Slip and Fall matters in Santa Rosa
Where Falls Happen in Santa Rosa
Slip and fall injuries happen across Santa Rosa's busiest spaces. Retail centers around Coddingtown and the Santa Rosa Avenue corridor, grocery and big-box stores, restaurants and tasting rooms in Downtown and Railroad Square, apartment complexes in Roseland and Rincon Valley, and parking structures all present hazards when owners cut corners on maintenance. Wet floors without warning signs, spilled product left in an aisle, cracked or uneven pavement, broken handrails, and poorly lit stairwells are the kinds of conditions that turn an ordinary errand into a serious injury. Falls often cause broken hips, wrist fractures, and head trauma, and older victims may face long recoveries treated at Sutter Santa Rosa or Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
The wine-country tourism that drives Sonoma County's economy means tasting rooms, hotels, and event venues see heavy foot traffic, and these businesses have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for the visitors they invite. Crowded harvest-season events and holiday shopping at Coddingtown add to the risk when staffing and cleanup do not keep pace.
Premises Liability Under California Law
Under California premises-liability law, a property owner or occupier must use reasonable care to keep the property safe and to warn of hazards they knew about or should have discovered. Winning a fall case usually turns on showing the owner had notice of the dangerous condition and failed to fix it. Insurers often argue the victim was not watching where they walked, but California's comparative-fault rule lets you recover even if you share some blame, with your award reduced by your percentage. Attorney Ghazaryan moves quickly to preserve surveillance video, incident reports, and maintenance records before they disappear, because that evidence is what establishes how long the hazard existed and whether the owner ignored it.
Deadlines and the Government Claim Rule
Slip and fall lawsuits are filed in the Sonoma County Superior Court at the Hall of Justice on Administration Drive. Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the fall to sue. If you fell on public property, such as a city sidewalk, a county building, or a government-run facility, Government Code section 911.2 requires a written claim within six months, a much shorter deadline that is easy to miss, and the written claim must meet specific requirements before any lawsuit can proceed. Attorney Ghazaryan works on contingency, so you pay no fee unless he recovers for you, and the consultation is free. He shoulders the cost of investigation and the burden of dealing with the property owner's insurer, so you can focus on getting better while your claim moves forward.
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.