If you have fallen and suffered an injury, it is time to contact the Newport Beach slip and fall lawyers at Bisnar Chase. Whether you have slipped in a grocery store aisle or tripped down a set of stairs, we may be able to help you pursue legal action.
Many victims of slip-and-fall accidents suffer severe injuries. These can include everything from broken bones to traumatic head injuries. Our Newport Beach injury lawyers have seen it all, including severe falls causing paralyzing and fatal injuries. If you suffered an injury in or around the 92660 Newport area, we want to help.
If another party’s negligence has caused your slip, trip, or fall, we can help you secure the compensation you deserve and hold the culprits accountable.
Call our top-rated Newport Beach slip and fall attorneys at (949) 203-3814 for immediate help, or send us an email or a live chat to find out if we can help. Our mission is to provide superior legal representation, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Newport Beach Slip and Fall Attorneys
What Type of Case is a Slip and Fall Accident?
Slip and fall is used to describe a certain type of injury lawsuit. Essentially, a slip and fall – or trip and fall, as they are sometimes called—is a premises liability accident involving the victim falling and suffering an injury.
There are a few factors that make an accident a slip-and-fall. The victim must slip, trip, or fall and suffer some form of injury – no matter how minor. Additionally, the incident must occur in a space owned or managed by another person or organization.
Common slip and trip risks include:
- Uneven surfaces can include hazardous conditions such as broken paving stones, torn carpets, or potholes.
- Spillages and rain often make floors slippery and track mud onto an interior floor.
- Outdoor elements: rain, snow, ice, and sleet create a dangerous underfoot surface.
- Debris: If objects are left on the floor where they should not be, this can cause a serious trip hazard.
- Poor visibility is when an area has a high risk of falls due to poor lighting or limited visibility.
- Unstable flooring can include trip hazards such as loose floorboards, bricks, paving stones, or tiles.
- Stairs and escalators—A malfunctioning escalator or a compromised set of stairs can pose a serious danger.
There are plenty of examples of each of these conditions. For example, a boating accident could result in a fall injury. A boat could provide an unstable and slippery surface, increasing the risk of a slip or trip accident.
Where Newport Beach Slip and Fall Cases Begin
These cases cluster in a few local property types. Fashion Island is privately owned. A fall in a store, on an open-air walkway, near a restaurant, or in a parking structure is usually a private premises claim, not a claim against the city.
Common issues include polished stone, food and drink spills, tracked-in rain, unmarked steps, and poor lighting in garages and stairwells. Balboa Peninsula and harbor restaurants add wet patios, kitchen runoff, loose mats, and crowded walkways. Resort and boutique hotels add marble lobbies, pool decks, and slick bathroom floors. Marinas and docks add wet wood, missing railings, and bad night lighting.
Grocery and retail stores on Pacific Coast Highway and in Corona del Mar are prone to classic wet-floor and fallen-merchandise claims. Public sidewalks, beach-access ramps, and city parking structures are different: if a public entity owned or controlled the property, a written government claim is often due within six months. 4
Coastal conditions can be significant to the facts. Rain on tile, sand on hard floors, and evening light on outdoor paths are ordinary features of Newport Beach. They become legal issues when an owner fails to inspect, clean, repair, or provide a warning.
You should contact our slip and fall lawyers in Newport Beach for professional advice if you or a loved one has experienced an accident due to a trip risk or any other underfoot hazard. Call 949-203-3814 today.
What to Do After a Fall in Newport Beach
- Seek medical care, even if the pain seems minor. Some fractures and head injuries show up later.
- Photograph the hazard, the surrounding area, your clothing, and your shoes before the scene is cleaned.
- Report the fall and ask for a copy of the incident report. Get employee names.
- Get witness names and phone numbers.
- Ask, in writing, that the video be saved. Many systems overwrite within days.
- Keep footwear and torn clothing.
- Save bills, wage records, and discharge papers.
- Avoid a recorded statement to the property insurer before you have spoken with a lawyer.
