What to Do After a Slip and Fall
A fall report becomes more useful when it identifies a specific condition at a specific place and time. If it is safe, photograph the floor, stair, walkway or lighting before the condition changes. Report what happened to the property controller and request the incident number or a copy. Keep medical records and the footwear involved. Whether a property controller had notice of a hazard, and whether a public agency is involved, are separate questions that require evidence.
Hurt Advice editorial guide. Source review: . This guide does not state that the attorney authored, reviewed or approved it. Visit the profile for public licensing and background records.
Review the attorney’s public background, then confirm experience and availability directly.
Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
Learn more about Raffi Naljian
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
Ask a prospective attorney which property operator controlled the area, what record could establish the condition’s duration or notice, and whether a public entity claim process needs prompt review. Do not assume a fall by itself proves that the property owner was negligent.
Consultation worksheet
Fall location and hazard worksheet
Keep observations separate from guesses. This worksheet organizes questions for a later review; it does not establish notice or fault.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
Which entrance, aisle, stair, landing or sidewalk segment was involved? What photo fixes the location?
What did you see or feel, when did you see it, and did a staff member move, clean or mark it afterward?
Who controls this space, video, cleaning logs and incident reports? Which name or business relationship is still uncertain?
What evidence could show inspection, notice or warning? Does a city or other public agency require a different claim review?
Sources for this guide
- Judicial Council of California: Civil Jury Instructions (premises liability)
Official CACI instructions address control, dangerous condition, notice and reasonable care; they do not decide any individual fall.
- California Courts: Ask a government agency to pay you
Explains the administrative claim that may precede a lawsuit against a public agency, including distinct presentation and suit deadlines.
- California Courts: Deadlines to sue someone
Explains why the claim, parties, exceptions, and government-claim requirements must be checked before relying on a general lawsuit deadline.
What to Do Next
- 1Seek appropriate care, then record the precise place of the fall, your route and the condition you observed without recreating the event in an unsafe area.
- 2Tell the store, building or site contact what happened; note that person’s name, the incident number and whether you were offered a report copy.
- 3Photograph the condition from close and wide views, including lighting, warning signs, nearby cleaning equipment and any visible change afterward.
- 4Identify the owner, operator or public agency and the custodian of video, inspection, cleaning and complaint records; request preservation where appropriate.
Evidence Checklist
- Dated photographs of the exact surface, warning signs and route of travel
- Incident report reference, witness contacts and the property staff member or agency who received notice
- Footwear and clothing in their post-fall condition, plus medical chronology
- Identity of the business, building manager or agency that controls the location and its camera or maintenance records
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Describing a generic “wet floor” without recording the actual condition or its location
- Assuming the property owner, tenant and maintenance contractor are the same legal entity
- Assuming every spill was known to staff without checking inspection or complaint evidence
- Applying an ordinary private-property lawsuit deadline to a possible public sidewalk or facility claim
How the Process Typically Works
Document the condition
Record the precise surface, location, lighting, warnings and your contemporaneous account.
Identify control and records
Find who managed the space and who holds incident, video and inspection records.
Resolve notice and route
Review how long the condition may have existed, what warnings existed and whether a public claim process applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does falling on someone else’s property prove the owner is responsible?
No. California premises-liability instructions require facts about control, a dangerous condition, knowledge or the ability to discover it, and causation. The exact rule depends on the claim and parties.
What if the spill was cleaned before I could photograph it?
Write down what you personally observed, the time, the staff member and any witness. Identify the operator’s incident, inspection and video records for a preservation request; avoid recreating an image of the earlier condition.
What if the fall was on public property?
Identify the public agency and obtain a prompt case-specific deadline review. California Courts explains that an administrative claim may be required before suit and uses a different timeline.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
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Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.