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San Francisco Premises Liability Wrongful Death Attorneys

Landlords, employers, building owners, management companies and government entities are all responsible for fatal injuries on property or equipment that they own or operate.

Each year, thousands of people are killed in accidents that occur when property owners are not careful or vigilant in the maintenance of their property.

All property owners have a duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe manner. That includes keeping walkways, stairways and balconies well-lit and in good repair; protecting against the foreseeable criminal acts of others; conducting appropriate inspections and maintenance; making certain that elevators, escalators and moving walkways are regularly serviced and inspected; eliminating slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall hazards on floors and stairways; and posting appropriate warnings at recreational facilities, including swimming pools and playing fields.

Need A Wrongful Death Lawyer In California?

At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our California wrongful death premises liability specialists can help assess the merits of your case and obtain for you the compensation you deserve.

If you have suffered the loss of a loved one from an injury caused by dangerous property, our legal team can help you. Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger handles wrongful death cases throughout the Bay Area, including San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Fremont.

For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case, call us at (415) 981-7210 or contact the Walkup firm online.

Experienced Bay Area Wrongful Death Lawyers

A fall down a poorly maintained flight of stairs, electrocution where wiring is not up to code, an unsafe space heater causing a fire, an improperly maintained or pruned ornamental tree; all of these are examples of fatal accident causes that are the responsibility of a property owner.

When publicly maintained traffic lights or traffic signs malfunction or are obscured and a fatal collision results, the government is responsible for negligence in maintaining its premises.

When Caltrans or another government entity is performing roadwork and fails to guard against hazardous excavations, roadway drop-offs or roadway obstructions and a fatal injury occurs, our wrongful death specialists should be called.

Landlords are obligated to provide their tenants with a reasonably safe place to live. This includes a duty to install and maintain smoke alarms and sprinklers for fire protection as well as secure doors and locks against intruders.

The owners and operators of commercial buildings have similar duties and obligations. Where prior criminal acts have occurred and a commercial property owner is on notice for risk of serious bodily injury or death, liability may exist for inadequate security that allows criminal activity to occur.

Our wrongful death specialists have handled property liability cases involving toxic chemical exposure, lead poisoning, defective lighting, defective and unsafe electrical wiring, inoperative smoke detectors, failure to warn of hazardous conditions, improperly maintained construction equipment, overgrown or uncontrolled landscaping, fallen trees and limbs, uncovered ditches, open holes on the property, broken stairs, and other dangerous conditions that the owner, manager or operator had failed to warn of or correct.

California Premises Liability Wrongful Death Case Studies

Dangerous Tree Fall — Death Of 54-Year-Old Wife And Mother

Our wrongful death attorneys obtained a $2.7 million settlement on behalf of the husband and two adult children of a 54-year-old woman who was killed when a Monterey pine tree fell on her car as she drove in San Francisco. Our wrongful death specialists were able to prove that the owner of the adjacent property from which the tree fell had conducted inspections in the past and knew that such an incident was potentially likely to occur. The professional management company responsible for maintaining the trees claimed that the tree tragedy was a “freak accident.” Our wrongful death lawyers were able to find a former manager of the apartment complex from where the tree fell who testified that she had requested funds on more than one occasion to have the dangerous trees removed.

Failure To Provide And Maintain Smoke Alarms — Death Of 31-Year-Old Woman

Our wrongful death premises liability specialists obtained a settlement in the amount of $2 million against a property manager and building owner who were responsible for the maintenance of an apartment’s smoke alarms. Our client’s wife was killed at the rented apartment when a fire broke out. No smoke alarm sounded. Fire investigators determined that there were no batteries in any of the smoke alarms of an unburned “mirror-image” unit upstairs. Our attorneys claimed that failure to check the batteries and make sure that all smoke detectors were operative was negligent. Because the smoke alarms were not functioning, the decedent did not awaken until the fire had consumed most of the apartment and the only exit door had been sealed by melted plastic from a wall-mounted doorbell chime.

Falling Store Display — Wrongful Death Of 3-Year-Old Child

Our wrongful death specialists obtained a settlement in a confidential amount, including both cash and future annuity payments, on behalf of the parents of a 3-year-old child killed when a display fell on her at the defendant’s store. The child was at the home center store with her grandmother when the accident occurred. The store owner claimed that the accident was the grandmother’s fault for failing to supervise the child. The display that fell incorporated a door jamb and was advertising the availability of replacement home doors. Our attorneys proved that the child’s actions had not in any way increased or caused the problem, but that the display was likely to fall on any adult patron who brushed against it.

Contact Our San Francisco Wrongful Death Legal Team

If you have suffered the loss of a family member, spouse, domestic partner or parent because of the fault of a property owner or manager, talk to our premises liability wrongful death specialists. Tell us what happened and why you believe the owner, manager or operator of a property was responsible.

Our lawyers will evaluate and investigate the case and help you determine what action to take. Contact our California premises liability wrongful death lawyers today. To make an appointment for a free consultation, call us at (415) 981-7210 or contact us online.