Bisnar Chase is an award-winning injury law firm that has been successfully dealing with premises liability cases for decades. Contact the best slip-and-fall lawyers near you in Newport Beach today for the representation you deserve.
Who Is Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident in Newport Beach?
California premises liability starts with Civil Code § 1714. Everyone is responsible for an injury caused by a lack of ordinary care in the management of property. The California Supreme Court, in Rowland v. Christian (1968), held that the old labels of trespasser, licensee, and invitee do not determine the duty.
Status can still matter to the facts. It is not a gate that ends the case. A typical claim has four parts:
- A dangerous condition existed. Examples include a spill, a broken tile, a torn carpet, an unmarked drop, a missing handrail, or an area too dark to see the hazard.
- The owner, manager, or tenant knew about it, should have known about it, or created it.
- That party failed to repair it, clean it, or warn in a reasonable way.
- The condition was a substantial factor in the injury.
Notice is often the fight. Actual notice means an employee saw the hazard, a customer reported it, or a work order already existed. Constructive notice means the condition was present long enough or obvious enough that a reasonable inspection should have found it.
Sweep logs, inspection schedules, and video are the usual proof. If the defendant created the condition—a mopped floor with no sign, a display that fell, a poorly done repair—the injured person only has to prove the hazard was noticed.
California uses pure comparative negligence, set out in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975). If you were partly at fault, for example, by missing a posted warning, your share of fault reduces your compensation. Partial fault does not bar the claim unless you are found entirely responsible.
Deadlines to File a Personal Injury Claim for a Slip and Fall
On private property, the personal-injury deadline is generally two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. That covers most stores, restaurants, hotels, malls, and apartment blocks. If the City of Newport Beach, the county, or another public entity is responsible, Government Code § 911.2 usually requires a written claim within six months.
After the entity rejects the claim, a short period remains to file suit. Missing the six-month claim deadline can end the case, even if the two-year civil deadline has not run. Wrongful death, late discovery of an injury, and claims involving a minor can follow different rules. Those exceptions are narrow. The safe step is to confirm the right clock before either date passes.
Frequently Asked Questions For a Fall
Do I have a case if there was a wet-floor sign?
A sign is evidence that the owner tried to warn. It does not automatically defeat a claim. The question is whether the warning was adequate and whether the owner still failed to clean or remedy the hazard in a reasonable time.
What if I was looking at my phone?
That fact can be used to argue comparative fault. In California, it reduces compensation by your percentage of fault. It does not automatically end the case.
How long do I have to file in Newport Beach?
Generally, two years for a private-property injury. If a public entity controlled the property, a written claim is usually due within six months.
Is a Fashion Island fall a city claim?
No. Fashion Island is private property, so the case usually proceeds under ordinary premises liability rather than the government-claim process.
Who pays if I fell on a city sidewalk?
The city or another public entity may be liable if the sidewalk was in a dangerous condition and the entity had the required notice. The six-month claim deadline is the first issue to check.
What if the store says it had just mopped?
A fresh mop without a warning can support the claim because the defendant created the condition. A case is harder when an employee has not yet found a spill. Timing and video decide it.
Can a family file if the fall caused a death?
Yes. Wrongful-death and survival claims are available in fatal-fall cases, with their own deadlines and limits on who may bring them.
What does it cost to hire Bisnar Chase?
The firm handles these cases on a contingency fee. There is no attorney’s fee unless compensation is recovered. Costs can still matter to the net result, and you should read the fee agreement before you sign or contact us to find out more about attorney fees.
Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
Falls are a leading cause of serious injury in the United States. In 2024, falls among adults 65 and older caused more than 43,000 deaths, according to the CDC. That makes falls the leading cause of injury death for this age group.
The same CDC data show about 4.5 million emergency department visits for older adult falls in 2024: about 3.1 million people were treated and released, and about 1.4 million were hospitalized. More than 1 in 4 adults 65 and older fall each year, and a first fall roughly doubles the chance of another.
Nearly 319,000 older adults are hospitalized for a hip fracture each year. Falls are also the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in older adults. The setting is relevant for premises claims. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2024 injury report tied well over 3 million emergency-treated injuries — about 3,046,000, or roughly 20 percent of consumer-product emergency injuries — to stairs, ramps, landings, and floors.
