First steps after a sidewalk fall
After a Los Angeles Sidewalk Fall
30-second answer
Get medical care. Save the exact location, close and wide photos, original files, footwear, witness details, and nearby camera locations. Keep every 311 ticket, incident report, claim submission, and response. A 311 request is not the same as a government claim.
Reviewed by Arta Wildeboer, California attorney (Bar #286995) · Updated
Do this now
- 1Get appropriate medical care and save discharge instructions, treatment records, bills, and work or activity restrictions.
- 2Record the exact address, cross street, side of the block, direction you were walking, date, time, and a map pin or location history.
- 3Take close and wide photos only when safe. Show the condition, approach, lighting, debris, warnings, and a reliable scale without changing the scene.
- 4Save original photos and video, footwear and clothing, witness details, and the locations of nearby business, doorbell, traffic, transit, or parking cameras.
- 5Keep every 311 ticket, incident report, insurance message, claim submission, delivery confirmation, claim number, letter, email, and envelope.
Avoid this
- Do not return to an unsafe location, block pedestrian access, trespass, alter the condition, or measure where doing so creates a risk.
- Do not assume a 311 service request, police report, insurance notice, or records request is a government claim for money damages.
- Do not sign a release, broad medical authorization, or settlement check until you understand whose rights and claims it affects.
Save these
- Exact address, cross street, side of block, direction, date, time, and map pin
- Close and wide photos, original files, metadata, lighting, debris, and warnings
- Footwear and clothing kept without repair or disposal
- Witness names and contact details voluntarily provided
- Nearby camera locations and likely custodians
- Medical records, bills, receipts, restrictions, and a dated symptom timeline
- 311, incident, repair, insurance, and claim numbers
- Every submission, attachment, delivery record, response, letter, and envelope
Common questions
Should I go back to measure the sidewalk?
Not if returning would be unsafe. Medical care comes first. A lawful witness or investigator may be able to document the location later without blocking access, entering traffic, or changing the condition.
Does a 311 report preserve a claim against the City?
Do not assume it does. A 311 request reports a service problem. A government claim for money damages is a separate legal procedure with its own recipient, content, and timing rules.
Is the nearest property owner necessarily responsible?
No. The investigation may need to identify public ownership or control, adjacent-property duties, utilities, trees, permits, contractors, repairs, and who created or knew about the condition.
How quickly should I get advice about a possible public-entity claim?
Promptly. California generally uses an early claim-presentation period for personal injury, but accrual, the correct entity, exceptions, and later procedures can change the analysis. Do not calculate your deadline from a web page.
Want more detail?
Read the full explanation
Tripped on a Los Angeles Sidewalk? Evidence to SaveOfficial resources
- California Government Code section 830: Dangerous condition and public property definitions (opens in a new window)
- California Government Code section 835: Dangerous condition of public property (opens in a new window)
- California Government Code section 911.2: Claim presentation period (opens in a new window)
- California Courts: Ask a government agency to pay you by a deadline (opens in a new window)
- City of Los Angeles: Claim for Damage (opens in a new window)
- MyLA311: City service requests (opens in a new window)
Questions about your situation?
Talk with Arta Wildeboer
A short guide cannot account for every fact. A free consultation can help you understand the next step without pressure.