Slip and Fall matters in Chico
Where Falls Happen in Chico
Dangerous conditions are everywhere in a busy city. In Chico, falls happen at the shopping centers along Mangrove Avenue and East Avenue, in grocery and big-box stores near the Chico Mall, in restaurants and bars downtown near Main and Broadway, and in apartment complexes serving the Chico State community. Wet entryways, freshly mopped floors without warning signs, spilled product in store aisles, broken stairs and handrails, uneven sidewalks, and poorly lit parking lots all set the stage for serious injuries.
Older adults are especially vulnerable, and a fall that seems minor can mean a broken hip, a wrist fracture, or a brain injury that changes daily life. Property owners and their insurers often claim the hazard was obvious or that the visitor was careless, which is why evidence matters from the start.
Proving a Property Owner Was Negligent
Under California premises-liability law, a property owner must keep the premises reasonably safe and warn of known dangers. To win, you must show the owner knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to fix it. Attorney Ghazaryan acts quickly to preserve surveillance footage before it is overwritten, documents the condition with photos and incident reports, identifies witnesses, and obtains maintenance and cleaning records. He coordinates your treatment at Enloe Medical Center and other providers so your injuries are fully documented.
Injury lawsuits from Chico falls are generally filed in the Butte County Superior Court. If you fell on government property, a shorter government claim deadline under Government Code section 911.2 applies, so prompt action is critical. He handles the insurer directly and pursues compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain.
What Your Slip and Fall Claim Can Recover
A serious fall can mean far more than a single hospital visit. Hip fractures often require surgery and months of rehabilitation, head injuries can have lasting cognitive effects, and back and wrist injuries can keep you from working for an extended period. A complete claim accounts for your emergency and follow-up medical care, your lost wages, any future treatment your doctors expect, and the pain and limitation the fall caused.
Attorney Ghazaryan investigates how the hazard came to exist and how long it was allowed to remain, because that timing is often the heart of a premises case. He gathers the maintenance and inspection records, the surveillance footage, and the witness accounts that show the owner had notice and failed to act. He works with your Chico-area providers to document the full extent of your injuries and deals with the property insurer directly. If the insurer refuses to be fair, he is prepared to file in the Butte County Superior Court and pursue the case to a just result.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with slip and fall
Premises cases turn on notice — whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard — so Mihran M. Ghazaryan builds the timeline early, before surveillance video is recorded over and conditions are fixed. He secures incident reports, photographs, and maintenance records, identifies the right defendant, and presents a documented demand rather than letting the insurer set the terms.
Types of slip and fall accidents we handle
Wet-floor and spill cases
Sweep schedules, mop logs, and warning-sign placement decide these. We pull them via subpoena when necessary.
Stair, handrail, and step defects
Code-compliance review and expert measurement of riser and tread tolerances drive liability.
Inadequate-security claims
Where assault or robbery occurred on premises and the owner knew of risk. Police-call records and prior incidents matter here.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every slip and fall claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Report the fall to the property manager and ask for a written incident report.
- Get a copy of the incident report before leaving — they are routinely 'lost' later.
- Photograph the hazard, the area, and your shoes.
- Preserve your shoes and clothing as worn.
- Get witness contact information immediately.
- Call us before signing anything from the property's insurer.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.