San Francisco International Airport, of SFO as it is also known, is the largest airport in the Bay Area and the second largest airport in the state behind Los Angeles International Airport. The facility is roughly twelve miles southeast of the city and covers about 5,200 acres. The terminals are comprised of 2.5 million square feet of building space that handled over 50,000,000 passengers this past year. The pre-pandemic numbers for this facility reached an all-time high of use under 58,000,000.
While this massive airport is great for residents who are looking for a flight to a work or vacation destination, it can also mean that the hassle of dealing with traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian, is anything but fun. After moving past the ticketing areas, the crowd rarely decreases as passengers slog their way to security checkpoints and then beyond into the actual terminal areas. From a distance, the mass of people looks like the mobs that you see moving down the very congested sidewalks of New York. LA, or San Francisco, at lunchtime on a nice day.
However, the other issues that many of these passengers face are more urgent and possibly upsetting. These massive spaces and thousands upon thousands of passengers using them each day mean that maintenance and safety issues can go left uncorrected and unattended for hours or days because of the hectic pace of traffic moving inside the airport, and most specifically in the terminals. Something as simple as a torn section of carpet or a leaking water line can result in safety hazards that innocent travelers never see as they are moving forward in the mass of guests surrounding them. The unfortunate and often costly and painful result of these unattended issues is an injury due to an airport trip and fall or slip and fall incident at SFO.
If you or a loved one has recently been at SFO and suffered an injury because of a slip and fall or trip and fall, please know that you do not need to spend any more time worrying about the expenses and issues created by that incident, and how you will get any compensation that is owed to you. All you need to do is grab your phone and reach out to the caring and dedicated office staff at Normandie Law Firm. This exceptional team is here to assist you 24/7 to ensure you have all the vital information and help you need to overcome the hardships created when you suffered harm at SFO Airport because of the negligence of a staff member or contractor working at the facility. After helping you understand all the way the legal system is designed to protect you, they will help you understand what our seasoned legal team will do to ensure you get the help and justice you deserve. In addition, they will help you book your free consultation with one of our SFO airport slip and fall or trip and fall accident injury attorneys.
At that free consultation, you will relate the details of the injury incident and the harm you sustained to your attorney. They will then ask any other questions they have related to the incident that allow them to gain a full understanding of the events and how you got hurt. Once they have all the crucial details and information, they will provide you with a complete evaluation of the legal merit of the case and your ability to pursue legal action. With this helpful and valuable information, you will be well-prepared to begin making well-informed choices about your future and the action you want to take that will best meet your immediate and long-term needs for compensation related to the harm you have endured.
We want you to also understand that even after getting all of this legal guidance and information for free, you are never required to pursue legal action related to your injuries, nor are you obligated to hire Normandie Law Firm if you later opt to take legal action. Our only motivation is to ensure that you have all the information needed to protect yourself from costly debt caused by someone else’s negligence. But please reach out to our staff today to explore your options and ensure you fully understand the time limit for you to file a lawsuit if that is the best form of resolution for you. Sadly, in many instances, the time limit to take legal action is much shorter than you might expect.
What Is Premises Liability, And What Does It Mean For Slip And Fall Or Trip And Fall Injury Victims
Premises liability law is a part of the legal system that was created to protect the general public when they are at any public or private property. The laws define the legal obligation of the property owner and their staff pertaining to everything from the construction of the structures to their care and maintenance. In addition, there is a specific section that explains what is expected from the staff when a safety issue or hazard is reported to them by a guest or if they locate an issue when inspecting the property.
It states that the property manager or staff at the facility, such as SFO, must provide at least the same level of care and attention to a safety hazard as would be provided by the average prudent person facing the same or a similar issue. In addition, the resolution or attention must be delivered within a reasonable time to ensure guest safety. For example, if you see water spilled on the floor in your kitchen, you would immediately mop it up to prevent a slip and fall injury. The same is expected of the staff at SFO when there is a spill or water leak creating slippery, wet floors that could be hazardous. If the staff fail to take the appropriate action in a reasonable time, they can be deemed negligent in their duty of care. Furthermore, if it is later learned that the staff’s negligence caused or contributed to a guest’s injuries, the property owner can be held financially liable for the losses and expenses of the injury victim.
