Slip and Fall Lawyer in Rohnert Park 

A slip, trip, or fall can happen in the blink of an eye, yet the consequences can last a lifetime. You could be going about your everyday activities, for example, walking on a Grocery aisle, ascending a set of stairs in an apartment building, or walking out onto a Restaurant's patio. In the blink of an eye, you could end up on the floor with several serious Injuries, including broken hips, broken wrist, damage to your ligaments in your knees, and/or severe damage to your brain. In Rohnert Park, these incidents occur daily in places we all visit: supermarkets, big-box stores, apartment complexes, office buildings, restaurants, parking lots, and sidewalks. Property owners and managers have a clear legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. Still, far too often they cut corners on maintenance, ignore complaints, or fail to warn visitors of hidden dangers. 

At Flahavan Law Offices in Santa Rosa, Brian Flahavan and his team have spent more than twenty years representing injured people throughout Sonoma County, including countless slip-and-fall victims in Rohnert Park, Cotati, and the surrounding communities. We understand California premises-liability law inside and out and have recovered millions of dollars for clients who were told their cases were worthless. If you or someone you love has been injured by a dangerous condition on someone else’s property, call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. You pay absolutely nothing unless we win money for you. 

Where Slip and Fall Accidents Happen Most in Rohnert Park 

Rohnert Park’s mix of large retail centers, older apartment complexes, new mixed-use developments, and industrial parks creates a wide variety of hazards. 

• Grocery and big-box stores (wet produce floors, spilled liquids in aisles, cardboard debris, recently waxed floors without warning signs) 
• Fast-food and sit-down restaurants (greasy kitchen walkways, outdoor patios with uneven pavers, recently mopped entrances) 
• Apartment complexes and condominiums (poorly lit stairwells, broken handrails, cracked sidewalks, accumulated leaves or ice, leaking washing machines that create slick hallways) 
• Shopping centers and strip malls (potholes in parking lots, raised sidewalks, curbs not painted for visibility, overflowing trash areas that spill liquid) 
• Office buildings and medical facilities (recently buffed tile floors, loose carpet edges, extension cords across walkways) 
• Hotels and motels (wet pool decks, uneven transitions from lobby to exterior, inadequate lighting in parking areas) 
• Gas stations and convenience stores (fuel spills, cracked concrete, merchandise blocking walkways) 
• City sidewalks and public parks (uplifted tree roots, missing drain grates, poor drainage that creates standing water) 
• Construction sites and industrial properties (debris, unmarked elevation changes, open trenches) 

Common Dangerous Conditions That Cause Falls 

Property owners and managers frequently allow entirely preventable conditions: 

• Wet or slippery floors without warning cones or signs 
• Recently waxed or polished surfaces that become skating rinks. 
• Spilled food, drinks, or cleaning solutions left unattended 
• Ice, snow, or rain tracked indoors onto tile. 
• Uneven flooring, torn carpet, or loose tiles 
• Poor transition strips between carpet and hard flooring 
• Broken or missing handrails on stairs 
• Inadequate or burned-out lighting in stairwells, parking lots, and walkways 
• Cluttered aisles and walkways 
• Potholes, cracks, and upheaved concrete in parking lots and sidewalks 
• Loose or missing drain grates 
• Overgrown landscaping that hides tripping hazards 
• Leaking refrigerators, air conditioners, or roofs that create puddles 

Serious Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents 

The human body is not designed to fall from standing height onto concrete or tile. Common injuries include: 

• Fractured hips and pelvises that require surgery and months of rehabilitation 
• Broken wrists and arms from trying to catch oneself 
• Torn rotator cuffs and shoulder dislocations 
• Knee ligament tears (ACL, MCL, meniscus) requiring reconstruction 
• Ankle fractures and sprains that lead to chronic instability 
• Herniated discs in the neck and lower back 
• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions occur when the head strikes the ground. 
• Facial fractures and dental injuries 
• Deep lacerations and bruises that become infected 
• Spinal cord damage in the worst cases 

Older adults face a heightened risk of life-threatening complications. A simple hip fracture can lead to blood clots, pneumonia, loss of independence, and dramatically shortened life expectancy. 

