caused by a dangerous condition they had control over, such as broken stairs or faulty lighting in common areas. Tenants may also bear some responsibility depending on the circumstances.

How does a premises liability claim work if the property is owned by the government?

Claims against government entities (e.g., city of Los Angeles, LA County) follow different rules. You must file a government claim within six months of the injury before you can file a lawsuit, and failure to meet this deadline can bar your claim.

Is the property owner automatically at fault if I was injured?

No. Liability depends on whether the owner was negligent. You must prove they knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent harm.

Can I sue for injuries caused by inadequate security in a parking lot or apartment complex?

Yes. If a property owner failed to provide adequate lighting, locks, cameras, or security personnel in a high-crime area, and you were injured as a result (e.g., in an assault or robbery), you may have a premises liability claim for negligent security.

What if my child was injured on someone else’s property?

Children are owed a higher duty of care under California law. If your child was injured due to a hazardous condition—like an unprotected pool or broken play equipment—you may be able to file a claim on their behalf.

Can I recover damages if I was injured at an Airbnb or short-term rental?

Yes, potentially. Depending on the situation, the host, property owner, or even the platform (like Airbnb) could be held liable. These cases can be complex and often involve multiple parties and insurance policies.

What happens if the property owner doesn’t have insurance?

You can still file a lawsuit directly against the property owner. If they’re uninsured or underinsured, collecting damages may be more difficult, but an attorney can explore alternative recovery options, such as umbrella policies or personal assets.

Do I need a lawyer for a premises liability claim in Los Angeles?

While not required, having a lawyer significantly improves your chances of building a strong case, negotiating a fair settlement, and ensuring your legal rights are protected—especially when dealing with complex issues of liability and insurance.

How Our Los Angeles Premises Liability Attorneys Fight for You

Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP knows how important it is for our clients to recover every dollar they deserve for their losses, including the costs of past and future medical care, past and future lost income, pain and suffering, and for their permanent disabilities or disfigurement. These damages can add up into the millions of dollars quickly, and we are ready to aggressively pursue such high-value claims.

With over $1 billion recovered for our clients, our team has a tradition of success in premises liability cases, and we strive to continue this tradition with every case. We welcome the challenge of catastrophic injury claims because we know we have the skill and ability to succeed for our severely injured or grieving clients.

Here’s some of what sets our firm apart:

• Our firm has extensive resources to dedicate to every case, including access to in-house investigators and a network of experts
• All of our lawyers are highly skilled negotiators who know how to fight for a claim in settlement negotiations, even when the other side is aggressive in their approach
• We are also experienced litigators who are never intimidated by the prospect of taking a case to trial
• Other lawyers are aware of our skill and commitment, so they know we mean business and take our attorneys seriously

When you schedule a consultation, you can immediately tell the difference between our firm and other personal injury attorneys. We do not take every possible case, because we want to fully commit to catastrophically injured clients who most need our help.

Call us today at (866) 634-4525 or contact us online to begin the process of filing a claim. Our premises liability lawyers in Los Angeles are available 24/7 for a free consultation.