If you believe that staff negligence or the staff ignoring their obligation to correctly maintain the SFO facilities was a factor in your injuries, please get in touch with the staff at Normande Law Firm at your earliest opportunity to further explore your options for legal action.
Common Yet Avoidable Slip And Fall Or Trip And Fall Hazards Potentially Found At SFO
What might be the most upsetting about any of the slip and fall or trip and fall incidents at SFO and many other airports in the state is that they could often be easily avoided or prevented if the staff were focused on their obligation and duty of care to properly maintain the spaces used by the public. Some of the issues that could result in severe harm to travelers using the terminal include:
- Damaged or loose floor coverings, like carpet or floor mats
- Damaged, missing, or saturated floor mats at entryways of other moist areas
- Water leaking onto floors from damaged or malfunctioning plumbing fixtures, cracked water lines, or clogged drains
- Uneven flooring surfaces that are cracked, heaved, or improperly installed
- Poorly marked or unmarked changes in elevation such as steps or ramps
- Poorly marked or unmarked transitions from one flooring surface to another or one pavement surface to another
- Missing or damaged safety handrails on steps or ramps
- Litter or debris left on the floors, in parking areas, or on walkways
Common Injuries Sustained Due To An SFO Airport Slip And Fall Or Trip And Fall
Most people think of a slip and fall or trip and fall as a minor incident that results in a few cuts or bruises, but is mostly just an embarrassment. However, in some cases, the results can be much more severe and devastating for the victim and their loved ones. It is shockingly common for an SFO injury incident to result in one or more of these serious injuries:
- Broken or shattered bones
- Compound fracture
- Soft tissue damage and the destruction of nerve tissue
- Complete joint dislocations and the destruction of the soft connective tissue of the joint
- Back, neck, and spinal cord damage
- Severe lacerations and puncture wounds
- Damage to internal organs and internal bleeding
- Head injuries that can include a severe concussion, skull fracture, brain bleed, or other traumatic brain injuries
- Injuries to the delicate skin on the face or the eyes, ears, nose, or mouth
Understanding The Statute Of Limitations
The Statute of Limitations is a time limit that is imposed on victims by the court that limits the time the victim has to pursue legal action. The time limit will vary based on the matter in the case. But in all cases, this time limit is strictly enforced. Once it has expired, the victim no longer has the right to file a lawsuit to seek compensation for the losses and expenses caused by the particular incident. In the instance of personal injuries, the time limit or Statute of Limitations for these cases is typically two years from the date of the incident. However, in California, there is a significant exception to that time limit.
When the liable party in an injury lawsuit is a government entity or agency, the time limit to pursue legal action is decreased to only six months from the date of the injury incident. This is critical for victims who suffered injuries at SFO because the facility is owned jointly by the City of San Francisco and the County of San Francisco. So, if the person who was negligent in their duty of care was a state or county employee, your time to pursue a lawsuit is very limited. However, if the liable party was a contractor working in the facility, your time limit to file your lawsuit could be the full two years from the date of the incident.
What Is My SFO Injury Lawsuit Worth?
As a personal injury victim, you have the right to seek compensation for all of the allowable expenses you face because of your injuries. The items that are most often included in this amount are:
- All medical expenses related to the injuries suffered in the incident
- All legal fees and expenses related to preparing, filing, and litigating your SFO injury lawsuit
- The replacement cost of any personal property that was damaged or destroyed in the injury incident at SFO
- Your lost income if the harm you sustained at SFO prevented you from working at your regular job until you were fully healed and cleared by your medical care provider to return to work
No Upfront Legal Fees Or Added Stress
When you hire Normandie Law Firm to handle your SFO airport slip and fall or trip and fall injury lawsuit, we never require any out of pocket fees or expenses. In fact, we only get paid after the matter is resolved, and you have the compensation that includes funds to cover your legal costs and other expenses. Please also know that if your Normandie Law Firm accident injury attorney fails to win your case and secure the compensation you need to cover your losses and expenses, you owe the firm nothing. Please get in touch with our staff today to learn more about how we can help you resolve this matter and move forward with your life.
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