Los Angeles Sidewalk Injury Lawyers, Uneven Pavement, Tree Roots, and Who Pays for It
Sidewalk injuries in Los Angeles can involve the city, adjacent property owners, or both. We determine who is responsible and pursue them.
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Former Insurance Defense
David Lederer and John Nojima defended insurers for years before switching sides. They know every strategy the adjuster will use to reduce your settlement.
No Fee Unless We Win
Zero upfront cost. We work on contingency, our fee comes from your recovery. If we do not win, you pay nothing.
Free Consultation 24/7
Call any time. We respond to urgent matters around the clock and take over all insurer communication the day you hire us.
What Premises Liability Clients Say
“John Nojima was very attentive and made sure that my well-being and my vehicle were well taken care of. Mr. Nojima and his staff often worked extended hours to accommodate my schedule.”
“LNTL is one of the best personal injury firms in Southern California. They handled my case with professionalism and genuine concern for my recovery.”
What the Insurance Company Will Not Tell You After a Sidewalk Injury
These are tactics we used when we defended insurers. Now we expose them.
Invoke the trivial defect doctrine immediately
The insurance carrier's first line of defense on any sidewalk crack or elevation change is to argue it was legally too minor to constitute a dangerous condition. We document the defect's dimensions, context, and prior complaint history to defeat this.
Blame you for not watching where you were walking
This is standard comparative fault strategy, shift a percentage of liability onto you to reduce the payout. We document the conditions that made the defect dangerous regardless of pedestrian awareness.
Dispute actual and constructive notice
For government liability, notice is a required element. The city will claim it had no knowledge of the defect. We subpoena 311 complaint records, city inspector logs, and prior work orders to establish notice.
What to Do Immediately After a Sidewalk Injury in Los Angeles
- 1
Photograph the defect immediately with a clear reference for scale, put a coin or your phone next to it.
- 2
Report the incident to the City of Los Angeles via 311 in writing to create an official record.
- 3
Get names and contact information for any witnesses at the scene.
- 4
Preserve your footwear, the soles can show where the impact occurred.
- 5
Seek medical attention that day.
- 6
Document any prior knowledge of the defect if you or neighbors were aware of it.
- 7
Call us immediately, government claim deadlines are unforgiving and we file them same day.
How We Handle Your Sidewalk Injury Case
Free Consultation
We review your case at no charge, identify all potentially liable parties, city, adjacent owner, or both, and tell you honestly what your case is worth.
We Take Over
We file the required government claim immediately and send representation letters to all parties. From this point forward, they communicate with us.
Investigation
We subpoena 311 records, city inspection schedules, tree maintenance logs, and prior complaint history. We retain a civil engineer to document the defect professionally.
Demand and Negotiation
Our demand package is built to defeat the trivial defect defense and the no-notice argument. We have made these arguments before, from the other side.
Settlement or Trial
Most sidewalk cases settle. When they don't, we go to trial. Government entities and their insurers respond differently when they know we litigate.
Compensation You May Be Entitled To
California Law: Sidewalk Injuries in Los Angeles
Sidewalk injuries in Los Angeles involve one of the most layered liability questions in California premises law. When the city is involved, Government Code section 835 imposes liability on a public entity for a dangerous condition of its property when the entity had actual or constructive notice and failed to take protective action within a reasonable time. But accessing this liability requires strict compliance with the Government Claims Act (Government Code 945.4), you must file a written claim with the responsible government entity within 6 months of your injury. Missing this deadline eliminates your claim against the city entirely.
Adjacent private property owners carry their own independent duty under Los Angeles Municipal Code section 62.104, which places sidewalk maintenance obligations on owners of property abutting city sidewalks. When a cracked sidewalk slab or tree root heave is adjacent to a commercial or residential building and the owner has failed to maintain it, that owner is separately liable. This is a standard negligence claim under Civil Code section 1714 with a two-year statute of limitations, no government claim required for the private property defendant.
In tree root cases specifically, the City of Los Angeles plants and maintains street trees through its Urban Forestry Division. When city tree roots lift a sidewalk panel and the city has notice but fails to repair, liability runs through Government Code 835. We subpoena tree maintenance request records and work order histories to establish that the city had notice of the root damage and failed to act. Prior 311 complaints from neighboring residents are among the most powerful evidence available in these cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the City of Los Angeles responsible for sidewalk injuries?
Can I sue the property owner next to where I fell on the sidewalk?
A city tree root lifted the sidewalk where I fell. Who is responsible?
How do I find out if anyone complained about this sidewalk before I fell?
Does the 6-month government claim deadline apply to all sidewalk injuries in Los Angeles?
Premises Liability Case Results
The following results are from actual Lederer & Nojima cases. Every case is different.
The case results displayed are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any future case. Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Related Practice Areas
Injured on a Los Angeles Sidewalk? Call Now Before the Government Deadline Passes.
No fee unless we win. Former insurance defense attorneys on your side.
Available 24/7 · No fee unless we win · (310) 312-1860