Premises Liability Lawyer
Injured on someone else's property? Property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises safe. When they fail — Gallo Law holds them accountable.
Property Owners Are Responsible for What Happens on Their Property
When you are injured on someone else’s property — whether it is a grocery store, a restaurant, an apartment complex, a hotel, or a private residence — the property owner may be legally responsible for your injuries. Premises liability law exists for exactly this reason: to hold negligent property owners, landlords, and businesses accountable when their failure to maintain safe conditions causes harm.
Premises liability cases are more complex than they appear. Insurance companies representing property owners fight these claims aggressively — arguing that the hazard was obvious, that you were not paying attention, or that they had no knowledge of the dangerous condition. Joseph Gallo fights these tactics with evidence, expert testimony, and a thorough understanding of what California law actually requires of property owners.
A property owner's failure to fix a known hazard is not an accident. It is negligence. Gallo Law treats it accordingly.
How We Handle Premises Liability Cases
Establish the Hazard
We document the dangerous condition that caused your injury — whether it is a wet floor, uneven pavement, broken staircase, inadequate lighting, or any other hazardous condition. Surveillance footage, incident reports, and maintenance records are critical evidence we move immediately to preserve.
Prove Notice
Property owners are liable when they knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to fix it. We investigate how long the hazard existed, whether it had been reported, and whether the property owner's maintenance practices fell below the standard of care required by law.
Fight the Bias
Property owners and insurance companies representing property owners routinely blame the injured victim — arguing they were distracted, wearing improper footwear, or ignored obvious warning signs. Gallo Law builds cases specifically designed to counter these arguments with evidence, witness testimony, and expert analysis.
Premises Liability Case Results
Slip and fall at a hotel parking lot in Hemet, CA with catastrophic injuries to femur and hip.
Trip and fall in a parking lot in Riverside, CA with catastrophic injuries of a fractured hip.
Trip and fall settlement against the City of Anaheim Hills for a raised sidewalk that caused an elderly woman to fracture her neck.
Trip and fall from a decorative rock on the sidewalk at a resort in San Diego, CA that caused an orbital bone fracture.
Trip and fall down stairs in Redondo Beach, CA with catastrophic injuries to ankle and lower back.
Trip and fall in a pothole in a parking lot in Lancaster, CA that caused catastrophic injuries to client's ankle.
Types of Premises Liability Cases We Handle
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are the most common premises liability claim — occurring on wet floors, freshly mopped surfaces, spilled liquids, slippery floors, and any surface that creates an unexpected slipping hazard. Property owners and businesses have a duty to address these conditions promptly or warn visitors of the danger. When they fail, injured victims have the right to pursue compensation. Gallo Law handles slip and fall accident cases throughout California — learn more about our Slip and Fall Lawyer practice →
Trip and Fall Accidents
Trip and fall accidents are caused by hazards that catch a foot or throw off balance — uneven pavement, raised sidewalk sections, broken concrete, potholes, unmarked steps, loose flooring, and poorly maintained walkways. These cases frequently involve government entities responsible for maintaining public sidewalks and roads, which introduces strict filing deadlines that make early investigation critical. Learn more about our Trip and Fall Lawyer practice →
Negligent Security
Property owners have a duty to provide adequate security when criminal activity is foreseeable. When inadequate lighting, broken locks, missing security personnel, or faulty surveillance systems contribute to an assault, robbery, or other violent crime on the property, the property owner may be liable for the resulting injuries. Negligent security cases are among the most complex in premises liability law — and among the highest in value.
Swimming Pool Accidents
Pool owners — private, commercial, and municipal — have a heightened duty of care to prevent drownings, slip and fall injuries, and diving accidents. Inadequate fencing, missing safety equipment, slippery pool decks, and lack of supervision are all common factors in premises liability pool accident cases. In cases involving children, the attractive nuisance doctrine may impose additional liability on the property owner.
Elevator and Escalator Accidents
Property owners and building managers are responsible for the regular maintenance and inspection of elevators and escalators. Mechanical failures, sudden stops, unexpected movements, and gap injuries are all preventable with proper maintenance — and when they occur due to negligence, the property owner and maintenance company may share liability.
Retail and Commercial Property Accidents
Grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, and other commercial properties see a high volume of foot traffic — and with it, a high volume of preventable accidents. Spilled merchandise, cluttered aisles, broken fixtures, and poorly maintained parking lots are common hazards in retail environments. These cases frequently involve large corporate defendants with experienced legal teams — which is exactly why having an experienced premises liability attorney matters.
Premises Liability FAQs
What is premises liability?
What types of accidents fall under premises liability?
Who can be held liable in a premises liability case?
How do you prove a premises liability case?
What is the duty of care for property owners?
How long do I have to file a premises liability lawsuit?
How much does a premises liability lawyer cost?
What is the average premises liability settlement?
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. The results listed above are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any future case. Some results noted on this site are from attorney Joseph Gallo’s career and include results when employed at other law firms and when associating in other law firms. They are not solely the results of Gallo Law, APC but are the results of cases worked on by Joseph Gallo as an attorney.