Los Angeles Tree Injury Lawyer
Request Free ConsultationCalifornia is a state known for its beautiful native trees. The last thing anyone expects is an injury from a falling tree or tree branch, but falling trees and limbs have the potential to cause great harm, including property damage, injury, and death. But did you know you might be entitled to compensation for a tree-related injury?
If you or a loved one sustained injuries related to a falling tree or branch, you may be entitled to compensation. The Los Angeles personal injury attorneys here at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP are Tier-1 rated attorneys for personal injury cases in the Los Angeles area. Let us help you navigate through a difficult situation for the best possible outcome in your case.
Meet Your Los Angeles Tree Injury Attorneys
The experienced attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP have won more favorable personal injury judgments and settlements than any other California law firm in history. Our attorneys have the necessary experience, resources, and dedication to pursue justice and compensation for victims injured by improperly maintained trees on privately owned properties, company properties, and properties owned or monitored by government authorities.
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What Qualifies As A Tree Injury Case?
The majority of falling tree or tree branch cases in the Los Angeles area fall under California’s premises liability law. Under this law, property owners have a duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition, and that duty extends to the trees on it. If a property owner knew, or should have known, that a tree posed a danger and failed to address it, they can be held liable for resulting injuries.
This applies whether the tree is located on private property, such as a neighbor’s yard, or public property, such as land maintained by the city or county. In either case, the injured party must generally show that the property owner was negligent. Examples include ignoring visible signs of decay, disease, or structural instability, or failing to properly trim, inspect, or remove a hazardous tree.
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Damages Available For Falling Tree Injuries In Los Angeles
Victims of falling tree accidents may be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages under California premises liability law, including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Property damage
- Wrongful death damages
- Punitive damages
The attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP work with medical experts, economists, and life care planners to fully calculate the true cost of your injury and pursue the maximum compensation available under the law.
Understanding Legal Liability In California Tree Injury Cases
According to OSHA, falling trees kill over 100 people annually in the United States, with California being one of the top five states for tree-related injuries each year. Drought conditions in California are causing tens of millions of trees to weaken and die, resulting in trees that are more likely to drop branches or topple over completely, rarely, but tragically causing injuries and fatalities.
Proving that a property owner is responsible for a tree-related injury requires showing that the owner didn’t maintain the property in a way that would have prevented injuries and that the negligence was responsible for the injury. Plaintiffs must show the following factors in these types of liability cases:
- That the property owner negligently used or did not properly maintain the property to keep it in a reasonably safe condition. The law requires property owners to use reasonable care to discover, repair, replace, or correct any unsafe conditions or to provide adequate warning of a condition that could harm others.
- That control of the property was the responsibility of the defendant who owned, leased, or controlled the property during the time of the accident
- That the plaintiff sustained harm or injury
- That negligence was the main cause of the harm
Determining owner liability in these cases is not always straightforward. It requires establishing that the property owner, whether a private homeowner, business, HOA, or government entity, knew or reasonably should have known about the hazard and failed to take action to correct it. This often involves reviewing maintenance records, prior complaints, inspection history, and even expert arborist testimony to reconstruct the tree’s condition leading up to the incident.
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Causes Of Falling Trees And Branches In Los Angeles
Trees don’t fall or shed branches without warning signs. In most cases, there were identifiable risk factors that a property owner could have caught and addressed. Common causes of falling tree accidents include:
- Dead or dying trees: A tree that is dead, dying, or diseased loses structural integrity over time. Dead limbs become brittle and are far more likely to snap in wind, rain, or even under their own weight.
- Root damage or instability: Construction, soil erosion, drought, or over-saturated ground can weaken a tree’s root system, making it prone to toppling even when the tree itself looks healthy.
- Improper planting: Trees planted too close to structures, power lines, or sidewalks, or planted in soil unsuited to the species, often develop weak root systems or unstable growth patterns that increase the risk of falling.
- Lack of trimming or pruning: Overgrown, unbalanced canopies and dead branches (“widowmakers”) that are never removed pose a serious risk, especially during storms or high winds.
- Untreated disease or pest infestation: Fungal infections, insect infestations, and other tree diseases can hollow out or weaken a tree from the inside, often without obvious external symptoms until it’s too late.
- Failure to inspect after storms or extreme weather: Even a healthy tree can sustain hidden damage after a storm. Property owners who don’t inspect their trees following severe weather may miss warning signs of an impending failure.
- Poor tree work: Improper trimming, topping, or cabling by an unqualified tree service can leave a tree structurally compromised, sometimes creating a more dangerous situation than if the tree had been left untouched.
The attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP have the experience and resources to investigate these details and build a strong case on your behalf. If a property owner’s negligence in maintaining a hazardous tree caused your injury or a loved one’s death, our team can help you pursue the compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Common Injuries Caused by Falling Trees or Falling Tree Branches
Falling trees and branches can weigh hundreds or even thousands of pounds, and when they strike a person, vehicle, or structure, the results are often severe. Because these accidents happen suddenly and with tremendous force, victims are rarely able to get out of the way in time. Injuries commonly associated with falling tree accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): A direct blow to the head from a falling branch or tree can cause concussions, skull fractures, or more severe brain trauma with long-term cognitive, physical, or emotional effects.
- Spinal cord injuries: The force of a falling tree can fracture vertebrae or damage the spinal cord, sometimes resulting in partial or complete paralysis.
- Broken bones and fractures: Crush injuries from heavy limbs or trunks frequently cause fractures to the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, or skull.
- Internal injuries: The impact of a falling tree can cause internal bleeding or damage to organs, which may not be immediately apparent but can be life-threatening without prompt treatment.
- Soft tissue Injuries: Sharp, broken branches can cause deep cuts, puncture wounds, and severe soft tissue injuries.
- Amputation: In severe cases, the sheer weight of a falling tree can crush limbs so badly that amputation becomes necessary.
- Wrongful death: Tragically, falling trees and branches are sometimes fatal — particularly when they strike a person’s head or torso, or when someone is trapped beneath a fallen tree without immediate help.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a falling tree or branch due to a property owner’s negligence, the attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP can help you understand your legal options.
Contact A Los Angeles Tree Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one in the Los Angeles area sustained injuries in a tree-related accident, call the personal injury attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP to help you secure the financial compensation you need to recover losses from medical treatments, damages, income loss, and pain and suffering. Our team of professionals focuses only on the rights of injury victims and can skillfully navigate the legal system as the advocates you need in your tree-related personal injury claim. Contact us today or call (310) 928-6200.
Where To Find Us
Our main Los Angeles office is located in the heart of West LA at 11111 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 700, right on the Westside’s main commercial corridor, minutes from the 405 and the 10.
We also have a Downtown Los Angeles office at 444 S. Flower Street, Suite 4150, convenient to Stanley Mosk Courthouse and the Spring Street courthouse, where many LA County car accident cases are filed.