San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog
Medical facilities are growing. Hospitals stretch across multiple blocks and often seem like a small city. Visitors often need to stop at an information desk or consult a map to find their destination
. In addition to medical personnel, large medical centers may employ dozens of workers in non-medical roles. Injuries can and do occur on hospital grounds, including many that don’t stem directly from medical care. In this post, our San Francisco injury attorney looks at a recent appellate ruling that clarifies the law on hospital slip-and-fall accidents and other instances in which standard negligence (as opposed to medical negligence) leads to an injury on hospital grounds.
The Facts and the Lower Court’s Dismissal
In June 2010, heart health concerns led to Asma Pouzbaris being admitted to West Anaheim Medical Center. When she left her bed to use the bathroom, Pouzbaris slipped and fell. According to the Complaint filed in the Superior Court of Orange County, the floor had recently been mopped but no warnings had been posted. Responding to the defendant’s request for summary judgment, the court ruled the claim was barred by the statute of limitations. Recently, the appeals court reviewed the trial court’s decision and, in a ruling available via the California Judicial Branch’s website, reversed and found the suit was filed in a timely manner.