At work, falls, slips, and trips killed 844 workers in 2024. A fall is not automatically someone else’s legal responsibility. A claim depends on a dangerous condition, notice or creation of that condition, and harm caused by a failure to exercise ordinary care.
What Should You Do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident in Newport Beach?
You should take several key steps after suffering a slip or trip accident in Newport Beach. These include gathering evidence and allowing you to pursue a lawsuit with the help of a slip-and-fall attorney.
Take the following steps when possible:
- Treatment:
Get medical attention, depending on the severity of your injuries. - Documentation:
Document the scene. Identify the cause of your accident, if possible, and take pictures. Write a first-hand account of the incident when you can. - Witness:
Talk to anyone who witnessed your fall. Take statements and contact details from any witnesses. - Report:
Make an official report of the incident and request a copy. - Paperwork:
Collect proof of any expenses relating to the fall. - Hire an Attorney:
Speak to an experienced Newport Beach slip and fall accident lawyer as soon as possible.
We cannot stress enough how beneficial it can be to work with an experienced attorney. The legal process can be long and challenging, especially for an injury victim who is also trying to recover. Working with the right attorney is essential, and will result in greater compensation and less stress. Contact us at Bisnar Chase for a free consultation today.
Video: Attorney Scott Ritsema explains the ins and outs of premises liability laws in California.
Scott is a partner at Bisnar Chase who has recovered millions of dollars for his clients over a distinguished career. He is part of a dedicated group of attorneys at our firm who work on cases of all types.
How a Slip and Fall Attorney Can Help
If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you should contact a professional who can provide expert help. Some victims believe they can handle a personal injury case themselves, but this rarely goes well.
Our Newport Beach slip-and-fall lawyers have extensive experience when it comes to handling these cases. We are adept at negotiating with insurance companies but are also prepared to go to trial if an agreement cannot be reached. Bisnar Chase knows the Orange County court system well and will fight to ensure our clients receive the maximum compensation possible.
2026 Best Newport Beach Slip and Fall Lawyer
Bisnar Chase is proud to support residents in the Newport Beach area, as well as anyone else who needs help across Southern California.
We have been based in Newport Beach for more than 46 years, and our personal injury attorneys are passionate about taking on slip-and-fall claims for members of our community.
Our knowledge of the local area—from the courts and judges to California law—is a significant benefit when tackling our clients’ tough slip-and-fall cases. When looking for the best Newport Beach slip and fall accident attorneys near you, look no further than Bisnar Chase. call 949-203-3814 for a free consultation.
Slip-and-Fall Injury Compensation
The injuries you can suffer in a slip and fall accident can be significant. Common injuries include:
- Bruising and sprains
- Fractures and broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic head injuries
- Wrongful death
The level of compensation that our Newport Beach accident lawyers can win for you will depend on a range of factors. It will depend on the severity of any injuries suffered and the level of pain and suffering a person goes through, as well as medical bills and ongoing care costs.
Any compensation award will depend entirely on the individual case.
No Win No Fee Slip and Fall Lawyers Near You
Bisnar Chase is dedicated to providing clients with superior representation. Our law firm comprises staff members who are passionate about what they do and dedicated to helping fall injury victims.
We have an outstanding track record and maintain a 99% success rate. We have collected over $1B million for our clients, ensuring they are made whole for their suffering.
Bisnar Chase offers a ‘No Win, No Fee‘ guarantee. We advance all costs and ensure you do not have to pay a cent unless we win your case.
Contact Bisnar Chase’s Newport Beach slip-and-fall lawyers now. Call us at (949) 203-3814 or send us a message through our website. We are here to ensure you get the help you need after an accident, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Brian Chase
Serving California Since 1978
Bisnar Chase is a top-rated personal injury law firm with a national reputation. The firm has been in business since 1978 and has represented thousands of clients. Based in Newport Beach and with offices across California, Bisnar Chase has recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts, emphasizing superior client representation above all.