Legal Duties of Property Owners and Occupiers 

California law imposes clear duties depending on why you were on the property: 

• Invitees (shoppers, restaurant patrons, tenants) are owed the highest duty: the owner must regularly inspect for dangers and fix or warn about them. 
• Licensees (social guests) must be warned of known dangers that the owner should realize they will not discover. 
• Even trespassers are protected from intentional or grossly negligent hazards in many situations. 

Owners cannot simply claim “we didn’t know” when a reasonable inspection would have revealed the problem. Maintenance records, employee training logs, and prior complaints become critical evidence. 

How Insurance Companies Fight Slip and Fall Claims 

Adjusters and defense lawyers use a familiar playbook: 

• “You should have been watching where you were going.” 
• “The wet-floor sign was right there.” 
• “You were distracted by your phone.” 
• “The condition was open and obvious.” 
• “You have pre-existing degeneration, so we’re not responsible.” 
• “The incident wasn’t reported the same day.” 

They request recorded statements within hours, hoping you will minimize symptoms or accept blame while still in pain and shock. They send friendly letters offering quick, tiny settlements before you realize the full extent of your injuries. 

We stop these tactics immediately. You speak only to us, and we handle every conversation with the insurance company. 

How Flahavan Law Proves Your Slip and Fall Case 

We treat every case as though it will go to a Sonoma County jury: 

• Same-day or next-day site inspection before the hazard is repaired or cleaned 
• Professional measurement and photography from the exact angle of the fall 
• Preservation of footwear and clothing that came into contact with the dangerous surface 
• Retrieval of surveillance video before it is erased (most stores overwrite within days or weeks) 
• Subpoena of incident reports, sweep logs, maintenance contracts, and employee statements 
• Interviews with witnesses while memories remain fresh 
• Consultation with human-factors experts who explain why the hazard was not “open and obvious.” 
• Collaboration with engineers and safety consultants to document building-code and industry-standard violations 
• Complete medical documentation with treating physicians and independent specialists 
• Life-care planners and economists, when injuries are permanent 

When liability is clear, we demand full policy limits. When the defense fights, we file suit and take the case to trial if necessary. 

Full Compensation Available Under California Law 

Successful claimants recover: 

• All past and future medical expenses (emergency room, surgery, rehabilitation, medications, assistive devices) 
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity 
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress (no arbitrary cap in most premises-liability cases) 
• Loss of enjoyment of life and inability to perform household duties 
• Home modifications (ramps, stair lifts, widened doorways) 
• In-home nursing or attendant care 
• Out-of-pocket expenses and mileage to appointments 

In rare cases involving reckless or intentional conduct, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar behavior. 

Local Knowledge Gives You the Edge 

We know the management companies that own half the apartment complexes in Rohnert Park. We know which grocery chains have the worst spill-response policies. We know which shopping-center owners repeatedly ignore cracked sidewalks until someone breaks a hip. We know the judges in Sonoma County Superior Court and what evidence persuades local juries. We also understand local building codes, safety regulations, and accident patterns that often make the difference in proving negligence. That deep community experience translates directly into stronger cases, larger recoveries, and better outcomes for our clients. 

No Recovery, No Fee. We Advance All Costs 

Slip-and-fall cases are expensive to investigate properly. Surveillance video retrieval, expert retention, court filing fees, and deposition costs can exceed $100,000 in complex matters. We advance every penny. You pay nothing out of pocket, ever. If we do not recover money for you, you owe us zero. 

If you or someone you love has been injured in a slip, trip, or fall anywhere in Rohnert Park, Cotati, or greater Sonoma County, do not give a recorded statement and do not sign anything until you speak with an experienced premises-liability attorney. Property owners and their insurance companies often move quickly after an accident to protect their interests. They could try to shift blame, minimize your injuries, or argue that the accident was your fault. You need to act fast to collect evidence, prove unsafe conditions, and find witnesses who may help or hurt your case. 

At Flahavan Law Offices, we investigate every detail of your incident. We consult with experts in safety standards, building codes, and medical care to accurately assess the severity of your injuries and the long-term impact on your life. In conjunction with vocational rehabilitation specialists, we create reports detailing future lost income and future medical expenses. We help hold negligent property owners responsible for their actions. Please call Flahavan Law Offices or visit our website to learn more about us or request your free, private consultation. We will listen to your story, explain your rights, and fight to make sure the property owner who caused your injury is held fully responsible. 

You deserve to walk safely. Let us help you stand up again.